SOS Week

Our church had an in-town mission trip this week called Serving our Savior-SOS.  The youth who wanted to, stayed at the church to be able to get away from outside influences and be ready to serve the entire day.  Nathan got to stay this year if I stayed some.  So I did.

I even got to cook breakfast one morning!  And I got pranked as noted in the previous post.  Other fun things that happened this week included

Camden finding a "girlfriend"

and Nathan being told by some kid on the street that he looked like a girl!  They both had fun serving, attending basketball camp, hanging out with the youth (both of them!), and going to backyard Bible club. 

Since it was a church wide emphasis, Dave and I participated by having a BYBC at our house and by being on the construction team for two days.  It was an awesome experience.  We both got to help paint a halfway house for homeless men, some whom are veterans.  One man was deaf and I got to talk with him a little.  He was such a sweet guy and jumped right in to help us paint, put the outlet plates back, and sand the wall.  He was a blessing to us with his spirit.















At our BYBC, we had a great storyteller, some fun crafts and exciting, even wet games!  But the best part, one of the families that attended, came to our church on Sunday! 

Nathan though, had the most life changing experience.  He volunteered to get out of his comfort zone!  And he did.  He spent most of his time ministering downtown or out in the country.  He showed love to kids in some of the poorest areas of Charleston.  He also got to not only serve, but to sit and talk with homeless people.  One man really touched his heart as they ate spaghetti together.  The man had lost his family, but still knew God loved him and that he had a friend in Nathan.  He even gave him the address of where he stays.

It is so important for kids to serve God when they are young so that they will grow up to serve God.  And it is a refreshing reminder of how we are to look at others.  My first thought when he said he had a homeless man's address was that "you won't be able to visit him".  But Nathan is only seeing him as God sees him.  Not as a person we want to avoid and be cautious of because they are only on the streets because of their addictions or poor choices.  Yes, this could be the reason; but in Nathan's idealist, albeit niave mind, this man is just a person who needs helps.  A person that God loves.  So maybe we will be going to visit a homeless man in our future.  Jesus would.