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.
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.
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