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A New Mission | Trip #2 | Post #7

Friday, March 31st. Today we finished our first course, Knowing God, Scripture and Ourselves. Lesson ten had all three learning groups combined for our closing session and Mike Evans did a great job of wrapping things up. It was obvious that they retained the information we shared as Mike sought, and quickly got answers to his review questions. He asked eight and Stu was quick to point out that his guys answered five of them. I replied that one of my guys answered the question with a voice somewhat like James Earl Jones. I’d call on him to read Scripture just to hear his voice. Stu, the competitive one stated he has a trainee with a better voice. He also reminded me that he won two of three of the card game I taught them (called 7’s). We pastors are an insecure lot. 

Our Fridays are usually pretty busy. Packing, saying goodbye to our hosts, and hitting the road for our six-hour ride across country to Entebbe…this one was a bit more adventurous than previous trips. Although we once had an eleven-hour, six-hour trip, today was only eight. About sixty minutes after leaving the van started jerking, slowly losing speed. Another passenger, Evan from Oxford, AL, is a gifted videographer (and I took the selfie with him, Mike and Stu). He is a friend of the ministry and took footage of the week. Evan mentioned when he was in the car the other day it did the same thing. Their remedy was to pull over, stop, and then start it again. So we did it…and it worked. We only had to do that six more times on the trip. 

Then there was the traffic. I have survived John Nanda trips in India, but I am really surprised that we did not make contact with another vehicle, or those motorcycles and as it got dark…Ugandans are hard to see as they dart across the streets. I seldom react physically on a close call…but on one move Otim (oh team) Stephen (our driver) made, both my arms flew out to the side to brace for the hit…but nothing.  

Otim is a cheerful man who seems to know everyone in Uganda. When we get to the airport, they usually have us get out of the van, walk through security, and the van drives in and gets looked at separately. Otim greeted the man, said a few words and he waved us through, we never had to get out of the van. We then went to the next point and he drove up to the VIP entrance. Otim greeted the man, showed an ID, and mentioned the name of the friend and pointed out his elderly passengers (obviously talking about Mike). He gave him the card back, moved the cone and took us up a ramp to the VIP area. We didn’t go in there, but it shortened our walk considerably. 

We are now one hour away from boarding our KLM flight to Amsterdam (8 hours), five-hour layover and eight hours to MSP. I’m pretty tired right now, but its all so, so, so very worth it. I’m starting to get brain dead, so I’ll sign off for now. God willing, you will see me Sunday with hopefully a reasonable amount of sleep. I assume I will add one more post when I land.

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A New Mission | Trip #2 | Post #6

Thursday, March 30th. The vision of the Pastoral Training Center is “an abiding network of Gospel-centered, Bible-saturated African-led churches.  

This is about efforts others will make, and not us. Our call is to equip them in making this network a reality. Central to this task is equipping certain leaders for the future of this ministry. 

Mike, Stu and I each have two Lead Trainers (LT) assigned to us. These are graduates of the last training cohort (with one exception) who set themselves apart and have interest in further training toward the end of becoming instructors in the future. They come to the Pastoral Training Center (PTC) two days early so we can work together and prep for the Monday-Friday week of training. Each of my LT’s did one of the ten lessons that we have in this course. Vincent had session six, entitled “Scripture Reveals God Through One Unified Plan”. He did incredibly well-I’d give him a 9 on a 10 scale. If he can do what he did in our class for an entire week, we have a future PTC impact player on our hands. On our next trip (September), they will also teach one session; we anticipate their load increasing after that. We want to work to make them successful. 

Vincent and Moses (not THE Moses) have a number of TA-like roles: administering and correcting daily quizzes, lining up trainees for their presentation that they make each course, and drilling the class with our memory verse for the week, Colossians 1:15-18. Vincent not only shows skill in communicating in front of a group, he also shows great sensitivity to needs one-on-one. He also has given me feedback on areas that I can be more effective-really rare in African culture, getting tips from a person ½ your age. 

Week one is coming to a close. We go a ½ day tomorrow, jump in a vehicle for the drive across the country, grab a bite to eat, and catch an 11:50 pm flight to Amsterdam then on to MSP. A guy in my small group is piloting a flight from Amsterdam to MSP, but he leaves Friday and not Saturday. I really love it here, but I get the itch to get home about this time in every week. 

Today’s quote from Union with Christ by Rankin Wilbourne. “In all his letters, the apostle Paul never once uses the word “Christian.” Rather, his most common descriptor for those who follow Christ is that they are “in Christ.” Page 29.

