I have been asking myself the same question all summer long; “Oh Lord, who is like You?” I ask along with the psalmist, along with the child who has seen His mercy, and along with all those who have looked upon the treasures of this life and found that none of them satisfy.
“There is none like God…who rides through the heavens to your help.” (Deut. 33:26)
“Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression…” (Micah 7:18)
My first week in Tulsa, I wrote this in my journal—
Tonight Pastor Joe asked me to share my testimony during youth group. I couldn’t say no. A big part of me wanted to—the part that cares what people think, that loves the comfortable & familiar, and the part that doesn’t recall God’s past graces. But I knew He was handing me an opportunity. He was answering my prayer (“Lord, use me”) in a very obvious way.
I remember sharing with those kids that night. I talked to them about living for eternity. There were a few nods and a few note-takers, but what I recall most clearly is the ease and joy I felt while speaking. I had been so anxious before. I had felt helpless and inadequate. It took me physically getting on my knees and pleading with God before I felt ready. I asked Him to be the focus and power behind my words. After that—I simply became an instrument and He, the musician.
That was week one. Once getAHEAD started I realized I would need Him for every moment. The tutoring program at Springs of Grace Bible doesn’t just involve sitting across the table from a single child, helping him/her with math homework. It starts at their door step. We knock and hope they will answer. Some days I’d pick up twelve kids while other days there were only two. I quickly learned that I could have no expectations. I remember little Raymond coming the first day and being so excited. I went to his door for weeks after that, but never saw him again. After helping them scramble for their shoes (if they owned shoes) and getting them buckled into their seats, we took them to the church.
Most mornings my classroom was full by the time I got there. Jillian and I would pass out a snack and we’d catch up with the kids. The majority of my class was made up of twelve and thirteen year-olds. We started every day with a journal question. They got out their notebooks and we’d have them write for fifteen minutes. I loved this time. I loved to watch them write and I especially loved it when they would hand me their journal and let me read what they had written. Chris wrote about going to culinary school in New York someday. Rebecca wrote poem after poem, expressing her thoughts about everything from God to politics. ***** often wrote about her family. I read about her mom who drinks and hits her. ***** wrote, “I love her anyway.” One day the journal prompt was simply: “What is on your mind right now?” That day Marquis wrote about how much he missed his sister. She moved to another state, years ago, to live with their dad. Rineesha always sat in the corner of the classroom, scribbling away. While it comforted me to know she was expressing her emotions, it was difficult to see these young people struggling with issues I could hardly comprehend, let alone live through.
I had ****** for one-on-one time. After my class got out, I’d take her aside and we’d read together. It was obvious that she had a lot on her heart. It took her a while, but little by little she began to open up to me about her life. At fifteen she was already a recovering drug addict and had survived an attempted suicide. I was able to share with her the hope and forgiveness that can be found in Christ. The tears flowed. I saw her smile for the first time. The month flew by, and I soon found myself telling her I had to leave. She was upset. She made it clear that she felt I was abandoning her. But a week later she sent me a letter, and it ended with this:
I wrote this at first because I was mad. Because you did what everyone else has done, but you also did something different. You taught me to love God.
God allowed me to go deep with ******, but I also got to catch glimpses into the lives of other children. I met Rye-rye during one of our Saturday events out at the Comanche apartment complex. The way we met was somewhat unconventional. I was heading to the gym with a few other kids when all the sudden someone hopped up onto my back. I turned my head around to see who it was and saw her un-brushed hair sticking out in all directions and her two missing teeth. The following three hours she stuck to me like glue. We didn’t talk much. I just held her and let her play with my hair. As I was walking her back to her house I prayed that God would save her. I prayed that God would take her up into His arms so she could know true love. I prayed for her as I let go of her little hand.
I realized something as I was drove back from dropping off kids one day. Tay-tay had asked, “Can I come over to your house tonight?” as she got out of my car. And after that, “when can you pick us up tomorrow?” All four children had crowded around my car, making it impossible to drive away. I looked at their faces and realized just how much time, attention and love each child needed. I knew I couldn’t give it to them. I was just one person—and for a moment I felt lost. I gripped the steering wheel and sighed. Then it flooded my heart: “There is none like God…” and reminded me that while I was divided and helpless, He had not lost control. While I was unable to heal ****** or spend more time with Tay-tay, I could leave them in His arms.
Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you? (Psalm 71:19)
Love,
Rachel
Monday, August 18, 2008
Saturday, August 2, 2008
One Hope catches the attention of Denny Burk
To view an article by blogger Denny Burk regarding the One Hope ministry, click here: http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=2269.
Within the article above is a link to a recent Tulsa World article about our sports clinic ministry: http://www.tulsaworld.com/sports/article.aspx?articleID=20080719_29_B7_hCampi292912
We continue to praise God for this ministry, and for His gracious provision.
Within the article above is a link to a recent Tulsa World article about our sports clinic ministry: http://www.tulsaworld.com/sports/article.aspx?articleID=20080719_29_B7_hCampi292912
We continue to praise God for this ministry, and for His gracious provision.
Why YOUR child should attend Project 61 next year:
Dear Parents,
There are many Christian Summer Camps kids attend. There are camps where your kids are white water rafted to their cabin, where they go on three day hikes and are ensured for a fully packaged week of fun. They have access to every extreme sport on land and water. Some summer camps will provide entertainment every waking moment for your child; they will be watched and waited upon from sunrise to sundown and most of the time after. I’m talking about good camps, where counselors seek not just to entertain but to serve Christ and love kids, camps that there is nothing inherently wrong with.
While Project 61 may not have all of the facilities or activities of these camps, I would say the impact it can have on your youth’s heart far exceeds any extreme toy they could ever play with at any camp. I have participated in over 56 weeks of summer camp ministries in the Midwest and on the West Coast and in three different countries. And I have never had a week of camp like Project 61.
If your youth comes to Project 61 they will have the amazing privilege of not only soaking up rich teaching by men who have both loved and lived out the gospel for more than your youth’s life (and maybe yours), but they will have the chance to live it out every morning from 7:00 AM to 12:30 PM. I say 7:00 AM because that is when they have to drag themselves from their beds at Keystone Park and begin preparing for sports camp which starts at 9:00 AM at Comanche Park in North Tulsa, a thirty-minute commute away. They are separated into seven teams going from based on the kids’ age that come to the sports clinic. They meet with these teams every day after the lunch devotions. They discuss how the day went, their opportunities to show love to the kids, and how to handle discipline problems with the children. The campers are also instructed on how they can better help the team function through out the day. The team is responsible for helping the sports camp run, giving the kids opportunities to serve, providing accountability for service, and encouraging the campers as they try to love and live out the gospel.
This year Rex Blankenship gave a sermon each night, preaching out of Romans 15. Brother Rex called them to examine their own relationship with God before they started performing works in the Lord’s name. He explained that the only hope that could be given to the kids that would be at Comanche Park would have to come from God, because He is the God of Hope. Brother Rex said that “God is both the source and the object of hope; He creates hope.” Each night also began and ended with songs of worship where we raised up our voices in praise of the God we were studying and serving. Worship was led by Nate Boone and Chase.
Parents, if you are looking for a camp to send your child to that will point them to the gospel, open up door for discipleship, and provide them with an opportunity to live out the gospel, P61 is your answer.
-Meagan Fowler
There are many Christian Summer Camps kids attend. There are camps where your kids are white water rafted to their cabin, where they go on three day hikes and are ensured for a fully packaged week of fun. They have access to every extreme sport on land and water. Some summer camps will provide entertainment every waking moment for your child; they will be watched and waited upon from sunrise to sundown and most of the time after. I’m talking about good camps, where counselors seek not just to entertain but to serve Christ and love kids, camps that there is nothing inherently wrong with.
While Project 61 may not have all of the facilities or activities of these camps, I would say the impact it can have on your youth’s heart far exceeds any extreme toy they could ever play with at any camp. I have participated in over 56 weeks of summer camp ministries in the Midwest and on the West Coast and in three different countries. And I have never had a week of camp like Project 61.
