Final Day in Appalachia

The team finished the work today with a gospel presentation by Tinu Olateju followed by a small group breakout session. The small group leaders Trey Aarestad, Mike Jones, Ben Jones, and Colleen Haller then led the children in a further explanation of the gospel. The result was that five children decided to put their faith in Jesus as their savior! The team leaders heard all the small group leaders presenting the gospel and were amazed at the way they were used by God to make His message known. The mission group overseeing the event, Global Outreach/YouthWorks, was also impressed by our team, and thankful for their accomplishments.

Our team has now begun their journey homeward. They should be back at church before noon tomorrow (Friday, June 27th).

VBS Day 2: Seeking What Was Lost

The team saw many breakthroughs on the second day of VBS. More children came from the community to enjoy, amongst other things, the stories told by Ben Jones: the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin. After lunch, the team enjoyed the opportunity to take a tour of a local coal mine. Later, they had another BBQ in the park followed by great worship led by one of the missions interns. In their devotional time they were encouraged to be righteous before God. Psalm 34:11-22 inspired their discussion.

"Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him."

More and more of the team members are speaking up during the time of encouragement that Joelle leads in the evening. This is a time when team members recount the good things they've seen other team members doing. Pray for team strength, physically and spiritually, and for the effectiveness of all that is accomplished for God's purposes.

VBS Begins!

Today in Bramwell, West Virginia, in spite of nerves and anxiety experienced by some of the team, the first VBS was a success. The feeling is that there will be an increase of interest as the week goes by. Today there were a total of ten students who greatly appreciated the breakfast, the dramatic Bible overview acted out by the team, and the lunch. Tonight, after cleanup time, the team will enjoy a BBQ in a local park and then a time of preparation/rehearsal for tomorrow. Finally, before turning in for the night, they'll spend some time together in worship.

Preparations

The team went to a little Presbyterian church in Bramwell on Sunday morning and heard a message from the president of Global Outreach, the mission with which they are serving. Afterwards, they enjoyed lunch at Sonics and then passed out VBS flyers. Later they spent about three hours in rehearsal of their presentation followed by a time of prayer... on their knees and in confession. The leaders are praying that the FBC team members will each personally have a breakthrough spiritual experience.

Safely Arrived

After a trip of 22.5 hours, our team of 11 arrived safely in West Virginia. Joelle described the team members as "angelic," without complaint through the whole trip. They've now settled in to a great place where they'll stay throughout the week. One of their first tasks was prayer walking and handing out VBS flyers. The VBS will be conducted in the gym of an old high school.

In the Middle of Ohio

Proceeding southeast on Hwy 35 around Jackson, Ohio , our Appalachia team encountered one of life's vicissitudes. The check-engine light is an unwelcome sight, especially with a load of 11 teenagers and three youth leaders... after an all-night drive. Joelle did what any wise person would do. She got some advice and she got it from "the captain." Our very own John Burns was available via cell phone and advised proceeding to the nearest Ford dealership. A mere two miles away the team enjoyed a picnic in the parking lot of Barnett Ford while waiting for the technicians to return from lunch. A minor problem was isolated, fixed under warranty, and the mission team was on its way again. God's loving provision for His servants is evident... even in the middle of Ohio!

Countdown

Today is Monday, just 3 days before we leave for Appalachia and excitement is in the air. Students are busy getting their final supplies for our VBS and leaders are staying on top of details regarding travel, food, paperwork and supplies. This morning we received our final support check that put us over the top of our goal of $5500. Now every student is fully paid for! Praise the Lord!

In the next few days please pray that all the final details will come together and that God would be preparing our hearts, mind, attitudes and bodies for this trip. THANKS!