June-AuGust (Summer Stories)

This summer we had a weekly Kid's Club where we provided creative activities, snacks, and outdoor activities----we were able to get to know a lot of our Somali and Hispanic families that live in our immediate neighborhood and to establish closer relationships with them. One particular family now continuously invites us into their home to join them for tea and authentically cooked Somalian meals. We have also been able to connect more with their niece (in her mid-twenties), seeing that she may be more open to having a relationship with God because she is less committed to some of the Muslim practices.

We also we were able to get to know some of the residents at our local Ebenezer Center for the Elderly. We made creative art projects with the residents weekly. Some of the residents don't have any family and they looked forward to us taking them out to the garden to create! For many of them, we were the only visitors that they received--It was so fun to be welcomed with so many smiles :)

This summer we established closer relationships in the immediate neighborhood and got to know entire families through getting to know the kids first (through our kid's club). Many of the kids brought their families back to our Art Fest and we have been praying for these Muslim families to come to know God as their personal Savior.

We had a wonderful group of interns for the summer, and we were sad to see them leave after the Summer that flew by so fast. I was able to get to know these girls and to co-lead a Bible study with them throughout the summer.

The Art Fest was another success this year! We tried out a few new things this year, giving away a semi-truck full of groceries throughout the afternoon as well as setting up a prayer garden with trees, rocks, and hanging prayer flags over the entire thing. Everyone, from kids to adults were invited to paint and write prayer flags to add to the prayer teepee and garden throughout the day.

Earlier this summer was probably my favorite event, hosting an art show with our gallery full of painted/fabric wallhangings by a local artist in town who is working on her Masters in Fine Arts. On the same night, we hosted an open mic and free meal that was open to the neighborhood and some of the friends that we met at St. Stephen's shelter and our local neighbors. It was a full house and one of the most eclectic groups of people in one space that I've ever seen. And when someone came to the door, asking if he could still come in because he didn't think he would be welcome that night because of his poor dress and that he understood if we didn't want him to come in (He'd never been to an art show before) , but then being able to say, “yes, you are welcome here, even tonight.” This is what I love so much, sharing God's love for people in practical ways of hospitality. I love it.