I could write pages about our suffering and God's graces. Instead, I want to give y'all a glimpse of a day in our life. Also, we have much to celebrate. I cannot wait to share!
There are nine members of our team- BK, Evan, Katelin, Caleb, Collin, Caroline, Rachel, and Joseph. God has provided us with two areas of ministry. Katelin, Caleb, Caroline, Rachel, and Joseph are on the east side; BK, Even, Collin, and I are on the south side. Just a brief overview- the east side is section 8 housing with high crime and drug use. The south side is an apartment complex with seclusion and loneliness. Both areas are filled with brokenness, are without community, and are in desperate need for Jesus. The Lord has called and equipped each member of our team to a specific area to love people to Him. And that's what we are doing.
A normal day for us begins around 8:00 AM. We take public transportation to our ministry sights. While we are on the bus, our goal is to engage with people in conversation with the intention of turning the conversation to Christ. Is this easy? NO. People, including myself, do not want to talk on a bus or early in the morning. Regardless of how we feel, the Lord is using our weakness to make much of Christ and glorify himself. You know the best thing about God's will? He does not need us. The pressure and weight of the world is not on our shoulders, it's on the cross. Our team shares in the desire to carry the everyone's burdens, so we have to remind ourselves daily that it is not our job to save the world- Jesus already did that! Our job is to passionately follow Christ, fall more and more in love with him, and use our lives to show others the salvation we have received- the FREE gift! Nothing we will ever do can save us; attempting to work for our salvation is cheapening Christ's death on the cross and resurrection from the grave. That is SO comforting in moments when I feel like what I do matters more than what Jesus did. Anyways, after we take the bus 30-45 minutes to the East and an hour to the South, we hit the ground running. The first few days here were spent prayer walking the area and identifying needs within our community. Like I previously mentioned, both areas are broken and in need of Jesus. Our "job" is to meet these people, build relationships with them, hear their hearts, and point them to Jesus. People are not projects and they are not too far gone. They also don't care what you know until they know that you care. I constantly remind myself of these truths. Both East and South teams have met so many wonderful people, but they are all searching for something- we know the answer is Jesus. For most of our day, we are investing and sharing life with the contacts we've made. At night, we MAY see each other for dinner- I wouldn't bet on that though. We all return to the church between 7-8 PM, utterly exhausted from the physical, emotional, and spiritual demands of the day. Most nights, we spend time as a family playing cards or basketball, watching movies, or just sitting up talking. We'll hit the sheets somewhere around midnight and repeat the whole process the next day. Doesn't sound difficult or tiring? I guess I forgot to mention the 7ish miles a day that we walk the streets. Yes, this is hard; but, I wouldn't change this life or experience for anything in the world. These past two weeks have pushed me, grown me, and blessed me in ways that I will remember the rest of my life.
I also mentioned already that we have much to rejoice about. Both the East and South sides are starting community group bible studies next week! We have met so many people interested in the gospel and we want to give it to them. The community groups we are helping put together will, God willing, continue after we leave. We are hoping to raise up leaders to continue this ministry long after we return home. Our prayer is for these community groups to grow and flourish into a church on mission- a church on fire for Christ. We serve a God of power, he's in the business of blowing our minds and changing our hearts. We are in prayer for a revival in this city, beginning with a revival in our hearts. The community groups God has given us the tools and people to form are only the start!
None of these things could be possible without prayer and discernment from the Holy Spirit. Thank you all for the support, prayers, and love you have sent to me and my GenSend family. You are a crucial part of the ministry happening in Indianapolis. I will update again soon. Until then, remember the words of Paul in Ephesians 3-
"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (v. 20-21)
Pray impossible prayers, expect the unexpected, and watch God move.
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