On a scale of 1 to 10, I do believe that the energy level at Mercy Street on the last Sunday night in March was at least an 8 – AT LEAST!
Sweet Mother of Pearl – I love how the middle school students enjoy being with each other.
During spring break, many of the students took a mission trip to Waco, Texas to minister to the homeless. There is a nationally recognized church called Church Under the Bridge where they spent time learning and ministering. This really is a church that meets under I35 and 4th Street in Waco each week. Members of this church are not limited to the homeless. There are members from all walks of life. Awesome was the word I heard the students say over and over again to express their feelings about their experience. These boys told me they were amazed that some of the homeless had college degrees. They were also touched by the way the members of this church loved and served the Lord. Yes, it is a little strange to think of children from West Dallas, ministering to the homeless, but they were so blessed.
Many of the mentors come for the Sunday night Bible Study.
It is a joy to spend time at Mercy Street.
Good looking people. Remember – Mentors are always needed.
For supper we had planned to serve hamburgers, but the fully cooked frozen patties were not getting hot enough in the oven. Plan B. Members of the Living Stones started flipping burgers. In the end, the burgers were delicious.
We always receive more than we give when going to Mercy Street.
When we arrived, Jill asked us to please pray for the Bible Study that was planned for the night. Many of the students have absent fathers. Some do not even know who their fathers are. It is a situation that is seldom discussed, but that causes great pain to these children. They began the lesson with a video of Michael and Lisa Gungor’s You Make Beautiful Things. It is a powerful song of God’s transforming love – “You make beautiful things out of dust. You make beautiful things out of us.” I did not know this song, but I was so moved by the lyrics.
They then shared this video of the pain this young woman felt by first not knowing her father, and then later by his absence in her life. At one point in the video, she mentions that she “felt defined” by this fact. This video is on exploringGod.com and is called Does God Heal Our Pain. It is short, and it is worth a look-see.
Pray for these children, their mentors, and the staff of Mercy Street. Pray for their spiritual journeys, and that they will realize that God does make beautiful things.
Blessings to you and yours,