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A New Mission | Trip #2 | Post #5

Monday, March 27th. Today we began the real work of training African leaders. After a time of prayer at the guest house, Mike, Stu and I walked to the Pastoral Training Center, arriving a few minutes before our 8 am start time. Every trainee was in place and they had been singing and praying together for 15 minutes. They were eager. When we had our breakfast break (10:00-10:45 am), my guys were in their seats five minutes early. Apparently, they don’t attend FCC! 

We had a great start. My team consists of 15 guys, three of which are from Congo. They are hungry, eager, and participative. There were a few times my questions were not responded to. Fortunately, the guy sitting right in front of me is very expressive and when his face gets contorted, I know I’ve missed the mark. It took me two do-overs to make a few of my questions more accessible. Our lessons today were on Knowing God and Making Him Known and focusing on God’s attributes of sovereignty, wisdom and goodness. Our trainees are intelligent and hard-working: I think it’s going to be a great three years! 

With my clothes arriving yesterday, I felt I could take a good walk since I could now sweat in the clothes I am wearing. I met my goal of 12,000 steps and hope for more. I ran (walked, actually) into a young man wearing a Wisconsin t-shirt. I asked if I could take a picture and he was willing (see the picture?). He had no idea what the W stood for. I broke my sweat and am at 14,500 steps….a good day.  

We had dinner tonight (roast beef, potatoes, green beans and chocolate cake!) at Kris and Julie Mobb’s home. Kris is the main guy out here and Julie is a gracious host and a very disciplined jogger. We shared stories about leaving our first kids at college, as their oldest will be attending Samford University in the fall. They will take a furlough starting in May to help him with the move. 

We started sharing stories about getting married and it turns out that Julie’s dad never officially said yes amidst the tears he was shedding. Kris is pretty sure he approves as Kris has helped provide five grandchildren. We are now at the guest house winding down and hoping for a better night’s sleep than last. I slept from 10:30-11:30 and 2:00-6:00. 

Is it worth it? Absolutely. I’d still like a good night’s sleep.  

Today’s quote from Union with Christ: The Way to Know and Enjoy God by Rankin Wilbourne is… 

“When you become a Christian, Christ unites his life to yours. “You are not your own” (1 Cor 6:19); you gain a new identity.” Page 104.

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A New Mission | Trip #2 | Post #4

Sunday, March 26th. As you can see from the picture, my luggage finally made its way to Gulu. It is a relief to have my toiletries and underwear to make it through the remaining six days. There was one surprise. I usually bring three buttoned-down, short sleeve shirts to wear as I teach. I can tell you right now the exact place in my home on 12th Street where they are…guess it’s time to get creative. There are some cultural differences (surprise!) here. One makes buttoned shirts a requirement of sorts. One other is the absence of shorts. So no matter how hot it gets here (today it’s a gloriously cool 77), long pants will be worn. As soon as we get in the guest house, shorts are thrown on. Fortunately, Kris Mobbs, the director of the Pastoral Training Center, is about my size. I hope to hit him up for a couple of shirts. The good news is that my shirts for next time are all ready to go for the trip in September. 

This morning we walked 2/10 of a mile from our place to Living Stones Community Church. Vincent is one of two Lead Trainers (think college TA) assigned to me for the next three years (God willing). He preached this morning and did a solid job. He has been discipled well by Kris and other leaders of this church, and I look forward to seeing his growth in this season. 

Mike, Stu and I all had a rough night’s sleep, so staying engaged in the service was more difficult than usual. The singing often happens with a clapping beat starting, singing next, and electronic keyboards jumping in last. Today I was able to persevere and clap till the end. ☺ The service is in Acholi (the local dialect) and translated in English. This is true for every part of the service except the singing. When we got back, we all made a bee line to our rooms and caught a nap. Hopefully, it won’t mess up our sleep for tonight. 

Every Sunday late afternoon the missionaries and their families go into Gulu town for dinner. I’ll be heading there soon. When we get back, I will watch FCC online and prep for tomorrow (I’m probably good to go now-but I want to be really helpful), as a new season of pastoral training begins! 

Please consider praying that Mike, Stu and I will come as servants and not experts. That we communicate well to serve the churches and their leaders. 

