Taking time...

Wow!! It’s been two weeks since I’ve taken the time to sit down to put my thoughts on paper. This past couple of weeks has really been incredible part of ministry. I think I’m finally getting used to the altitude here. I don’t seem as tired and worn out in the afternoons as I have in the last month. Another reason maybe that I am now sleeping on a single bed instead of a couch. Tony and I have moved down to Evangel Assembly of God’s guest house for hopefully the summer. I didn’t think I was going to like that situation, but last week felt really well being in my own room and sleeping on a real bed. I thought I was going to be hot, but it really cools down at night and with the windows open the breeze just blows right through the little house. I talked to Daddy a couple of nights ago and he mentioned that it was 95 degrees during the day and 40 degrees at night. It has rained here about 20 minutes in the past 5 weeks. When I talk to friends and love ones back at home they tell me that you sweat just by stepping outside. It’s so hot the dog doesn’t even want to go out.

Like I mention, ministry is taking place. These young people from all over are coming to Cortez to serve this community. It’s incredible to fathom that the youth groups don’t know a single person in Cortez when they arrive on Sunday night, but by the end of the week on Friday morning they have made such good friend and have ministered to those who might not even know the love of Jesus. Granted that a lot of people that we serve know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but it may be someone who is just a bystander looking on to see what is being done to their neighbor houses or it may be the parents of the kids that are being picked up at kids club, or it may be someone at Wal-Mart who sees the staff buying $1100 worth of groceries for the week. It is these people that may be in the background that sees Jesus in the faces of the staff, or the youth or the adult leaders. I guess the point is, we don’t know who we are going to effect with our words, with our actions, or with our service. We all need to be looking for ways to show the love of Christ to everyone we come in contact with.

I tell all the youth this in my work projects orientation. It is so easy to be looking at the task that is before us that we loose site of the ministry opportunity that is right there in front of us. When we can minister to those whose houses we are working on, by being their friends, asking about their family, asking about hopes and their dreams then it is easy to show them the love of Christ because it becomes easy to share your heart with those who you have built a relationship with. These young people from all over know what it means to build those relationships. They have built them with the community, with each other in their own youth groups, with the other youth groups and with staff here. It is really a wonderful thing when the body of Christ comes together for a common purpose. Lives are changed and they get the sense that their time and energy can change the world for another person and for themselves.

In the past two weeks we have churches from Oregon, Nebraska, Colorado, and Arizona in our 2^nd week and Alabama, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota just this past week. Every week I think I am not going be able to connect with these young people, but God proves me wrong every week. (snap! snap!) (Yeah God!!!) By the end of week I have made new friends that have shown the love of God to me by their willingness to serve and to be a friend to me. God has been so good to me by the fact that we all can be so foreign to each other on Sunday night and then hate to say goodbye at the end of the week. I have seen the love of Christ manifested in these young people and it grows by leaps and bounds from Sunday to Friday. I am truly impressed by these youth leaders and the jobs we have done. All these youth are respectful and understands what it means to serve others. I can see it on their faces, I can see it in there actions and most important I can see it in there heart. They get a sense of satisfaction of helping another in need and spending time listening to those that are hurting and just need someone to talk with.