Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Soooo I've now been here like 6 ish weeks? And oh how the time has flown by, and yet at the same time it feels I've been here a while. Again, as stated previously, time is a trippy thing here. So many thoughts running through this small mind of mind. Where to even start with all the amazing things happening? So I have started after school programs now, which means I get to be out in the apartments every day after the kids get out of school. I know it should probably be much more organized then mine is, but the Lord did not gift me with that ability. Plus, I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing! literally...I do a little Bible study with them, give them food, then play with them. The little boys love to use me as a punching bag, I guess I'm fun to punch and jump on? It's all good though because I get them back by beating them in soccer and football :) Today, they literally ransacked the apartment and destroyed it. I have come to realize I have no authority with children (scares me for my own someday). It's so much fun though because as I'm out there more, the children trust me more, along with the parents. It's such a dark apartment complex I'm in. I feel it all around as I walk through it, the hold that Satan has on these people's lives. These little kids have seen and done more than I could ever imagine. Their idea of playing is pretending to do drugs. Seriously. And I went in to an apartment today to visit a family and the kids were watching porn. I don't make this stuff up. I see the hold that Satan has on this apartment complex, and it's such a sad feeling walking around seeing it. How has he been given so much control in this place? How do you do a Bible study when the kids are screaming at each other over you yelling cuss words during prayer? It's been amazingly humbling to see how nothing I do on my own is going to get throuh to these kids. I can love on them, and be a consistent part of their life-and that's it. I can't force them to listen and understand my Bible studies. Literally there is NOTHING I can do alone. It's been a helpless feeling almost because I have been looking at it as what I'M doing, not what God is doing. As much as I love to pretend it's not true, I'm a bit of a controller. Ok I'm a lot of a controller, and that's scary. God is clearly showing me how much control in this situation I lack. In fact, as I saw today as the kids stole items from the apartment, I have none! I need much prayer as I try to get involved in these people's lives. It can only be God to break this hold Satan has. I have full faith it will happen. I know it's so important in my own life to constantly be seeking God daily, and growing closer in my relationship. I have already seen how that can almost be neglected in the process of trying to minister to these people constantly, literally going from morning until night. At the same time though, I can't truly minister to them when my own life is not in order. I have so much to learn about ministry, and I have so much growth to do. I see how inadequate I truly am, which is discouraging yet humbling at the same time.
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God definitely has a way of humbling us and showing us just how much we need Him. And 99% of the time we make the process so much harder by trying to resist His will. I know I choose the harder route wayy more often than not. Just keep God as the center and focus of your life and you will make it through great and hopefully those you are ministering to will see the change He is doing in you and it will spark something. Prayin' for you Jess, and all those you're working with. :)
ReplyDeleteyou are a light in that darkness; so proud of my chipmunk! don't worry about the authority thing, remember i'm going to lay the law down with your kids and then you're going to show mine how to have fun haha.
ReplyDeletebut seriously, my heart breaks for those kids and families. pretetnding to do drugs? that's just horrible. remember that God has trusted you with these tasks and responsibilities and will surely equip you for it. Love you!