I realized today I forgot to give a quote from the book I am currently enjoying Union with Christ. “He came to atone for us, that we might be at one with him. In Christ, God has united his life to our and made it possible for our lives to be made new.” Page 109 

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A New Mission | Trip #2 | Post #3

Saturday, March 25th. Today things started to get exciting. We had our first meeting with our Lead Trainers for this cohort. Lead Trainers (LT’s) are those from the past who have so set themselves apart by their scholarship, character, and leadership, that we could see them moving forward in leading future pastoral training for other Africans. There are currently 12 lead trainers. Three of them will be leading a cohort the week after we do, and the other nine are playing support roles (kind of like TA’s in college) for them or Stu, Mike and myself.  

We met for three hours. The first hour we went around and gave updates on life. We then broke for breakfast.  We then gave them instructions about their responsibilities as LT’s. We then broke into smaller groups. 

Part of the developmental process is to have them share in the teaching load from the very outset. By way of reminder, what we are setting in motion is a three-year, nine-course curriculum designed to help pastors become more successful in understanding and communicating the various styles of Scripture. My two LT’s, Vincent and Moses (pretty common name in northern Uganda) will each teach one lesson: Vincent, lesson six, Moses, lesson seven. I worked with all the LT’s who would teach lesson six, and Stu, lesson seven.  

I helped them understand the nature of the curriculum and how it flows. I also gave them some tips on how to manage the class and help the trainees stay engaged in the workbook they would be using for our five days of training. Then we spent time on the material itself.  

This introductory course is titled Knowing God, Scripture and Ourselves. Lesson six is an overview of the Bible as a cohesive story. Understanding this rightly makes interpreting any particular passage more likely as one interprets the parts of Scripture by the whole. I went through the lesson, encouraging certain areas to emphasize and others to pass on if time became an issue. Each lesson usually takes 2.5 to 3 hours in the classroom. 

I have to admit, my level of confidence was not high after the session. These brothers are all bright, but I wonder about their teaching ability. Then I remembered we are at the starting point in this process. I thought back to the changes that took place in the previous cohort and my confidence was restored. We’ve got three years to grow them…it will be fine. The picture here is of my lesson six group sitting outside the recently completed library for the Pastor’s Training Center.  

Turns out my luggage made it to Entebbe last night-so we are both on the same continent! The plan is it will be sent on a bus cross country today for a reunion tonight. I hope so as I have missed two days of walking due to trying to keep my limited clothing from getting too ripe. Today the high is supposed to be 85 with a real feel of 97! 

Tomorrow we get to worship with our friends from Living Stones Community Church. 

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A New Mission | Trip #2 | Post #2

Friday, March 24th. Last night we stayed at the guest house we have become accustomed to. It is close to the airport and comfortable. We arrived there around 11:45 pm as I had to make a claim for the two of our five bags that didn’t make it with us. One was a tote with supplies for the week. The other was my luggage! The people at Entebbe told us that they would arrive on today (Friday night’s flight) and get placed on a bus for the ride to Gulu. I could stand almost three days in the same clothes….86 degrees and abundant sunshine is making things a bit…sticky. 

We met at 6:45 for breakfast and went into our rooms to pack. It doesn’t take too long when you only have a backpack! We hit the road and discovered the rains here have been impactful. One van was swept off the road by the water and was being pulled out as we drove by. The rest of the 6+ hour trip was uneventful. 

We arrived at Abaana’s Hope, got to our place, and started getting situated. Every time we come, our return includes greater anticipation as our friendship and partnership deepens. We studied a bit, as tomorrow our Lead Trainers will come, and we will be equipping them for their contribution to teaching for the week. Putting them in a position to succeed is key to all we are doing as the day will come when they take over this enterprise and we will no longer come back. These relationships are really special. Each session we bring the nine of them a book for their personal library. We have copies of The Knowledge of the Holy, by A.W. Tozer. It is one of the books that I read annually, focusing on the attributes of God.  

We dined on chicken fingers and fries and played a new card game I learned recently. We had to start over three times as the first deck had 31 cards, the second had 41, and we had to borrow from deck number 2 to complete deck number 3. Stu and Mike like the game, so, in addition to hearts, we now have another game to play.  

Stu received an email tonight saying his luggage (a tote with no personal items) was on a plane heading for Entebbe…no word on yours truly…uh oh. Could get sticky and smelly!

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A New Mission | Trip #2 | Post #1

I am currently sitting in a KLM plane at Kilimanjaro airport in Tanzania. We are waiting for some to exit while we (Mike Evans, Stu Dix and yours truly), along with others, wait to board and take off for Entebbe, Uganda, to begin our next round of pastoral training. We were very fortunate that this leg of the trip was only about 2/3 full, so we got to spread out a bit. This makes our second consecutive eight-hour flights a bit more pleasant. 

