So again, I debated on making this two days worth, but I’m still behind and would love to catch up one of these days, so this class as a whole will count for a day as well…
Each Saturday, we have a huge feeding where underprivileged kids from all over come to not only get their stomachs filled, but also hear the word of God. Our numbers have been progressively growing each week, but the one thing we don’t do is turn anyone down so we just keep expanding. Most of this expansion is due to our volunteer workers doing house visits and telling more and more people about what we do each week. The rest of it is due to God’s incredible provision to bring us more food each week that we somehow never run out of. Oh modern day miracles…
Maryanne is the leader of our volunteers. She is out of her college studies and is currently working as a teacher at our national high school. She works with the oldest kids, which in the Philippines are kids that are 16 and 17. In the midst of what is our normal, hectic Saturday, Maryanne invited her class to come out and join us this week and they were a blessing to me. I got a call from Maryanne late yesterday asking me if I would lead a group the next day. There were no other details, I just prayed I would be assigned an English speaking group. Today, 17 of her students showed up to see what we do each week and ask about getting involved AND they all spoke English.
Before I get too much into the students, Maryanne is an incredible addition to this Mt. Moriah (the name of the camp) team. She is a natural leader and is incredible to watch when we go door to door to tell people about who we are. She is fearless in her approach. but on top of all of that, it’s so easy to see her heart and passion for the children. We’re growing tremendously and how God works through her is a huge reason. Now she has gotten her students involved, and I can’t wait to spend more time with them.
Now for the students as a whole. This group was so much fun, that I actually grabbed my van and requested to take them home. I just wanted to be around them a little longer because I honestly feel like they need it. I shared my testimony with them today and then a little out of Romans 6 (read it, I haven’t left it all week…) and I could just sense the fact that these kids have a past. They’ve faced things and been tempted and persuaded by things I never faced until college… or ever. They’re young by age, but some of them have been beaten up by the real world. I was nearly in tears when I saw the scar marks on one of the girls’ wrists, but then she turned her hands down fast enough to where I could just see the shame.
I never thought I would be a student pastor again or focus on youth this age, but I can’t help but feel drawn to them. This age is where the war is going on here and kids are ending up making huge mistakes, in jail, or worse. Their hearts are so tender, and I just looked at them today and apologized that society was making them grow up so fast. I begged them to slow down and stop believing that they’re already bad with no way out. “Should we continue sinning so that grace should abound? By no means.” We’re dead to our old lives and can walk away from that. Or in the case for these kids, just walk away.
I don’t know if I was allowed to do this, but I invited them back every week I’m around. I told them I could pick them up at school each week, just so they could join us. I pray for more opportunities with them, but I pray that they would realize their future isn’t set in stone yet, and by the grace of God, they can decide which way to walk. I pray they will ALL become new creations, and even as I get to know them, they would look a lot more like Jesus…
