Week 5 of YouthWorks in Anchorage...

This week we had a youth group from Michigan, close to Grand Rapids. It was a smaller than usual group with 16 girls, 1 guy and 5 adult leaders, so 22 in all. A very small group.

It was not my favorite week... probably my 2nd least favorite week. I don't have tons to write about the week except that we did our normal routine and things went well and as planned. We heard from the adult leaders that many students were incredibly impacted by all the programming...the ministry sites, club, etc. So this is pretty awesome!

Some favorite moments of the week:
1) Again, the poverty simulation. While the students didn't have a dramatic change and eye opening experience this week, the discussion after the simulation was very honest. Much of the discussion revealed how much the participants believe the poor and homeless they met and saw are themselves to blame for the situation they are in. This allowed Amanda and me to share a lot of our understanding/experiences with the poor and to also share some of the potential societal, family, governmental, influences, as well as fallen sinful humanity in general that affect some individuals negatively, and sometimes indirectly cause poverty.

2) Soup kitchen: I got to pray with a woman named Gloria. She came up to me to ask if the soup kitchen could provide her with clothing. We talked for awhile and she asked me to pray for her, because she struggles with alcohol, as well as with being taken advanged of by men. Will you please also say a prayer for Gloria?

3) Again, the community picnic. This week we were intentional about NOT inviting many people so that we wouldn't end up with 250+ people again. We had about 40, which was perfect. There are 3 people who have consistently been coming to our picnic every single week: Esther, Freddy and Sam. I really love these 3 and hope to post their picture up soon. They are 3 people met at Bean's Cafe, a day shelter that houses and feeds people during the day. These 3 are so wonderful, joyful and kindhearted. Every week when we show up, Freddy always makes his way over to our vans to help us carry out all the food we've brought for the picnic. The past 2 weeks, Esther and Sam (they are brother and sister) have invited several members of their family even, and this week there were about 10 of their family members there. I could go on and on about them... But I will share one meaningful experience. When we left I ran over to say goodbye to them, and as I gave Esther a hug she told me that she loved me. I told her I loved her too, and I truly do... She is a beautiful woman...

4) Remember the student I wrote about last week who had a homeless man tell him that he could tell the student was thinking about starting drugs? Well I found out the following converstaion had happened with the same student with the director of the soup kitchen...Patti, the director of the soup kitchen wrote:
"Last week we had a group of students here on a missions trip. As I was shucking corn with a young man, he asked me for my life story. Knowing our time was short, I only shared the important parts, my story of salvation. I asked for his story. With big brown eyes that looked sadly into my heart he said "I don't have a story, that's why I came on this trip, I am hoping to get one." With an invitation like that, I jumped in with both feet and shared the gospel of Jesus with him. He was eager to hear of Jesus and shared some deep hurts from his childhood, which was far from idyllic." (more later)


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Two more weeks of YouthWorks programming. Tomorrow we have 3 groups arrive... One is from Hollywood, and one of the others may be from Iowa? Not sure. We'll have 63 students this week... I must say though that I am very ready to come home. I am tired and depleted... I feel like this every weekend though, and then once the students arrive Sunday afternoon I get excited and energized again. I hope and pray this happens again this week. :)


Last night the senior pastor at our hosting church here, First Covenant Church, invited our team over for dinner. His name is Pastor Ron, and we had a WONDERFUL time there. He grilled steaks for us and the entire meal was AMAZING! It was so great to just spend time with him and to relax - he's a passionate and charasmatic man.... Not only did he feed us with delicious food, but he also fed us spiritually. He gave us an unexpected "mini-sermon" during our peach pie dessert. It was incredibly satisfying and filling - the sermon that is. He talked to us about his spiritual journey and how God had led him to where he is today. He spoke to us about what it is to depend and trust in God for all of our needs and how He will supply each and every one of them. He talked about the Holy Spirit and how He works in each of us as Christians to guide us and work powerfully through us. He also talked about how God rewards the obedient, and "shows up" especially powerfully whenever we are on the EDGE....

It is scary for us to put ourselves out there into the world of the unknown and to trust and rely on God instead of ourselves.... Following God is RISKY and indeed scary at times... But our faith and belief system is not based on comfort, relaxation and prosperity. Yes, we do experience these things as part of following God... But Jesus has called us to die to ourselves and our earthly nature, to love our neighbors as ourselves (with the definition of neighbors including even those who hate us), to put others first, to serve and not to be served, to give money and time out of a place that we don't believe we have enough to give, and soooo much more. As a follower of God I didn't always understand this, and certainly didn't live it... And even now I'm still learning... A lot of the things Jesus has called us believers to do does not make ANY sense in the eyes of the world. We are constantly putting up protectors that cause us to worry and be concerned about our own satisfaction, image, security and dreams and desires.

My Prayer:
Dear Jesus, please please make us more like you. You have told us in your word that we are to be ministers of your reconciliation. Please help us...show us how to do this. You lived a humble, compassionate and radical life in which you put others first, spent time with the outcasts and unlovables of society, in which you had no where to rest your head and loved everyone with an unconditional love. This is so hard to do in a world that tells us it's good and right to satisfy ourselves. Please fill us with everything good and true that you are oh God. Please show us more of you in our lives so that we as Christians will be a breath of fresh air to the world that show love, peace, humility, compassion, kindness, and patience. May we reflect your goodness so that our aroma will be one in which people find you and seek you and are drawn to you through us.
In Your name, Amen.