Usually, we fly from Amsterdam to Kigali, Rwanda, before turning around to Entebbe. I mentioned to Stu that this was my first time in Tanzania. Sitting in the plane in the dark, he said from his vantage point (sitting in the plane), it looked just like Kigali. 

Many would say I have never been to Tanzania, and I would agree with them. My wife, Carol, would disagree. Ask her about having been in all fifty states—some encounters with states she has not been in much more than my experience in seat 16D (one row short of comfort plus) of Tanzania. 

For those of you who have followed our (the St. Croix Valley LEAD team) exploits, this is actually our third round of trainings. We learned A LOT in our first round and came to some conclusions as to how things would need to be different in order for us to participate in a second round. We met a man named Kris Mobbs, a missionary with Four Corners Ministry. He was able to check all the boxes regarding our concerns and in May of 2022, we took part in the first-ever graduation of the Living Stones Pastoral Training Center. There was much joy as 36 trainees who participated in our three-year process and their families celebrated. 

We are now starting another three-year process with Kris and Four Corners. Men from nine different people groups will be part of this cohort. I am really looking forward to starting another round of training.   

Just met a couple from Kansas who came with their two sons to meet their Compassion child. What a great outfit Compassion is! 

I’m reading a really good book on this trip: Union with Christ: The Way to Know and Enjoy God by Rankin Wilbourne (I never heard of him either). I’m going to share a quote from it each time I write.  

“The call to be radical can make you exhausted, but the call to be ordinary can make you apathetic.” Page 48. 

Wilbourne is suggesting a third way. We’re off to Entebbe! 

I’m in Entebbe…my bags are still in Amsterdam…let the fun begin! 

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Apologetics | Giving the Mind what the Heart May Need

“The heart cannot embrace what the mind regards as nonsense.”

As followers of Jesus, our confidence in the Bible depends on what Jesus has said about it. Objections to the authority of the Bible have come and gone throughout the ages and each generation is going to be confronted with its own challenges, but the saying remains true: “…the word of our God will stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8) Ultimately, we trust the scriptures, because Jesus did (Mt. 4:1-10, 5:17-18).

In the study of apologetics, you will be contemplating the questions of

  1. “How do I know that Christianity is true?”
  2. “How can I show that Christianity is true?” 

First, know that the work God has done in your life through the Holy Spirit, and the experiences you have had as such, are a totally satisfactory and justified answer to the first question. Through God’s work in your life you can know that Christianity is true! 

As you dig into the second question, you will have the opportunity for a double-blessing!  The study of apologetics can be one of the most encouraging disciplines in the Christian life. The more we learn about science, archeology, critical theory, manuscripts, councils and world history, the more our gratitude for the Bible can grow. Also, as we begin to see that there are simple and compelling answers to most of our perplexing questions, the less likely we are to be “tossed to and fro” by every new objection that comes along.

In time, you may want to share your insights with others. Here you will be on a journey to “show that Christianity is true.”  As you go about showing that Christianity is true, it has been our experience that your life and your relationships with others are one of the best ways to “show that Christianity is true.”  As you witness to others, we encourage you to be their friend and to be patient, welcoming, and inviting to their various questions and objections.  We have found the link below highlighting how we can best come alongside those who have yet to experience the gift of faith in Jesus to be helpful. The video describes the Five Thresholds of Faith.

 

Below we offer you a list of our favorite resources for understanding where the Bible comes from, how it was put together, its relationship to science, history and archeology, and why we trust the Bible. In various ways, these are resources that have been insightful and personally helpful to us and to our kids as they were growing up.

 

Resources for Kids

  • “What’s in the Bible With Buck Denver” – Available on most major streaming platforms.
    • This show, brought to you by the creators of Veggie Tales shares the entire story of the Bible and also teaches kids about the history of how the Bible was put together.
  • RightNow Media – a resource with thousands of shows for kids and adults, available to everyone at Faith Community Church. Just reach out to Pastor Tim Prince ([email protected]).
    • They have an excellent Kids section, including a channel for kids called “Science and History” with shows that dive into the history and archeology of the Bible at a level kids can understand.
  • Mamabear Apologetics
    • Mamabear Apologetics is a resource created specifically for parents raising young kids. They cover just about every apologetics issue you can think of, but the reliability of the Bible is one of them. Mamabear Apologetics is:
    • A Book – HERE.
    • A Blog – HERE.
    • A Podcast – HERE.

