Inner City Overnight Visit
Around 5:30 on November 10th a team of 16 packed up and made a 3 hour drive to Inner City Missions in Springfield IL. Outside of Kevin and I making a trip there to just talk about ministry partnership, we had no idea what to expect. We arrived at about 8:30pm and got settled in to where we were going live for the next 48 hours. Donna, a lovely lady that works at the mission, met us eagerly as we pulled up with hugs and excitement which made us immediately feel welcomed into this new journey. She sat down with us and explained some of the mission and shared with us her testimony and how she got to where she is today. We hung out for awhile and headed to bed
The next morning we prepared breakfast and ate at the shelter. A few of the residents joined us and immediately relationships began to form. We worked around the mission for a while, cleaning windows, organizing the food pantry and tearing down a drop ceiling in a newly purchased home that will be used for expanding the mission. The team that aged from age 8-68 all found their place to serve.
Saturday afternoon we spent playing bingo and doing crafts. We also took one of the residents so she could show us where she worked. It was a beautiful boutique that made items to support woman in recovery. After a delicious dinner we lead a shared devotion time. Since it was the Thanksgiving season, we talked about thankfulness in the midst of hardship. We all shared what we were thankful for and how God provides in unexpected ways. At night we played games and had dessert and just talked for hours. It was awesome to see the youth jumping in and asking questions that as adults had us in awe.
Watching the spiritual growth of young people on short term missions is one of the things I love the most. We all fell asleep quickly that night after an exhausting but fulfilling day. Sunday morning we had breakfast again with the residents and then headed to church with Donna. Experiencing worship services in different areas is always a growing experience as we discuss as a team how worship can look different in different places. Donna prayed with our team and we jumped in the cars to head home. The car was not quiet. The kids had so much to reflect on and discuss. It was fun to listen as they processed things. We are excited to return to Inner City in February. We would love for you to join us!
