A steadfast Grip

  The old richety red van screaches to a sudden stop in unmarked parking. From all surrounding sides come swarming children. Running, skipping, pressing closer and closer. Their smiling facing and heartwarming laughter trickle inside as they circled around the vehicle. Some waiting in patience. Others jumping up and down with excitement. The double doors swing open and out pour the passengers inside, just as giddy as the anxious onlookers.  With no delay children encompass the white people with suffocating hugs. But there is no thought of discomfort. Only a rising joy and unearthly love welling up inside. It grows and it grows... until no longer can it be contained. Soon laughter errupts from all around and shouts exlaiming pure delight. The games begin. There is no lack of thrilling energy.  It is like a buzz, an electricity flowing from deep within. Power beyond expression taking place of reason and practical sense. There is no denying the power that is at work. It is something. Something greater than comprehension.  We grasp for it, and it is granted in small portions. Little doses that bring survival and perserverance. To call it human resource is asking for the credit of what it certainly is not. To call it the power of a King of Glory, a God most high, that is truth. That is where all the credit is due.

  This is our experience every day during the week. As our relationships with the children in the Projects grow we are falling ever more in love with them. We have been able to meet some parents and tell them why we are here. They seem very open and willing to talk. Our team is praying for opportunities to reach the parents and see families transformed. We know God is doing BIG things. Bigger than we can even imagine. Our team is confident that we are exactly where God wants us. We are holding on to his word and promises that lie within it. He is our rock and foundation. God is growing our confidence and throwing our fears and doubts behind us as we press into his plans and desires for our outreach. God never dissapoints and we are forever greatful for his unending faithfullness.

  We are continuing our work at the Lighthouse Mission. Serving every Tuesday and Friday morning.  And participating in the afterschool program. The kids there are opening up more every time we go. This week we split the group in half of Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon. One day half of us went to the Lighthouse and the rest of the team went to the Paradise Mills project. We absolutely loved doing that. We hadn't been to Paradise Mills for weeks and we really felt we should continue going there. The kids were so excited to see us. They told us they thought something bad had happened to us. So we are going to continue splitting up the group.

  To end this week we had our 24 hour prayer day. And during the afternoon we felt God wanted us to go to the Kennedy Project and write words for the children there and the project on the basketball court. We went while most of the kids were still at school. Here are some of the things we wrote....

  What is truth? Truth is all around us. Truth is the sun rising and setting every day. The tide crashing on the shore in endless waves. As dawn bursts forth, we step into the kingdom created by the One Living God. We see compassion unfolding in the lives of His follwers. We see His love seeping into the hearts of the lost. The ones He is calling back to him. This is our reasoning. This is our truth; That something greater than our lives is at work in this world. The work of the Hand of God.

 Expecting His Glory to fall! -With all our love, team St. Croix