Setting the Bar High

Well it was no joke when we said Team Central was hitting the ground running today! What a crazy wonderful day of ministry these students had. It was an exhausting whirlwind...so much so that all of the students jumped for joy at the announcement of a 10:15 lights out tonight. They really are THAT tired! If today was any indication of what lies in store for us during the next month...we are surely in for an adventure! A God led...hot...humid...exciting...exhausting...rewarding...surprising...adventure serving our Lord...

Our very first ministry opportunity on our official ob Tour started bright and early this morning. We hopped into our bus, knowing full well by the intensity of the morning sun that we were in for a scorcher. Some of the students experienced their first traffic jam as we fought the morning Chicago commute, while the students and leader from California just thought they were back at home. We spent the morning and afternoon working with a ministry here in the Chicago area called Inner City Impact (ICI). ICI is a non-profit Christian organization that longs to see children come to know Jesus as their Savior. Their mission is to bring hope to Chicago's urban cities by sharing the Gospel, discipling the youth and integrating them into local churches. They do this by running after school programs, camps, sports leagues, leadership development and carnivals.

They are currently praying about opening a new center in the nearby city of Cicero. Today, we helped run an outreach carnival in the parking lot of a church in Cicero to help ICI make contacts with people in the community and begin to set up their ministry. In fact, several of the ICI staff have moved into the neighborhood to help establish their presence and build relationships. Cicero is a city of approximately 100,000 people with 30,000 of them being under the age of 18. It is primarily 1st and 2nd generation immigrants from Mexico, so our students with Spanish speaking abilities were used greatly today! From our experiences in Cicero and statistics we learned about the neighborhood, it is apparent that there is a desperate need for God. ICI is willing and ready to win that area for Christ and we were blessed to partner with them today.

We spent a good two hours canvassing the surrounding neighborhood with flyers for the afternoon carnival. Jordan D. was on fire passing out flyers and meeting people. Kelsey and her flyer buddy were seen sitting on the front porch with some neighbors having a conversation. It was reported that many students and leaders both had the opportunity to share the Gospel with people on the street and to pray with others. Some students stayed back to help set up the carnival games, while others including Joel F. and Julia S. went on a prayer walk around the neighborhood.

Despite the ridiculous heat and humidity, the carnival had a successful turnout. Our students did a fabulous job during their first ministry opportunity and were seen mingling with both the children and the parents and sharing the love of Jesus with everyone who came to the carnival. Amanda S. and Sam G. were our in house face painting pros, while Patrick H., and Rebekah W. greeted the children at the registration table. Cody R. took the initiative to start a tug of war contest and Hillary used her time to mix and mingle with as many people as possible. ICI was thrilled with the turnout and stated that this ob team was one of the best groups they've had come to help their ministry! The contacts that were made today will be used by ICI to impact that neighborhood and win lives for Christ...and God used our ob team to help start that!

The bus ride back to Mt. Prospect Bible Church was nap time for everyone (Except of course for our phenomenal bus driver, Stacie!)...we were absolutely beat from the afternoon in the sun...but the students had a great time sharing their stories and experiences when we finally sat down for dinner. It was awesome to hear their excitement about sharing the love of Jesus with people who do not yet know Him. They are so eager to impact this country for God and it is incredible to partner with them in that eagerness.

And that was just the FIRST part of our first day! Can you even believe it?!!? We still had a ton more to do! Tonight was the first night of soccer camp here at Mt. Prospect Bible Church...and they were able to have over 200 children since 30 extra bodies would be here to help out. We started the night off with a mini program to get the kids excited about Jesus and ready to play soccer. For several hours, our ob students paired up with the church family and practiced soccer drills and techniques with the campers. They were able to share the cross illustration and present the Gospel to the kids during a "huddle time" break. The night ended with a plethora of soccer games where the campers were able to use their newly acquired soccer skills...and all this in 90 degree weather with 70% humidity. And not one little complaint! What a group God has given us! According to many of the ob students, the best part about soccer camp is that they will see these children again tomorrow...with even more opportunities to tell them about Jesus. They are starting to understand the importance of relationship building and are excited to continue that tomorrow night.

After reading Psalm 119 together as a team and debriefing on our very full day, we all crashed in bed much earlier than the last few days have allowed. We are setting the bar high for Team Central...as is evident given our busy first day. We know that these students are capable of amazing things by the grace and power of God...and we can't wait to see this summer unfold. It was agreed by all 34 of us that today was amazing...hot and humid...but amazing!

Tomorrow we are heading into downtown Chicago for some more ministry...so we are praying that God is preparing the hearts of those we will encounter throughout the day...that they will be open to the Gospel and eager to learn more about their Savior. We pray for continued strength and energy as the days are long. As a team, we are incredibly thankful to God for what He has done and will continue to do through us.

From Chicago...Goodnight!