If your youth comes to Project 61 they will have the amazing privilege of not only soaking up rich teaching by men who have both loved and lived out the gospel for more than your youth’s life (and maybe yours), but they will have the chance to live it out every morning from 7:00 AM to 12:30 PM. I say 7:00 AM because that is when they have to drag themselves from their beds at Keystone Park and begin preparing for sports camp which starts at 9:00 AM at Comanche Park in North Tulsa, a thirty-minute commute away. They are separated into seven teams going from based on the kids’ age that come to the sports clinic. They meet with these teams every day after the lunch devotions. They discuss how the day went, their opportunities to show love to the kids, and how to handle discipline problems with the children. The campers are also instructed on how they can better help the team function through out the day. The team is responsible for helping the sports camp run, giving the kids opportunities to serve, providing accountability for service, and encouraging the campers as they try to love and live out the gospel.
This year Rex Blankenship gave a sermon each night, preaching out of Romans 15. Brother Rex called them to examine their own relationship with God before they started performing works in the Lord’s name. He explained that the only hope that could be given to the kids that would be at Comanche Park would have to come from God, because He is the God of Hope. Brother Rex said that “God is both the source and the object of hope; He creates hope.” Each night also began and ended with songs of worship where we raised up our voices in praise of the God we were studying and serving. Worship was led by Nate Boone and Chase.
Parents, if you are looking for a camp to send your child to that will point them to the gospel, open up door for discipleship, and provide them with an opportunity to live out the gospel, P61 is your answer.
-Meagan Fowler
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Popular Christian artist hears about One Hope
Christian singer, Meredith Andrews heard about the One Hope Ministry while visiting Tulsa. She recorded her impressions of the ministry on her blog: http://meredithandrews.com/blogs/meredith
One Hope Press Release
PRESS RELEASE:
One Hope Ministry is excited to announce its “Spread the Hope” weekend coming Friday and Saturday, August 1st through 2nd. One Hope is a nonprofit organization with a vision for reaching inner city Tulsa.
This vision includes building a One Hope Center where the people of Tulsa and their children can come for tutoring, sports clinics, recreational sports teams, counseling, medical clinics, physical therapy, and other programs. This facility would also house a charter school providing individualized teaching and mentoring for at-risk children.
The goal of One Hope is to use the hope-giving and life-changing message of Jesus Christ to combat the cycles of racism, prejudice, abuse, violence, and poverty that exist in the inner city of Tulsa, and to train college-aged men and women to replicate the One Hope model in other urban areas.
One Hope intentionally targets inner-city, at-risk, and disadvantaged children, single-parent families, and youth at risk for dropping out of school or becoming involved in gang activity through getAHEAD, a tutoring and mentoring program, sports camps and clinics, Rise And Dream, an inspirational vocational program, and GirlTalk, a program addressing issues facing high school girls. We hope to be able to expand these programs and extend our influence by building the One Hope Center.
We know that there are a lot of good things for people to give their money to. That’s why we’re just asking for one dollar. We believe if one million people gave one dollar each, we could open the One Hope Center in Tulsa, OK.
On Saturday, August 2nd, we will be spreading the vision of the One Hope Center by setting up informational and donation booths throughout the city of Tulsa. Some of the local coaches and athletes who serve as volunteer staff at our sports clinics, along with our full-time college-aged intern staff, will be manning these booths from 10 am to 6 pm that day. This will be followed at 7 pm by the One Hope Celebration at our current location, Springs of Grace Bible Church (7123 E. 7th Street, Tulsa, OK 74112). Additional information about the programs and the vision will be available at this time. This is an opportunity for those who would like to ask questions of the One Hope staff or to meet some of the kids involved in our programs who will be there celebrating with us.
Additional information can be found on our website at www.onehopeministry.org or by contacting Joe Blankenship at 918-760-0089 or b2Himglory@gmail.com.
One Hope Ministry is excited to announce its “Spread the Hope” weekend coming Friday and Saturday, August 1st through 2nd. One Hope is a nonprofit organization with a vision for reaching inner city Tulsa.
