A God Sized Day

This morning we got to host a church service for the kids. It was AMAZING. So much was done here today by God. Todd was the guest pastor here at Bridges of Hope and he did a great job. We were all so moved by his message, adults and kids alike. After, I gave my testimony to the kids and just shared with them a bit about my life and the trials I have been through. I was excited to share because I was just excited to share about how amazing God truly is and how He loves us so and is always with us, regardless if we acknowledge it or not. That is the one thing I love about sharing my story, I get to praise God through it all. I would not be where I am today without Him and His grace. I felt that the kids responded well and were very accepting. After that, we had communion and prayer. The team spread out among the students and we were all asked to pray for one another. The kids really opened up to us. They feel God through us and because of that, they are confiding in us. These kids are so beautiful, yet they have all been or are going through so many hard life lessons. Pastor Todd's message applied perfectly. In the afternoon, we just hung out with the kids, playing Ultimate Frisbee and soccer. Dinner proceeded and then a movie with the kids. To relax and spend time getting to know them is great. Today was a God sized day and I can't wait to see what the next week brings :)

Todd - Those who come here for the first time can not help but be amazed at the teens here at the Bridges of Hope Academy. They are polite, thoughtful, and an absolute joy to be with. And most refreshing, they love to sing to the Lord. You look at their lives and you begin to scratch your head and wonder if they have really come from a such a difficult background. They really are truly amazing and such a blessing!
But after having spent a little more time here and after having gotten a chance to get to know them a little more deeply, you quickly discover that there is deep pain just beneath the surface. The pain that surfaced today was from the heart of a young girl who shared with some of the other team members that she has known that she is HIV/AIDS positive since age 4. She is now 13, has not begun any kind of treatment, and is terrified about her future. And rightly so, knowing how many have already passed away in South Africa and having already lost a sister to the disease. Please pray for her and other students here at the Academy whom the staff already knows is struggling with the disease.
And please continue to pray for the heartache that they struggle with in not having family. We watched "The Blind Side" this evening and you could hear the longing in their hearts for family. They were obviously touched when Michael was invited to become a part of the family. In fact, one of the young men next to me said, "Say, yes!" Like all of us, they want family. And that is why your prayers for Bridges of Hope are so important because this is their family. Please pray for the staff to remain strong, for the students to glean all that they can from this opportunity and for Satan to have no place in this ministry. They desperately need family and they have it here.