 

Resources for Teens

  • “Ten Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer)” by Rebecca McLaughlin
    • The whole book is excellent, but chapter five is called “How Can You Believe the Bible is True?”
    • McLaughlin is one of the best Christian apologists out there for teens. A simple Google search will help you find her podcast, and a simple search on YouTube will help you find a treasure trove of videos that she’s done on topics relevant to teens.
  • Stand to Reason
    • This is an apologetics ministry for teens. You can find a wealth of material on their website www.standtoreason.org.   
  • Youtube Channel – “Red Pen Logic”
    • This popular Youtube channel features short (5-7 minute) responses to common objections to faith, including objections to the authority of scripture. The great thing about these videos is that he often plays clips from TikTok and Youtube that students are bound to encounter sooner or later and then debunks them using sound reason in just a few minutes.
    • Check it out HERE.
  • Youtube Channel – Mike Winger
    • Mike is a youth pastor on the West coast who speaks directly to teens at a deep level. He’s also includes clips of material students are going to encounter on YouTube and TikTok. The only downside is that most of his videos are about an hour long.
    • Check it out HERE.
  • Road Trip to Truth – RightNow Media
    • Take life’s biggest questions, throw in a mix of Gen Z college students, a healthy serving of experts and what do you get? Road Trip to Truth, seeks to teach us that the answers to life’s biggest questions are never that far off. Join the journey to find answers on the topics of evolution, depression, the reliability of the Bible, the existence of God, the veracity of the Bible, and of course, truth itself.
    • Just reach out to Pastor Tim Prince for access to RightNow Media ([email protected]).

 

Resources Written at an Undergraduate Level

  • “Why I Trust the Bible” by Bill Mounce
    • “Has the Bible been corrupted? What about alleged contradictions? How did we get the Bible? What about textual criticism?” This book answers many of the most relevant and pressing issues surrounding the reliability of the Bible.
  • “The Reliability of the New Testament” – Video Series
    • Check it out HERE.
    • This set of nine short (~10 minutes each) videos is a great introduction to all of the relevant questions surrounding
    • Some of these videos get a little philosophical (undergrad level), but overall a sharp teenager should find them helpful.
  • “The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?” – by F.F. Bruce
    • This is the classical study of what historical research reveals about the origin of the New Testament. It’s concise and compelling. Professor Bruce’s conclusion is that “there is no body of ancient literature in the world which enjoys such a wealth of good textual attestation as the New Testament. The evidence for our New Testament writings is ever so much greater than the evidence for many writings of classical writers, the authenticity of which no one dreams of questioning.”
  • “The Case for Christ” – by Lee Strobel
    • This is a classic, accessible story of the journey from atheism to faith by journalist Lee Strobel.

 

Resources Written for Those Who Want to Dig Deep

For those who choose to dig deeper you will begin to come across questions that may appear to be more controversial.  Chief among those questions is whether the days of creation in Genesis 1:1-2:4 are to be interpreted in a literalistic or figurative sense.  Please know that the elders of FCC, while fully agreeing on the core doctrines of creation, have a diversity of opinions on how the opening chapters of Genesis are to be understood within their historical context.  We find this topic to be a ‘discuss’ matter for our church and have a position paper concerning Creation and Creationism for those interested in knowing more. We have included resources on the reliability of the Bible from both William Lane Craig and Answers in Genesis because they provide helpful but different perspectives on this issue.

The Elders concur with Wayne Grudem when he points out: “When all of the facts are rightly understood, there will be “no final conflict” between Scripture and natural science.”

  • “Evidence That Demands a Verdict” by Josh and Sean McDowell
    • This comprehensive (700 page) volume makes a pretty exhaustive case for the reliability of the scriptures among other things. Great for people who want to take a deep dive.
  • “Revisiting the Corruption of the New Testament” Edited by Daniel B. Wallace
    • This book reviews and argues against Bart Ehrman’s book “The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture”. This is a great example of interaction with critical scholarship.
    • Includes a detailed discussion of the field of Textual Criticism.
  • Reasonable Faith – William Lane Craig
    • www.reasonablefaith.org 
    • Reasonable Faith is the apologetics ministry of William Lane Craig. He has a YouTube channel, podcast, books, everything that an undergrad would want to take a deep dive into almost any apologetics issue, including the authority of the Bible.
  • Answers in Genesis, Apologetics Web Series – Ken Ham
    • Check it out HERE.
    • Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ effectively. They focus on providing answers to questions about the Bible—particularly the book of Genesis—regarding key issues such as creation, evolution, science, and the age of the earth.
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There’s More Than 1 Way to Feed the Hungry

Refuge Student Ministries’ annual Heart for the Valley service project is quickly approaching. This event provides an invitation to FCC attendees to donate money to provide meal boxes for local families in need. But instead of just raising money and giving it to a food charity, Heart for the Valley takes it a step further as the teenagers of FCC do the heavy lifting. Literally! 