This vision includes building a One Hope Center where the people of Tulsa and their children can come for tutoring, sports clinics, recreational sports teams, counseling, medical clinics, physical therapy, and other programs. This facility would also house a charter school providing individualized teaching and mentoring for at-risk children.
The goal of One Hope is to use the hope-giving and life-changing message of Jesus Christ to combat the cycles of racism, prejudice, abuse, violence, and poverty that exist in the inner city of Tulsa, and to train college-aged men and women to replicate the One Hope model in other urban areas.
One Hope intentionally targets inner-city, at-risk, and disadvantaged children, single-parent families, and youth at risk for dropping out of school or becoming involved in gang activity through getAHEAD, a tutoring and mentoring program, sports camps and clinics, Rise And Dream, an inspirational vocational program, and GirlTalk, a program addressing issues facing high school girls. We hope to be able to expand these programs and extend our influence by building the One Hope Center.
We know that there are a lot of good things for people to give their money to. That’s why we’re just asking for one dollar. We believe if one million people gave one dollar each, we could open the One Hope Center in Tulsa, OK.
On Saturday, August 2nd, we will be spreading the vision of the One Hope Center by setting up informational and donation booths throughout the city of Tulsa. Some of the local coaches and athletes who serve as volunteer staff at our sports clinics, along with our full-time college-aged intern staff, will be manning these booths from 10 am to 6 pm that day. This will be followed at 7 pm by the One Hope Celebration at our current location, Springs of Grace Bible Church (7123 E. 7th Street, Tulsa, OK 74112). Additional information about the programs and the vision will be available at this time. This is an opportunity for those who would like to ask questions of the One Hope staff or to meet some of the kids involved in our programs who will be there celebrating with us.
Additional information can be found on our website at www.onehopeministry.org or by contacting Joe Blankenship at 918-760-0089 or b2Himglory@gmail.com.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Project 61
Well, Project 61 is over and we have already started thinking about next year's camp. It went really well, I thought, but this being my first year, I don't have another time to compare it to. I have never been to any camp like this one and it was really neat. We worshiped and listened to a message every evening and then in the mornings went out to Comanche to hold sports clinic for the kids. It was really awesome to be able to put what we learned every night into practice the very next morning. We were challenged to accept others as Jesus did and live with hope. These kids are dead and without any hope at all when they don't know Christ. It is so sad, but a great privilege to share the love of Christ with them and just get to know some of them. We just continue to pray that seeds would be planted and they would seek after God even though their hearts seem so hard. God is great and as I've been reminded lately, God can accomplish all that He wills. His purpose will never fail.
--Sarah Roberts
--Sarah Roberts
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Update from Jacob!
This is my first summer as an "official" intern. However I am not new to our ministry. This year it seems that most of the kids are more receptive to the gospel which is a great encouragement to me personally. Get Ahead went well today I think that we had a record high attendance, 61, which is a hand-full for twenty interns. Especially when individual time rolls around and we each have 3 to 4 kids to minister to. And so with the small exception of overwhelming numbers everything has gone swimmingly.
In Christ,
Jacob Gastelum
In Christ,
Jacob Gastelum
Update from Tyler!
6/23/08-
Last week was one of what I hear is going to be one of the busiest weeks of the summer, and after going through it I can understand why with the schedule that we had here at Springs of Grace (SoG). We had had what we normally do with the “getAhead” torturing program on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 2-4:30, but in addition to that in the morning we started Vacation Bible School (VBS) which went from 9-12. So as you can imagine on the days when we had both of these events going, it was busy.
Not having much time, or any time at all for lunch or even a break; the week basically took me to the point where I though that I was tired and pushed me beyond that.
I remember having one verse stick in my mind throughout the whole week, and it is a verse that has been coming to mind pretty much since I have been here. The wonderful thing about this verse, and the reason I bring it up is because of the way I got to see yet again how the Lord fulfilled the promise He makes in it. This promise comes from Matthew 10:39 when Christ says “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
I know that many probably don’t think of being an intern for the summer as a way of “loosing their life,” or that having to work with kids from 9-5 is a hard job that is stretching, because it really isn’t the most difficult job out there, and there are many ways that I could probably be “losing” my life in a more physical sense. But, often times when there is no other reason to do something, except with the hope of seeing lives being regenerated through the “foolishness of cross,” often times the littlest thing can be an opportunity to “lose your life” for Christ sake. The reason for this is because it is my tendency to hold onto my life and get frustrated when things don’t go the way I want them to go. So it can be hard to willingly lay my life down as an offering, and loose it for the sake of Christ. Yet, this week God fulfilled His promises made here in this verse, not to the point where I am perfect at trusting in this promise yet, but to the point where I can see Him giving grace to help in the time of need for helping me find real abundant life in losing it for Him.
