salt and light

At the beginning of December, we had a meeting with local youth leaders.  We talked about what we would like to see happen in youth ministry in the next year.  The overwhelming response from the leaders was we want to get involved; we want to be a part of the community; we want to serve others.  Wow!  That's fantastic.  What a great idea!  However, connecting with the local community is easier said than done.  Nonetheless, we ended the meeting by breaking into small groups for prayer.  I challenged the groups to pray for "big things".  There is no limit to what God can do, and sometimes all you need to do is simply ask.

So we asked.

And God answered.

Just a week and a half after that prayer meeting, I found myself walking into a local orphanage.  Through a completely unexpected and sudden local connection, we had arranged for the youth group at our church to host a National Day celebration at a local orphanage (National Day, December 16th is like the Fourth of July).  This had never been done before.  Getting into local organizations, especially orphanages, is extremely difficult, almost next to impossible.  But God opened an amazing door of opportunity.  We were invited to spend the morning playing with the kids and celebrating with them.  Our new local friend went above and beyond what we expected:  she found local artists who were willing to donate time and supplies for the kids to paint canvases about Bahrain.  She arranged for a jumping castle, popcorn machine, and cotton candy machine.  She brought in her talented friends to do face painting.  It was incredible.  All we had to do was ask, and God answered in ways we couldn't even imagine.

We met around 40 local kids that day.  Some were orphans; some were being raised by single mothers or extended family; most came from struggling families; few spoke English.  Yet we were invited to be a part of their lives, even if just for a day.  Our goal was simple:  be salt and light.  Love like Jesus loves.  Without words, we tried to communicate love and hope to these children who so desperately needed it.  I know our hearts were touched; we pray that theirs were too.

the city to which you are called

Jeremiah 29:7  "Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have called you into exile.  Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."

I started working on this project a few months ago and recently got around to finishing it.  A woman came to visit our church a few months back and she shared with the congregation that she felt God had asked her to visit Bahrain with the sole purpose of praying for the country.  She shared about how powerful that kind of intentional prayer can be and how God calls specific people to specific places.  We are not where we are by accident.  Recognizing that, it's also important to pray for the places to which we are called.  She then shared this verse from Jeremiah.  Since her visit, I haven't been able to get that out of my head.  This drawing is a picture of Manama, the main city in Bahrain.  It's now hanging in my house as a reminder to pray for this city to which I have been called.  

On a related note, some YFC friends were visiting this week, and I decided to take them to Saudi.  Well, we drove along the causeway as far as we could, took a trip up to the lookout tower, and had a look at Saudi  :)  While we were up there, we felt the need to pray for Saudi.  So there we stood, looking out over Saudi Arabia and praying for opportunities to minister in that difficult country.  I believe God heard those prayers, and I believe he will open doors for ministry there.  In fact, I think those doors will open much sooner than we think.  

Looking over into Saudi (the close bit of land is part of the causeway, the halfway checkpoint between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.  Then the bridge continues over into Saudi.  The land on the horizon is Saudi Arabia.)

Please pray for both Bahrain and Saudi, but also pray for the cities in which you live.