Apologies for this being the very first blog update for our trip here in McGehee! We have completed two of our four work days and are even more excited for the next two. This years time in AR has looked a bit different because of some changes in personnel from the last years. If you have kept up with out last trips you know that we started this trip to work with FPC McGehee because of a family connection between the head pastor Kenny and our children's pastor in COS Danny Shaw. Kenny is no longer at FPC after spending a number of years in AR. But the connections that fostered between our youth group at this amazing town have continued to thrive. We've continued in our partnership with FPC McGehee thru our many evening fellowship nights like Ice Cream Supper, a cookout at Chicot State park and contributing to worship in the service this past Sunday. What has changed is our connection the community has grown more central. Kenny was the liaison for our work projects during our stay - this trip that role has shifted to a new person in the community, Tommy Carroll, who is the director of the Girls and Boys club. It has been an amazing partnership!!! Because of Tommy's willingness to work with us we have also been able to include the kids and the BGC into the things we are doing here, from working on some construction of picnic tables and a wheelchair ramp, to caring for a community garden, to today's amazing adventure of visiting a special needs school in Arkansas City - a town of 356 ppl. This is the same school that Charles Graham's, the home base host and community contact for Dermott, brother attends. We visited with them and sang some songs with them which was amazing. One song in particular got all of these wonderful friends to their feet clapping and signing along!!! I wish we could have got a video of it as the entire room, our COS team, a group of 7 BGC kids and these wonderful friends at the school sang loudly about wanting to be nowhere else than in the arms of Jesus' love! Powerful.
That's probably a lot for today and a bit disjointed as it's the first post with about half the trip completed. One thing that seems to keep being preached to us through our interactions with our friends here is the power of the ministry of presence. What we construct is meaningless in comparison to what God constructs thru our willingness to be sent. One day the picnic table will need to be replaced but these friendships and memories being made will last forever.
Until next time - continue to pray for our U.S. To step out of our comfort zones and to continue to open our hearts to Jesus' leading.
-Scott
