amazed

I am home now. For two weeks. What a whirlwind.

I learned so much in Nicaragua and yet it wasn't until I saw it played out on a jr. high missions trip in my own state - Butler PA. Called to disciple the nations. Across the world, across your own nation, across your own state...

Words can't even begin to describe my experience in Butler. It is a small normal town north of Pittsburgh. But there is this area called the "Island" which only a few years ago was one of the highest per capita heroine areas of the United States. Although I was in Nicaragua for the last two months and witnessed people who were significantly more poor than the residents of the Island, I noticed the exact same need for hope. The same sense of depression and hopelessness. The same eagerness for attention and love in a child's eye.

One of the weirdest towns I have been too but one of the coolest experiences - considering this was a jr. high missions trip and I saw the Lord act the same if not more powerfully than countless other missions trips I have been on. It wasn't easy - and I know that is because of the spiritual warfare that was so harshly against us.

But in the words of Tom, the native Butler Co. resident and missionary to his own people, "I love it when people hate me because that's when God is moving". and in reference to a time when we were "worship" carrolling, "you better keep singing because something wild is going to happen". He loves when there is conflict and craziness because it only shows that his prayers are being answered and Satan is trying to thwart the work of God.

8 years ago, Tom's fishing buddy passed away from a heroin overdose. He didn't even know he was addicted. Hurt and confused and wanting to help, Tom went around to all the area churches knocking on their doors asking what they were doing about the rampant drug problem. Finally someone told him "nobody wants to put that kind of money towards that kind of people". In desperation and obedience to God, Tom began a children's program in the park in order to try to impact the children since it was seemingly impossible to try to reach the drug-addicted parents.

One girl was asked why she is not on drugs considering her entire family is addicted. She replied "it's people like Tom and Sandy that I don't do drugs". Praise the Lord - He is working in this town. Two crack houses have been evicted and countless more stories of God's work is happening in this town.

Snippets of my experience with the Jr. high this week:

Carrie - lady searching for God and doesn't understand why He has allowed bad in her life - in answer to our prayers, she received custody of her daughter which had become an impossibility. Her non-christian friend asked if we were praying for her because he said "it's working".
Beth - 12 year old personality inside of a 25 year old body because of all the sexual abuse she has experienced
Tia - finally crying out to God to give up the years of abuse caused by her mom. wish I could share more
Elaine - for the first time, she didn't doubt that she was saved
Kate - self-esteem issues - giving it to the Lord, moving out of herself and leading two children to the Lord
Kathy - yelling at us for worshipping outside her house - by the end of the week, thanking us for what we were doing
Libby - 93 year old who came to the Lord and said "I've been lonely my whole life and now I know why"
Michelle - 12 year old sharing with her friend about how to have quiet time with the Lord after teaching her the day before
B.J. - so excited because her 10 year old son is finally able to leave the mental hospital - listening intently to the bible study
Gwen - crazy lady at Salvation Army who's doctrine is so out of whack - but realizing how she loves the Lord and how lonely she is
Sean - hard worker at Salvation Army - a hope for future ministry - busted for drugs once again - pray for an opportunity for him
Linda - homeless, going to jail for theft, wondering why God has allowed this - but receiving and wanting a Bible
April - young mom who is drug free but tested every day - wondering why God allows trial for her and why everyone else gets away with it
John - 19 year old - being raised up to be a leader in the community - watches over the kids of the community
Raina - 7 year old who randomly asked a girl to prayer with her - and in turn accepted the Lord!!
Kira - 9 year old who refused to listen all week with the girls she had been working with, accepted the Lord on last day as well
Tricia, Toni-lyn, Stephanie - 3 beautiful girls at 10, 8, and 6 - roaming the neighborhood without a mom that cares - getting in fights with the other girls, being forced to look out for one another
Mikey - asking my jr. high girls for their numbers and asking them out. uh, no thank you!!
woww, I could go on and on and on about the other people of Butler that our kids ministered to but there would probably be about 50 more names - those to which I don't remember their stories.

All I can say is that those people are so depressed - "everyone" wants to move out. But God has a plan for this meager town and He is working in these peoples lives. Receiving hope one soul at a time.

And the Spirit works through adults and jr high students the same. I can see the same awesome things happening in an adult group as that which happened this week. Because these students let Spirit lead them and God worked in huge ways. Praise the Lord.

Peace,
~Bri