Lord willing and this will hopefully be something that can continue for all of us here interning at SoG, so when these grains of wheat fall to the ground and lose their life much fruit will be found to the praise and the glory of Him in these kids; and no hope was being placed in “keeping our lives,” so that when we lay our lives down, it would produce much fruit to eternal life.
Last week was one of what I hear is going to be one of the busiest weeks of the summer, and after going through it I can understand why with the schedule that we had here at Springs of Grace (SoG). We had had what we normally do with the “getAhead” torturing program on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 2-4:30, but in addition to that in the morning we started Vacation Bible School (VBS) which went from 9-12. So as you can imagine on the days when we had both of these events going, it was busy.
Not having much time, or any time at all for lunch or even a break; the week basically took me to the point where I though that I was tired and pushed me beyond that.
I remember having one verse stick in my mind throughout the whole week, and it is a verse that has been coming to mind pretty much since I have been here. The wonderful thing about this verse, and the reason I bring it up is because of the way I got to see yet again how the Lord fulfilled the promise He makes in it. This promise comes from Matthew 10:39 when Christ says “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
I know that many probably don’t think of being an intern for the summer as a way of “loosing their life,” or that having to work with kids from 9-5 is a hard job that is stretching, because it really isn’t the most difficult job out there, and there are many ways that I could probably be “losing” my life in a more physical sense. But, often times when there is no other reason to do something, except with the hope of seeing lives being regenerated through the “foolishness of cross,” often times the littlest thing can be an opportunity to “lose your life” for Christ sake. The reason for this is because it is my tendency to hold onto my life and get frustrated when things don’t go the way I want them to go. So it can be hard to willingly lay my life down as an offering, and loose it for the sake of Christ. Yet, this week God fulfilled His promises made here in this verse, not to the point where I am perfect at trusting in this promise yet, but to the point where I can see Him giving grace to help in the time of need for helping me find real abundant life in losing it for Him.
Lord willing and this will hopefully be something that can continue for all of us here interning at SoG, so when these grains of wheat fall to the ground and lose their life much fruit will be found to the praise and the glory of Him in these kids; and no hope was being placed in “keeping our lives,” so that when we lay our lives down, it would produce much fruit to eternal life.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Update from Jillian!
At getAHEAD, we've been reading The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe with the kids. Most of us have made it about to the third or fourth chapter, but we wanted the kids to have an idea of the entire story, so we had a movie day last week.
I grew up on The Chronicles of Narnia and have always loved those stories, but they've lost the ability to surprise me. Watching it with the kids last Wednesday, though, brought some of the wonder back.
I sat with two girls I've known all three summers I've been here. One had never seen it before. She kept looking at me with huge eyes full of wonder. At the beginning she was excited as she saw things we'd read about in class. As the story unfolded, she kept turning to me with questions or just with a look of amazement.
At the climax of the movie, where Aslan is killed in Edmund's place, she snuggled close to me and whispered, "He isn't really dead, is he?" But he was. And as she turned back to the screen, I could feel her sense of loss. I felt it myself. And then when he came back, she jumped a little from the excitement. "I thought he was dead!" I explained the resurrection and she made the connection. "This is like Jesus." We whispered about the cross, and how we, like Edmund, had to die. We talked about how Jesus died for us, how His power conquered even sin and death. And I think she really got it.
It was one of those times that makes the long hours of interning completely worth it. You never know if you will get to actually see a child's life transformed by her understanding of God, but we keep teaching and loving in the hope that it will happen. I haven't seen yet if her life is transformed because of the cross, but I have seen her get a little bit of a clearer understanding of it. And I pray that it will take effect in her life.
