What an amazing way to start our week long adventure! We had a blast serving the community here today and God has already shown up in some incredible ways already in Nashville!
Our team split into 5 serving groups and each one had a different day (as will happen each day), filled with serving opportunities. Each morning before starting our day of serving, each group will spend some devotional time together in the booklets we provide for them to really set the tone for the day. Our devotionals track through passages out of the Gospel of Luke, so you could read along with us if you like. This morning we were in Luke 2:6-7, Luke 4:16-21, and finally Luke 6:17-26. God has been and will be working in our lives and the lives of all the people we will serve throughout the week. After Devotional time, the groups head to different locations before meeting up at night for Porch Time, our daily gathering where we debrief the day and open God's Word
together. We share funny stories during "Remember that Time" beautiful and wonderful moments where we saw Jesus, and then times of worship, a talk from God's word, and small group discussion.
Each Serving Group went on a prayer tour of the city of Nashville, directed by our CSM leaders where they witnessed ways in which God has been working here. They also were directed to some of the areas of the city where God's presence is still needed and had the opportunity to join together as serving groups to pray for throughout the city of Nashville, for the city of Nashville. They prayed not only that God would work through our missions team this week, but that His presence would be felt here for some time to come.
Serving Group 1:
Serving Group 1 headed out this morning to the YCAP - YMCA where they hold a four week long summer camp for middle school aged students from the local community. After spending some free time playing basketball, four square, and soccer as the students gathered for the camp, the group lead a game time, during which many rounds of dodgeball were played. This morning of games and spending time with the campers was an amazing opportunity for Group 1 to engage and really act out the love of Christ in a way that comes so naturally to them. After dodgeball, a few members of the group lead a short devotional for the campers and then engaged further with them as the group was assigned to be leaders within "family groups". During this time Group 1 got to know a smaller grouping of campers, who they look forward to spending time with and getting to know more as Group 1 returns to YCAP each morning for the rest of the week. After lunch, Group 1 left YCAP and went to End Slavery Tennessee, where they heard a message on modern day slavery that goes on in the United States, specifically in Tennessee and right here in Nashville. Group 1 then went to a local neighborhood to help the End Slavery Tennessee organization spread awareness of what is going on locally. Next Group 1 went on their prayer tour of Nashville, where they really were in awe of the amazing history of the city and how looking back, God's presence can easily be seen. After the prayer tour, Group 1 met up with Group 4 for dinner at Istanbul Restaurant where they ate Turkish, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean foods. After a delicious meal, Group 1 headed back to the housing site for Porch Time and small groups before heading to bed.
Serving Group 2:
Serving Group 2 left from their Devotional Time to go to Catholic Charities, which is a warehouse and manufacturing facility that exists as a place where refugees can come and have a place to work and be trained at a skill. The facility also has apartments where the refugees can be housed until they are able to assimilate into American Society. Group 2 assisted on an assembly line for the production of a variety of goods that are produced by Catholic Charities. After lunch, the group headed to Magnus Potter, Boys and Girls Club where kids ranging from elementary to middle school aged were ready to great them with a friendly game of dodgeball! After dodgeball, Group 2 led a game of Jeopardy for the kids as a way to keep them learning and engaging with some form of education over the summer. After the more educational time was finished, the group got to invest with the kids on a more personal level during some free time where they played a variety of games including basketball, football, computer games and even did some hula hooping. After an afternoon of fun with the kids at the Magnus Potter, Group 2 left to go on their prayer tour where they really enjoyed the stop at the Tennessee Titans statdium where they compared the presence of God in the stadium to the presence at the Juvenile Detention Center that is right across the street. It was powerful for them to see that the differences among us that seem huge, are of no consequence to God. After the prayer tour Group 2 went to Swett's for dinner, a local southern cooking restaurant where they enjoyed some of the fine local cuisine that Nashville has to offer. Group 2 then met up with the rest of the missions team for Porch Time and small groups before heading to bed.
Serving Group 3:
Group 3 headed to a local soup kitchen run by the Temple church here in Nashville. They served roughly 100-150 people daily for lunch. When group 3 arrived, they were first served a lunch from the food they would prepare to serve our guests. They then broke into teams, some to welcome, some the serve in the kitchen, some to handle being servers, and some to visit with those who are eating. The kids heard people's stories, asked them about their lives, and many were inspired by the words of encouragement they ended up receiving from the grateful guests. The team did an awesome job treating those who came as people, as valued, as true guests, when so often they are forgotten, pushed aside, or left alone.
For the second half of the day, group 3 spent time with 200 students at the Andrew Jackson Boys and Girls Club. These kids have ENERGY! Ping Pong, Xbox Live, Basketball, Computers, Arts and Crafts, Wiffle Ball, pool, checkers, jump rope, tag, and board games. Our group was amazing and relentless. They served and loved and cheered for these kids as they played so much. It was inspiring. Jesus and his spirit allowed us great opportunities to begin relationship with the kids, and they welcomed us with such joy! We look forward to spending time there each day to continue to love and value these children.
Group 3 ended with a prayer tour of Nashville, dinner at Swett's Soul Food, and porch time.
Serving Group 4:
Serving Group 4 started off their day on the prayer tour of Nashville. The group talked about a picture of wind filling sails and how the prayer tour for them felt as if God was filling their sails for the day ahead of them. So, feeling full of the Spirit, Group 4 went to the Trinity Community Camp where they helped facilitate a summer camp for kids ranging from pre-k to 8th grade. They lead the kids in an hour of free time games, playing a lot of basketball, board games, and a number of other fun activities! The group spent the next few hours doing crafts that were being given to a local nursing home as a gift for its residents, as well as taking some time to devote to learning and enforcing the idea that learning doesn't stop when school does. After the educational learning, they led a devotional thought on the fruits of the spirit. The emphasis of this teaching was that God has given everyone gifts and that each of us has something to bring to our community. Reenforcing this type of thinking helps the kids to realize that they are an important part of the community around them and that but recognizing that bringing everyone's gifts together will bring the community together. After leaving Trinity Community Camp, Group 4 went to meet Group 1 at Istanbul Restaurant where they enjoyed the Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Turkish meal. After dinner, Group 4 met back up at the housing site with the rest of the team where we all heard a great talk, experienced God through a time of worship and talked about how we had seen God throughout the day before going to bed.
Serving Group 5:
Group 5 started their day with our trip devotionals to begin engaging with what God has to say to us as we serve the people of Nashville. They then set out to serve at "Loaves and Fishes" soup kitchen. The team spent extra amounts of time just sitting and being with so many who came in their need. It was wonderful to hear reports of the dignity and respect that was conveyed in the conversations that took place. 30% of the guests typically are homeless, while 70% of the people come from the surrounding projects, many with children and families. The team then ate alongside the guests, and again served by cleaning all tables, trays, plates, and re-setting the room for the next day. They swept, mopped, stacked chairs, and all else necessary to completely clean up afterward. The kids were champs in their love and care for the guests and the kitchen itself!
After cleanup, the staff came and sat with the team to share more of their stories and how and why they choose to work at the kitchen. This was a great relational time with them after serving as a team with those who are there daily.
Group 5 then traveled the city on the prayer tour and the students in this group were proactive in each location, all taking time to lead the team in prayer for the variety of things. They finished with eating Thai food with watermelon and ice cream for dessert. A solid day for group 5.
As you can see, DAY 1 was PACKED! Many went all out and will need every minute of rest tonight to be able to serve again tomorrow! Please pray for rest, for energy, and for supernatural dedication to the job God has blessed us with this week. Thank you for your prayers, for your support, and we as a team are empowered by all you do for us! Check back tomorrow!
