Missions Trip #1

So the adventure continues! I'm glad to say that difficulties that have been set in place upon the duration of my time in Greensboro are beginning to dissipate. I would like to personally thank you all for your prayers. It's very apparent how the Lord has been working in every situation.

This past weekend, I had returned from a missions trip to Pittsburgh, PA. Many things happened there that were challenging, but it's through our challenges that we can encounter growth opportunities. We connected with a church in Pittsburgh called LifeStone Church pastored by Jack Thomas, and we partnered with them in order to serve in an area of Pittsburgh called Southside. It's a part of the city that has a high volume of clubs, bars, and restaurants, and has begun to transform into a destination for the nightlife seekers of Pittsburgh. Southside has a rather trendy feel to it on the main stretch of Carson St., but as you continue walking throughout the area, you can really sense the blue-collar history.

In an effort to reach the city for Christ, we spent much of our time going door-to-door letting people know of LifeStone Church and personally inviting them. Also we walked the litter-lined streets picking up trash to set an example of the selflessness of Jesus and also to help beautify the area.  We spent some time walking up and down the streets at night, starting conversations with people and asking if there is any way we could pray for them. On the last day of our trip, we spent the day at Pastor Jack's house, doing as much as we could to just bless him in as many ways possible. We cleaned both of his cars and de-cluttered and organized his garage which was filled with donations for the homeless. It was a very humbling experience and gave me new perspective on what it means to have a servant's heart and doing things selflessly to bless others and set an example of the love of Christ through our actions.

It is apparent to me that this part of the city in particular needs to be shown the love of Jesus in new ways, and that was what we were trying to do, and we have a lot of fun doing it! Everything from prayer to spontaneous worship to sharing meals together, we enjoyed ourselves collectively as a group, and could sense God's hand in what we were doing in the city.

PRAYER REQUESTS:
-That God would continue to work in my heart and use certain experiences to humble me and hunger even further for His word and will.
-That God would deeply bless LifeStone Church in Pittsburgh and change that city for Christ.
-That I will be able to complete in excellence all of my responsibilities that I have been entrusted with at DayStar in a timely manner.

SONG FOR THE MOMENT: Aaron Keyes - Blessing and Honour