This was my third year at Salkehatchie. I never was able to attend as a “youth” but have been blessed by being one of the site leaders. I was definately blessed this year. I had an amazing site, with an amazing group of young adults. It’s hard calling the group of people that go to Salk “youth” or “kids” because 16-18 year olds have so much on their plate. More so now than ever. Young adults are getting involved with drugs, alcohol, and sex at an earlier age and it’s much more widely accepted. When you are presented with adult situations, I don’t think it’s fair to look at them as kids. God had really put on my heart before this past week that I needed to step up, and influence those that were younger around me. In the past 6 months I have never seen God more clearly and that continued into Salkehatchie week. So, Site 6… this blogs for you. On Monday we arrived at our site, the house of Mr. Sammy Limehouse. Our job was to demo a back room and an old shed, repair the metal roof and coat it with cool seal, rip out rotten floors and replace them, repair the bathroom, build back stairs, and do a TON of clean up, amongst several other smaller jobs. First things first, devotion, build a cross, and as Tommy always has us do, sing Sanctuary holding hands. As if the way our team got together and built a beautiful cross out of junk… the minute we gathered around that cross and sang Sanctuary, I knew God was in this place. We got to work. Everyday after began the same, devotion and song… but the jobs were different and construction wasn’t all that was getting done. Our team had unity, we became a family. Each member having a different purpose. I could write about each day but it all went by so fast, and I am only thinking of Friday now. The night that each sites family comes and eats with them then attends the final service. At the final service every person is to bring a symbol that meant something to them that week from the site. John and myself had a symbol together. It was an old saw that required 2 people to use that we found under the old shed we had pushed down. It was a symbol of teamwork. I didn’t just think of the teamwork at the site though. God put on my heart that when all of His people come together He can accomplish so much. This hit home from everything with Salk, to The World Race, to missions in general and so much more. But as the night went on and into the next morning I still felt like I had in some way failed God. The week went by faster than any time period in my life. I felt like I didn’t do enough. It wasn’t until after talking to 2 of the girls on my site that I realized regardless of what I did or didn’t do, God moved this past week. He used me in ways that I didn’t even realize and He worked in places that I couldn’t see. My own teamates hearts were changed. And Salkehatchie ’09 might be over, but I still have my amazing Site 6 family that I care about and can hold each other accountable. God will continue to do work with this family. For those of you who read this I just ask that you will continue to pray for my team and all those young adults that are now going back to friends and back to “reality” and are wanting to be different, wanting to make a stand and a change. Pray that God will give them strength and that they with the Spirit. They have a tough job ahead of them. Site 6- I love you. I’m prayin for ya.
