Thanks for stopping by! Just to let you know - all posts prior to this one are from Samaria 2011. We’d love for you to catch up on all that happened last year, but didn’t want you to get confused as to which trip is which. Thanks for your prayers - we’re excited to see what God has in store for this summer!
Today the teens were able to sleep in a little bit (8am!!), and then began the day with morning devos. We studied Ephesians 5 and talked about how to be walking in love and reflecting the light of Christ as they go through life.
After they split off for quiet time, we came together to eat breakfast and make sandwiches for the day ahead. Today, Lane Lareau and his friends took us up to Chicago to spend time with the homeless and needy. He and his friends go up at least once a month to serve with Chicago’s Beloved (https://www.facebook.com/groups/chicagosbeloved/), so we had some great leaders to love and serve by example as we went about the day.
It was a joy to see the teens eagerly pursuing opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus to others, to serve them through prayer and conversation, and to show them the love of Christ through a simple bagged lunch. We split into small groups and joined up with their experienced teams to canvas the downtown area - each group had a different route. Some encountered many opportunities to talk about the Lord, others got no further than a smile and a bottle of water offered in Jesus’ name. Throughout each encounter though we saw God working not only in others lives but our own.
After handing out lunches, we all met together at the Daley Center for a group Bible study with anyone who joined us. Many of the people that we interacted with throughout the afternoon came. It was so wonderful to see and here the Body of Christ learning and praying together. We truly are a family knit together by God!
Following the study, we crossed the street and went to the Thompson Center where a church serves chili to the homeless every Saturday night. We had the awesome opportunity to sit among our newfound companions and learn their stories for about an hour.
After a quick stop at Subway and a train ride home, we were able to hear from each teen about what God had done in their hearts through this trip today. The teens once again exceeded our expectations in their passion for the lost and the needy. Some learned that it was easy to start up a conversation once they stepped out in obedience to God. Others were challenged in their complacent lifestyles and felt convicted about their materialistic attachments and complaining spirits. Many were challenged and learned lessons from the stories the homeless had to tell them. We’re excited to see how God uses this short, eye-opening trip to Chicago to spur us on to good works for His glory.
We hope you get to hear all about it tomorrow, and maybe that your family will take a day out and serve in this way. There’s a group of people going up almost every Saturday, so the opportunities to be the light of Christ and walk in love through this are endless!
Eph. 5:1 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God”.
— Carrie
Friday was an eventful day for the Samaria team. The day started off with a small study of Ephesians 4 digs into some of the essence of the body of Christ. We were reminded of the unity we have because of the gift of new life God has given us by His grace and how God uses the body as a tool to bring about growth and maturity in believers. The teens were challenged to think of ways help prompt growth in their brothers and sisters on the team and how to serve and build one another up in love. They put this truth right to practice. The trip has brought about some bumps and bruises on the team and it was awesome to see how the teens took care of each other. We did a bit of walking late in the day and our brother with a sprained ankle was sore and having a hard time keeping up on his crutches. One of the older teens took care of his and put him on his back and carried him where we were headed. We also had a nice knee scrape and some of the girls came up along side and made sure she had everything she needed to get it cleaned up and helped take care of anything she needed. They have been serving in the community all week and that has been a blessing to witness. It has also been a blessing to see them serve each other.
