Mission Arlington had a different feel yesterday (Tuesday) than a day earlier on Monday. Yesterday was much harder to do ministry due to the opposition our groups faced at the various apartment complexes. When the Mission Arlington leaders said that sometimes God calls us into impossible circumstances, we should have all said “Amen!” – not knowing that it would be true for many of our groups yesterday. The weather, coupled with local kids who have not been as welcoming as we hoped, has opened our eyes to the types of people Jesus calls us to serve and love — regardless of their reaction to us. That’s tough when you actually have to do it. But man – what an opportunity to learn some difficult lessons about what it means to follow Jesus even when life gets hard.
God is working in our group right now. It’s evident from some of the spiritual fruit our leaders are seeing in their desire to see the kids come to know Jesus. Please, please pray for us and for them! We need it. This has not been an easy trip. It’s not easy to face opposition, but I look at it as a sign that God is at work in places people don’t normally go. I want our student ministry to be where God is working – and I am reminded this week that it is not always in the places that are comfortable or easy.
I am really proud of this group. We have several middle school students who are experiencing a mission trip for the first time. In particular, I got the chance to see Jameson Watkins and Josiah Falkner do a great job of presenting biblical truth through interacting with the kids through puppets yesterday. During our group de-brief time, several students commented on how Jordan Pate did a great job of connecting with students. The encouraging statements that students made about one another last night are too many to mention. The most important thing is: God is being glorified through students using their gifts and their lives to serve Him.
Pray for us as we face the heat on Wednesday and share the Gospel with each and every Rainbow Express group. We have a Gospel craft that walks students through what it means to have a relationship with Jesus and we are praying for this time. More updates after to follow!