Every year the middle and high school students who attend The Refuge at FCC purchase, pack, and deliver meal boxes to families all around Hudson and surrounding communities. An assembly line of sorts is created in The Refuge room. Teenagers carry in empty boxes and bags of food and get to work alongside their peers, packing the boxes. Then they haul it all outside to help load into the vehicles of families who to stop by to pick up their food.

Heart for the Valley is a great opportunity for our teens to not only do something that serves the people in their community, but also helps them connect with one another. There is certainly something to be said for the benefits teenagers get when they work together, side-by-side.

A few years ago, I was home on a dark, cold, winter evening and my doorbell rang. I was surprised to open the door to a couple of teenagers (not from Heart for the Valley) standing on my front step, with about six or seven more standing behind them on the sidewalk leading up to my door. Despite the biting, cold wind, there were smiles accompanying their red noses and cheeks. They were canvasing my neighborhood, asking for food donations for the local food pantry. 

I would say that even though the weather conditions weren’t ideal, they were still having fun. Because they were together. Because they were helping others. Because they were DOING something to be part of the solution to an ever-growing problem of hunger in our area. You could see the delight on their faces, hear it in their voices and laughter, and see it as they literally bounced up and down to keep warm. 

I was thanked profusely for a few cans of food I wouldn’t even miss. The teens then turned around to joyfully bound down the sidewalk to the next house. Yep, those teens were definitely having fun together. It was doing their hearts some good to put down their phones, maybe get out of their comfort zones, interact with strangers, and do an activity that would benefit someone else. 

About twenty years ago I was a volunteer youth group leader for a church in the Twin Cities for a few years. The youth group closely resembled the demographic of the students that attend The Refuge – middle class, lived in the suburbs, attended good schools, most of them white, most of them had a father active in their life. Because of where they lived, they didn’t have a lot of societal trials to overcome. 

One summer we loaded up two large vans and drove about 20 or so kids from Minnesota to rural Mississippi to do some mission work in a very small town – population 300. I don’t remember, but I don’t think this tiny town had one blacktopped road. There wasn’t one sidewalk. A lot of the buildings and houses were quite run-down. It was an extremely poverty-stricken area with the tiniest library I’ve ever seen. The only place to buy any groceries in town was the convenience store. I didn’t see one white resident in the week we stayed there.

I recently looked up information online and in 2021 the average household income of that community is $22,000 and has a poverty rate of 71%.

I will never forget how quiet the van got when our group of middle-class, mostly white teenagers rolled into the community. I could see the students’ mouths hanging open. We weren’t in their suburban bubble any longer. I think it was a bit of a culture shock for them. It was hard for even me, an adult in my mid-20s at the time, to reconcile that communities like this one existed in our country.

But once they got past the reality of where they would be for the week, those teenagers got to work. They loved up on the local children that came to the week-long vacation Bible school. They happily painted houses for hours in the southern mid-day sun. They chatted with the elderly homeowners where we worked. There was no grumbling, even though many were sleeping on air mattresses in a big open room with a tiny window air-conditioner. It was Mississippi in June. So…hot. These teens were pushed out of their comfort zone and rose to the occasion, as teens often do. 

There is a certain comradery that naturally occurs when teenagers work together for the good of others, take the focus off themselves for a while, and roll up their sleeves to pitch in. Whether it’s serving for a week in a place so different from home, canvasing neighborhoods to ask for donations, or putting meal boxes together for local families in need, many times teens feel blessed when helping. That’s the great thing about putting God’s love into action. Oftentimes the giver is just as blessed as the receiver. 

So even though Heart for the Valley feeds hungry families, it also fills teens who may be hungry for connection with peers, hungry for serving a purpose, and hungry for being a part of something bigger than themselves. They may find themselves satisfied and full of God’s blessings.

If you would like to be a part of Heart for the Valley and wish to donate, any amount helps. A $60 donation packs about two meal boxes, but there’s no minimum donation amount. So, if a $60 donation is out of reach for you, but you can swing $15 or $20, please still give. Every amount helps to help hungry neighbors. You can give now through November 30:
fcchudson.com/events/heart-for-the-valley/

Melissa Meyer