It's very evident to see the fingerprint of God in the hearts and lives of the Atlanta Southeast team. The looks of tension, the pauses for thought, the comments, the interactions, the changes in speech, behavior, and thought: they all point towards a common theme - that God is changing us.
We are wrestling with ideas - homelessness, poverty, love, abandonment, wealth, drugs, faith, witnessing, etc. We've been exposed to so much in such a short amount of time that we haven't been able to come close to processing what we've encountered. Our days have been filled with so much structure and stimuli that having time to think or discuss what we've been through has been a luxury not often afforded for a few minutes at a time. The hope is that when we return to Louisville, we'll be surrounded by people who ask great questions, listen to stories, point out subtle differences in our lives, and really challenge us to extract all that God had in mind to teach us long before we ever piled into two white vans and headed south for a week.
Everyday seems to bring some different story or experience and today was no different. In our hearts each day as we travel down the road sort of tired and really wanting to still be in bed the is an expectation of what the day might bring. Spending time at the Walton Center, playing yet another intense game of kick ball, making crafts and eating lunch with students as they chant out "EAT YOUR FOOD" were memories of Tuesday, but there were some stark differences.
The morning started off with Mr. Van Dyke from the Walton Center pouring out his heart in a morning devotion and encouraging us to be prepared for what the Lord has in store. His love for Jesus and people is truly an encouragement to our students and is evident from his life and big smile. Although our preparation was in crafts and recreation, TJ Hastings gave his testimony in front of all the students. He poured out his heart and shared what God was doing in his life. He talked of his love and concern for his mother which touched the lives of many of the students who sat quietly listening to his every word. The connection for these children of losing their mother is just as hard for them to imagine as it is for TJ. This was very real. At the end of his testimony the staff from the center laid hands on TJ and Jake and prayed for them as the children reached out their hands in faith asking the Lord of healing to bring healing to Jake and TJ's mom. God has a funny way of taking what we think we are doing for others and blessing us in return. We were prepared for many things, but receiving such encouragement from forty kindergarten through sixth graders was a not what we expected.
Today also marked the first day of saying good-bye. For our group we only spend two days at the Walton Center, however this did not make saying good-bye any easier. Our plan was to leave promptly after crafts, but turned into a thirty minute hug-fest which made us late for our next engagement. It's so hard to tell kids you won't be back tomorrow and yet we get to do this again tomorrow at both places. Our prayer is that in some small way God will use our short time here to transform our lives, but make a difference in the lives of these children.
The Stewart Center was, once again, a place of amazing fun and ministry. It was great to join them for Harambee this morning and know their songs and chants and really jump in with the students. It made it very fun and an almost-bonding moment to be able to be participants rather than observers in their morning session.
We jumped into some yard work outside at the Stewart center yesterday and today. Lots of sweat, dirt, and vines flew through the air as we worked to clean up debris and chop down trees that were overgrowing throughout the complex perimeter.
Meanwhile part of the team was inside writing encouragement notes to each of the student at the center (which they loved when they got them at the end of the week). As well, we helped out with snack and lunch preparation throughout the morning.
Here are just a few of today's highlights . . .
- Circle tag with a group of students (who really had a good time).
- A music workshop trying to teach students about melody.
- Craft time making fans and decorating them.
- One of the students who sat on a seat that was part of an art exhibit and set off the alarm at the art museum.
- Several kids helping move debris with a wheel barrel.
- Round 1 of good-byes at the Stewart Center (it was a fake out because we're actually stopping by tomorrow too).
The reality of leaving is beginning to settle in. We have one more day to give, to invest, to observe, to grow in the context of Atlanta. While we're looking forward to heading home, it's going to be a really hard thing to leave behind the community we have experienced this week and the people we've grown to love. But as is the case with many of God's lessons for us, it is for a season. This season is coming to a close in just a few short hours.
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