The Norfolk team left the Chapel with excitement and anticipation for all that God had in store for them down in Norfolk, VA. One of the great things about the Norfolk trip is that it gives kids from Williamsburg an opportunity to serve an area that is nearby. Sometimes we forget that their are needs in the communities of people right around us and the Norfolk team will have the opportunity to serve people that are within an hour of Williamsburg. The bus ride down to our housing site at Spring Branch Community Church was a great opportunity for bonding and relationship building. It was great to see God already begin to form relationships between leaders and kids that God will continue to use throughout the rest of this trip.
Spring Branch has become a sister church for the Chapel and we have partnered with them for many of our past Student Ministry retreats and trips. They have an entire wing devoted solely to teenagers that they have let the Norfolk team use as their home base. Upon arrival at Spring Branch the Norfolk team brought all of their bags into their rooms and then gathered in a really fun youth room at Spring Branch. The team was excited to find a pool table, foosball table, drinks, and dinner ready for them. After dinner the team gathered together for their first Porch Time gathering. Porch Time is our evening time where we come together as a team to debrief the day and process all of the things God had been doing throughout the day. We spend the time remembering things from the day, singing worship songs, and listening to a bible lesson by Luke. It was beautiful to hear and watch young voices join together singing praises to God. Amidst all of the insecurities and fears that come during the middle school years it was such a powerful moment to watch the Norfolk team be willing to put their own issues aside and focus on God. Luke spoke from Matthew 25:31-45 and Colossians 1:27 to try and answer the question: What does it look like to encounter Jesus on this trip? Luke lifted up two ways in which God often chooses to show up. From Matthew 25, he pulled out the truth that the people we serve in Norfolk are not just people but Jesus in the flesh who we are serving. Then he used the Colossians passage to talk about the reality that God chooses to use humans as God's instruments which means the Norfolk team has an opportunity to not only see Jesus but also be Jesus to others.
After Porch Time the Norfolk team split into small groups where they began to think more about the idea of encountering Jesus on this trip. The groups discussed ways in which they could work on being Jesus to those that we are serving and to other team members on the trip. God has already begun to prepare the team for tomorrow's first day of serving and it was amazing to see the small groups begin to process what it means to encounter Jesus. Following small group time, the Norfolk team headed to bed in order to get a good night's sleep to be ready for their first day of serving tomorrow. Thanks for all your prayers and support!