Please pray with us.
I grew up on The Chronicles of Narnia and have always loved those stories, but they've lost the ability to surprise me. Watching it with the kids last Wednesday, though, brought some of the wonder back.
I sat with two girls I've known all three summers I've been here. One had never seen it before. She kept looking at me with huge eyes full of wonder. At the beginning she was excited as she saw things we'd read about in class. As the story unfolded, she kept turning to me with questions or just with a look of amazement.
At the climax of the movie, where Aslan is killed in Edmund's place, she snuggled close to me and whispered, "He isn't really dead, is he?" But he was. And as she turned back to the screen, I could feel her sense of loss. I felt it myself. And then when he came back, she jumped a little from the excitement. "I thought he was dead!" I explained the resurrection and she made the connection. "This is like Jesus." We whispered about the cross, and how we, like Edmund, had to die. We talked about how Jesus died for us, how His power conquered even sin and death. And I think she really got it.
It was one of those times that makes the long hours of interning completely worth it. You never know if you will get to actually see a child's life transformed by her understanding of God, but we keep teaching and loving in the hope that it will happen. I haven't seen yet if her life is transformed because of the cross, but I have seen her get a little bit of a clearer understanding of it. And I pray that it will take effect in her life.
Please pray with us.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Update from Julie
Last Thursday at getAHEAD I had the opportunity to talk to three little girls in a group about the Lord. One little girl who was nine years old asked me some good questions about God. She started out by asking me if who decides where we go after we die. We talked about how each person has a choice to follow God with their whole life or turn away and reject Him. Through that I was able to share with the three girls the story of Jesus...who came to die for us on the cross.
All three girls had heard the story before, but they continued to have some significant questions. Most of the questions were about sin and death and why God would allow people to die. We were able to talk for about twenty minutes and the conversation ended with two of the girls asking me if they could have a bible of their own. It was hard to hear some of the things these girls were going through in their own homes and the racism that they encounter. In fact, racism existed within that small group. One of the girls believed that only white people were able to go to heaven. I hope to continue to talk to these little girls and on Tuesday and I have two small bibles to hand out. Please pray for them and that the Lord would move in their hearts!
In Him,
Julie
All three girls had heard the story before, but they continued to have some significant questions. Most of the questions were about sin and death and why God would allow people to die. We were able to talk for about twenty minutes and the conversation ended with two of the girls asking me if they could have a bible of their own. It was hard to hear some of the things these girls were going through in their own homes and the racism that they encounter. In fact, racism existed within that small group. One of the girls believed that only white people were able to go to heaven. I hope to continue to talk to these little girls and on Tuesday and I have two small bibles to hand out. Please pray for them and that the Lord would move in their hearts!
In Him,
Julie
Saturday, June 7, 2008
The Summer Has Begun!
It is possible and necessary to be as strong and rugged for truth as a redwood and as tender and fragrant for Christ as a field of clover.
-John Piper
God is even bigger than I thought. Interning has been going on for about two weeks now and our getAHEAD (summer tutoring) program is underway. The first day we had about 24 kids. We picked them up from different apartment complexes and neighboring houses. They were so excited to see their classrooms, meet their teachers, and receive brand-new journals. The oldest class (mine & Jillian’s class) was entirely empty the first day, so we prayed God would bring an older crowd tomorrow. On Thursday we had 49 kids show up! Our cars were running back and forth from the church to the apartments. By the time I got back from picking up the kids on my block, there were 9 twelve-year-olds in my classroom, waiting to listen. Jillian and I had them pass around C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, noting how the reading skills varied dramatically from one student to another. We had them journal about what their secret world would be like if they were to open a magical wardrobe door, like Lucy had in the book. Their answers were amusing, having mainly to do with oceans of money or being reuinted with deceased family and friends—but a girl named Rebecca wrote that she would want to be in a place where she could get away from all of life’s problems and finally get a chance to sort things out with God. I hope God will use me to help her see that she can have God now, in this world.
