Hello All!!
As I write this letter at 12:00 at night I reflect on how amazing this trip has been. I can't believe we are already over halfway done! If you were to ask anyone of my close family members or friends how much I was looking forward to this trip they would tell you little to none... With that being said, I have absolutely had a 100% change of heart, Detroit, Big A and D-Love has won over my heart.
Today was day 3 of VBS (Big A) and it was filled with fun, laughter, singing and dancing. The day started with an amazing breakfast as always (a HUGE thank you to Mrs. Lori for making all of the amazing food on this trip), we then moved into devos. Today we focused on the attributes of God and how they all function together and equally. This idea changed my thinking and allowed me to open my eyes to all of the ways God works in my life. We then moved onto our service projects of the day which I will never forget.
My group was assigned with Servant Evangelicalism today which is something that I have never been apart. We started in prayer and silence and waited to see what God wanted to place on our hearts and minds. After 30-or-so minutes of reflection our group landed on main ideas: cards, flashing lights, city skyline, the song kumbaya and a casino. With these ideas in mind we first played a game of "Go fish" to see what God was calling us to do, next we headed to Motor-City casino with a deck of cards, a table, chalk and goldfish (because of the game of "go fish"). We had no plan or idea with God lead us to do the things we did, but we had faith in his plan for our time and wanted to see what He had in-store of us. After arriving we found a table to sit outside the casino and decided God put us here for a reason. During our time there we were able to spread the Gospel and spread Gods goodness through drawings on the ground in chalk as well as grow closer as a team in time spent together. After Servant Evangelicalism we headed back for lunch and into our "normal" afternoon schedule.
Afternoons are filled with Big-A prep, which for me looks like filling 75 bags of goldfish for the kiddos, rest (either in the form of a nap or bracelet making) and chores. As we get closer and closer to 4:00 you can feel the anticipation of what we will spend our next 2 hours doing. Today I had 8 kids in my Big-A small group which is double what I have the past 2 days. Although more kids to be in charge of may be a challenge, the joy of being able to spread God's love to these kids is enough to cancel out any stress that may be caused. After Big-A it is back to the D-Love building for and amazing dinner, worship (one of my favorite parts of the night), stories of the day and prayers of the day. After our "normal scheduled activities" the team played games and spent time together having fun and laughing more than ever. I think you could definitely say the delusion is kicking in.
Tonight Natalie and I were able to go with Amanda on a night drive to bring home Kenny and Diamond. Seeing the city at night is truly breathtaking, although you see the beautiful downtown, full of stores and lights you also see the neighborhoods less than a mile away with houses nearly ready to collapse. The difference in the areas is mind-blowing and heartbreaking to me, but I believe with time, care, and proper attention the difference could be lessened.
If you would told me 2 weeks ago that I have absolutely fallen in love with Detroit I would call you crazy. This trip has led me to grow exponentially spiritually as well as emotionally and I would not change this opportunity for anything.
Thank you for taking the time to follow along with us!
-Ellie Wolthuizen
No comments:
Post a Comment