08/20/20-10/02/20
Since I’ve had some time to reflect I’m going to share some of my most influential moments from different states. Today I’m beginning in Oregon. As with any state, Oregon had it’s ups and downs. We stayed with an alumni racers’ family which included; him, his parents, his sister, her husband, and their 3 little girls, and his grandmother. They welcomed us in and requested that we treat them like family. His mother (Mama Llama) made us homemade dinners and we stayed up late chatting and playing games. They demonstrated living ministry out in your own home. I was reminded of the following verse:
“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:15
Our squad leader contracted COVID so unfortunately she was in quarantine for the majority of our time in Oregon. We made it work and had one on ones while social distancing and we video chatted her into dinner.
Our ministry looked very different due to COVID. We walked around Portland and prayed for the city. Most of our interactions were just smiles and waves. We met a police officer and prayed over him. We reminded him not to give up hope and he said the his faith was getting him through this tough time. Portland felt like a dark city but no city is too dark to resist God’s light.
We also had the opportunity to help out a pastor in need. He has brain cancer and his wife has a condition that prohibits her from going outside for more than a moment. We pruned their trees and removed blackberry vines. We later discovered that we had not only ministered to the pastor and his wife but also the hearts of our hosts. They were so grateful that we helped someone they care so deeply about.
Another day we worked at a horse rehabilitation facility. We mucked out the stalls and refilled the water buckets. They fed us lunch and then we helped clear out a blackberry bush. They could finally reach a spigot that had been buried for years. After we finished we prayed for the staff. Ministry looks different every day. We go where we can. God does the rest.
To change up the format a bit, I have attached YouTube link a video about a day of ministry in Salem Oregon. 
Oregon was a reminder that this year has not looked like my squad expected. Each day looks different but if we are open to it, God can use us in simple but amazing ways to bring glory to His name.