I’ve never felt so much love and so much frustration. They don’t even know me, yet I feel them grabbing my hands, sitting in my lap, or clinging to me as if I were their mother. At first it’s adorable and flattering until you realize that a healthy child doesn’t latch on to strangers. Miriam reminded us that a healthy child is attached to its family and reluctant to run to an outsider’s arms until a relationship is developed. But these kids don’t have healthy families. Yesterday I met ******’s dad when I dropped her off. He was sitting in front of the television while his three sons (all under the age of 7) ran around the house with dirty clothes on and no supervision. I thought, at least this girl has a father. ***** and ******* have different dads that they never see, and a mother who is the primary drug dealer in their apartment complex. One morning ***** discovered a dead body outside her door. What these two sisters are absorbing at home continues to undo so much of what they hear at this church. God is, of course, able to save to the uttermost those who are perishing. But I will admit that it is hard to send these kids home. It’s hard to think about what they are going home to. Every day Alicia begs me to take her home with me. Sometimes I plague myself with the reasons why, but have to stop because that is forgetting who God is. He is bigger than people’s circumstances, and He saves who He wills. Each of us has seen God save that person who seemed past the point of redemption, the teenager who said they hated God, or the relative who was wholly devoted to a false religion. That same God knows and loves these kids. My love is only a fraction of His love for them. I know I will cry over the hard hearts and the blind eyes. But at the end of the day, I will have to give each child over to His compassionate, gracious, and forgiving arms. Therein lies safety. Therein lies faith.
There is always so much to pray for. But would you pray for these kids?
Love,
Rachel
-John Piper
God is even bigger than I thought. Interning has been going on for about two weeks now and our getAHEAD (summer tutoring) program is underway. The first day we had about 24 kids. We picked them up from different apartment complexes and neighboring houses. They were so excited to see their classrooms, meet their teachers, and receive brand-new journals. The oldest class (mine & Jillian’s class) was entirely empty the first day, so we prayed God would bring an older crowd tomorrow. On Thursday we had 49 kids show up! Our cars were running back and forth from the church to the apartments. By the time I got back from picking up the kids on my block, there were 9 twelve-year-olds in my classroom, waiting to listen. Jillian and I had them pass around C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, noting how the reading skills varied dramatically from one student to another. We had them journal about what their secret world would be like if they were to open a magical wardrobe door, like Lucy had in the book. Their answers were amusing, having mainly to do with oceans of money or being reuinted with deceased family and friends—but a girl named Rebecca wrote that she would want to be in a place where she could get away from all of life’s problems and finally get a chance to sort things out with God. I hope God will use me to help her see that she can have God now, in this world.
I’ve never felt so much love and so much frustration. They don’t even know me, yet I feel them grabbing my hands, sitting in my lap, or clinging to me as if I were their mother. At first it’s adorable and flattering until you realize that a healthy child doesn’t latch on to strangers. Miriam reminded us that a healthy child is attached to its family and reluctant to run to an outsider’s arms until a relationship is developed. But these kids don’t have healthy families. Yesterday I met ******’s dad when I dropped her off. He was sitting in front of the television while his three sons (all under the age of 7) ran around the house with dirty clothes on and no supervision. I thought, at least this girl has a father. ***** and ******* have different dads that they never see, and a mother who is the primary drug dealer in their apartment complex. One morning ***** discovered a dead body outside her door. What these two sisters are absorbing at home continues to undo so much of what they hear at this church. God is, of course, able to save to the uttermost those who are perishing. But I will admit that it is hard to send these kids home. It’s hard to think about what they are going home to. Every day Alicia begs me to take her home with me. Sometimes I plague myself with the reasons why, but have to stop because that is forgetting who God is. He is bigger than people’s circumstances, and He saves who He wills. Each of us has seen God save that person who seemed past the point of redemption, the teenager who said they hated God, or the relative who was wholly devoted to a false religion. That same God knows and loves these kids. My love is only a fraction of His love for them. I know I will cry over the hard hearts and the blind eyes. But at the end of the day, I will have to give each child over to His compassionate, gracious, and forgiving arms. Therein lies safety. Therein lies faith.
There is always so much to pray for. But would you pray for these kids?
Love,
Rachel
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