Jambo! Hello! Today we went to Sylvester's church. He showed us around the whole entire church. The church they are in now was donated to them by the previous president and it has about 10 acres of land. The church itself has about 7,000 members with most of the members being college students. Parklands Baptist is one of the most successful in the country. We met their amazing staff that is so faithful to God. Their Senior Pastor Ambrose was so loving to our team when we walked in.
After Sylvester showed us around we went to the new facility that we are fixing up for Project Lucas. When we started to work we split our team into two groups; half of the team stayed back to finish painting, the other half went around the neighborhood meeting some of the families. On the front gate, Amy painted the Project Lucas logo. It is by far the best painting of it. Then the team split up again; half stayed back and the other half went to the FOCUS center to have some fun with the kids.
From Meredith Trendel:
I was blessed to be a part of a team that got to go into people's homes and visit with some of the parent's of the children. I should rephrase that and say parent. My comfort zone would have been to stay back and work to accomplish helping to have the facility prepared for the future children that will be blessed by Project Lucas and their staff. It was a very humbling experience. We were able to visit three different homes. One thing they all have in common is that they are all struggling to support their children. What I discovered is that as we thought we were going to bless them, God had a plan for us to be blessed!!!
We met with three different mothers and we asked each one of them how we could pray for them and what their needs were. All of them asked for blankets, a mattress and mosquito nets to protect their children from the disease that sometimes comes with this season of rain and cooler weather and mosquitoes. When is the last time you asked for a blanket or a mattress so your child could be warm and be able to have a little comfort while they are resting? For me, it has been never! One mom in particular really touched me because as we shared with her how much more God cares for her and her children than we ever could she said she knew that. She said she was so thankful for clothes that have been given by Project Lucas and food that has been able to be shared by her family. She asked us to pray for strength for her as she tried to find a way to provide for her children the food that they need every day and that God is the only one that can take care of her children. She said even if I am holding their hand God is truly the only Protector that they ahve.
There was another mom that has three children but has sent all but one of them to live somewhere else because she couldn't care for them all. She asked for strength for her child because he is stressed to try to take care of her. Another, her son had just been "kicked out" of high school because she couldn't pay the fees. All they want is education and a better chance for their children. The same that you and I want for our families, but without the resources we have available to us to help provide that better future for our children that we so desperately want.
So as Jesus said in Matthew 25, when I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.... We really did serve the least of these today and Project Lucas serves them daily! And these families welcomed us to their homes as strangers. I even made a comment about how beautiful (what we may think was a curtain) a divider was that was only covering the bed they use (in the same room). The mother said to me "I can give it to you" WHAT?????? Someone that sleeps, eats, sits, invites others in a room that may be 8X10 (and that is probably a stretch) offered to give ME one of her few possessions. I thought we were being the hands and feet of Jesus, boy was she Jesus to us!!!!
As you read these blogs I hope that you can see that in an area that is filled with sickness and poverty they still find joy. The joy that has been brought to them by people coming to share with them love, just the love of Jesus that we are all called to do. What can you do if you don't get the opportunity to visit a beautiful place like this? Pray!! Pray for Monica, Catherine, and Elizabeth who want a better future for their family. Pray for Project Lucas as they witness and minister to these families each and every day in this country. Pray for God to reveal to you what you may be able to do to support the growth of this ministry as they share the love of Christ daily!!!!
I love you Mallory and Ridge! (from Jameson)
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