Today’s task was to throw a carnival for the kids at the East Chicago Boy’s and Girls Club. We started the day bagging goodie bags and prepping games and then headed to the Boy’s and Girls club in the early afternoon. We were greeted by Bethel’s Community Ministry guru, Joey Mayfield, and his wife Julie and were filled in on the background of the kids and how to best serve them in the capacity they were in. Joey explained how the majority of the kids come from poverty, homes of single mothers, abuse, and homelessness in the case of a few. Our group was encouraged to get to know the kids, love on them, and have a lot of fun with them. And we did. The carnival consisted of many stations of games, face painting, basketball shootouts, hoola hooping, and many more. There was one aspect of the day that we were especially thankful for. Before the carnival began Travis given an opportunity to share the Gospel with all the kids while introducing our wordless bracelet station and then most of the kids were able to hear the Gospel a second time as they made their bracelet with one of the members of our team. The wordless bracelet is a very simple, yet clear way to explain the Gospel to youth. It consists of 5 beads. A yellow bead representing heaven, a black bead representing sin, a red bead representing Jesus and his shed blood for our sins, a clear bead representing holiness and “cleanness” from sin, and a green bead representing fruit and growth in the Christian life. Our team walked through this explanation with each child and they made their bracelet and in some instances prompted spiritual conversation and in one instance in particular, the Lord allowed one of our teens to lead a child to Christ. We are thankful and are praising God for this. Sadly as of right now there are very few Gospel preaching churches in this area so we would ask that you would pray for some. Ask God to bring up church planters in East Chicago with a heart to make disciples in their community who’s lives are all about Jesus Christ. Serving at the Boy’s and Girls Club was a joy and as we left many were asked when we were coming back. I would ask you also to pray that God would work in some of our teens and lay it on their hearts that the Boy’s and Girls Club in East Chicago may be somewhere that they will serve at after this week. They’ve seen the need for Christ in the lives and families of these kids and have also seen how playing a game of basketball and having was a great start to a relationship.
They day ended with some fun. We treked up to Gary and watched a Railcats game together. The game itself was a bit slow, but the team found ways to keep the night interesting and enjoyed each others company for sure.
Saturday is our last full day together and is going to be a day that will very likely push us out of our comfort zones. We appreciate your prayers and are ourselves praying for hearts that long for the lost to know Christ and for opportunities to be God’s instruments in this plan in bringing the lost to Him.
— Melissa
Before I begin, may the praise and the glory all go to God in everything he is doing through this trip. Seriously. God is truly making his impact in each and every service we do. This trip has had a very 1 Cor. 10:31 feel to it, and I thank God alone for that. Anthony did a sensational job presenting Ephesians 3 before the teens. We spent a little extra time in QT and were able to pray as small groups for the day he has given us. There was a very focused mindset as we prepared for the morning.
For the day, we helped engage in landscaping for the Cedar Lake Campgrounds. Once again, the teens jumped into helping with whatever was asked. Some teens helped put new mulch around the trees. Some teens pulled weeds and picked up the trash around the park. A lot of teens put the day into scraping off the paint off the side of a building to prepare for a new paint. We even had some teens help extend a deck towards the shore to make it safer for the people who swim at the lake. There was a lot accomplished. One of the biggest encouragements to the trip were the citizens of the camp. They were very thankful. Since it was a christian camp, there were instances of Godly conversations between the residents and teens. The grounds were absolutely beautiful as it seemed so peacefully placed next to the lake in the summer heat. It was a privilege to serve such a wonderful community.
In the night, we were able to fellowship at Bethel for awhile in the teen center. We played a fun game called ‘4 people on the couch.’ It’s too complicated to explain via blogging, but the females of the trip won the match. For the chapel time, Carrie and her husband, RJ, led worship for the group. The songs were pretty old school, but it was a lovely event for God. After that, Mark “The Prank Star” Anderson spoke about the Good Samaritan parable from Luke 10. This created a very strong challenge for the students to love God in all that we do and that only God can create a servant’s heart to pour out for the people of this world. The whole night was very personal and helped lead all of us to God. We eventually headed home and had some ice cream in Valpo. The day was incredible and was an absolutely wonderful way to serve our community.
— Brett
Day 3 of Samaria we moved a little slower in the morning, but after an amazing breakfast and time in the word studying Ephesians 2 about the grace, love and mercy of God who sent Jesus as our cornerstone to join us together with Him, we were ready to go serve.
Our day was spent serving at Valparaiso Housing Opportunity. When we first arrived, we got to find out what their organization is all about. They provide low income housing and a food pantry for homeless and needy families. Their typical client is a single mom. Not only do they provide an apartment, but they provide counselling to get them to the place where they are independent so as to give them a “hand up”, not a “hand out”.
Our service included helping in the food pantry, a group weeded and cleaned up the grounds around one of their properties, cleaning chairs which involved a hose….you know what that means, and our FAVORITE task of the week, mulching.
But, the highlight for us was seeing God get the glory after we surprised them with 710lbs. of groceries we collected from Crown Point neighborhoods. We found out one of the Christian women at the Housing Opportunity had been praying for God to provide groceries as their stock was low.
We ended the day back at Calvary Church and joined together with their youth group. Both pastors gave a short message and then we ended the night socializing and getting ready for the next day of service.
— Carolyn
Snapshots of our day today at Valpo Housing Opportunities. The food drive that we did in Ellendale and Stillwater resulted in 710 lbs of food for their food drive! There are also pics of mulching their picnic and yard area and hard at work washing paint off all chairs! More to come!
No two days in Samaria will look alike. Proving this, our second day in Samaria was different from the first . It was eventful giving us plenty of surprises, challenges, and laughs. It all started with the rising of the sun; amid a buffet of cereal, sack lunches, and few yawns we began to focus our hearts on the task at hand. Brett led us through Ephesians 1. Here we tried to focus on God’s plan and provision for us through Christ. I was struck with the sovereignty of God, and just how much He not only knows us, but provides and plans for us. The sacrifice that Jesus made was the only way that sinner’s like us can find hope.
As our corporate and then quiet times came to an end, we learned our first task of the day: Finish what we started! We were returning to Sauerman Woods to finish mulching the playground, clean up trash, and clear walking trails of debris. The kids took to their work with a fresh zeal that only a good nights sleep can provide. Such that, by noon we were not only sweaty from the 95 degree weather, but finished and proud. The park looks great and I was so impressed with the work of the kids. No complaining, in fact people were sometimes weary of taking a break in fear that someone else would take over their shovel or rake. I really feel as though this project took special meaning to us all knowing that we call Sauerman Woods our youth group home during the summer. The staff their was truly grateful.
Part of the deal when serving God is to remain flexible and trust he will provide ways to serve. That very thing was on display as an earlier plan to serve Northwest Indiana food bank fell through, and a new opportunity to partner with them opened up. We arrived at a mobile food pantry, health clinic, and children school fair. Here the food bank was distributing food to those in need. We quickly helped them set up the tents, tables, and plenty of the yummy food. As members of the community arrived, it was great to see the impact we were having. Everyone, commented later how great it was to put a face with those we were serving, and to engage them on a personal level saying hello and showing Christian love. Again, I was taken aback by the tenacity of the work effort put forth by our students. There were debates over who would man the “mac n cheese” station, who got to dance around and advertise with the signs, and who was going to help walk the food back to the cars for those unable to carry. We left having helped give food to a few hundred families in Northwest Indiana. More so, we truly left feeling blessed to have the experiences from the afternoon.
We ended our day with something that brought me right back to my mother’s house. A good taco dinner, followed by some amazing “dirt” pudding. After this long days work it was not uncommon to see plates with 3 tacos and side of guacamole and chips. There was plenty to go around and everyone earned that dinner. We were then given a great message from Phillipians. Here Paul recounts all his good deeds and attributes: Hebrew, Tribe of Benjamin, Pharisee, blameless before the law etc. But then he says he counts this all as “rubbish” as he clings to Christ. Through the message we learn that we can never be “good enough” to earn our way to heaven or be righteous or justified. Solely through Christ and faith in him can we obtain true righteousness and justification. This brought up the important point: We are not on this trip serving to earn God’s favor. In fact, as saved believers in Christ he already loves us unconditionally and eternally. Our service is coming out of a natural response of love as we are amazed at all He has done for us. I felt like some good spiritual discussions and teaching came from the lesson and the kids had a great grasp of the scriptures.
Well this gives you some insight into another day’s work in Samaria. The funny thing is what tomorrow holds is completely unknown and probably different, but we would have it no other way. Moving forward as humble servants in Christ. God bless. — Dustin V.
