July 2016 Students
This year we partnered with Refuge Louisville for the second year in a row. We took a much larger group this year, which was exciting for all of us! The students that were attending the trip for the first time had the opportunity to experience a lot of the same things our students did last year, while our second year students had the opportunity to build intentional relationships with one particular apartment complex.
One interesting experience that all the students got to share is the visitation of different religious facilities. The thing that always stands out to the students is the utter emptiness of these other religions and their “gods.” Whether it’s a Muslim mosque or a Hindu temple, they are all empty and powerless gods. It helps our students see how great, powerful, and close our God is.
Each day our second-year students spent time at one of the apartment complexes building relationships with the kids there. Every day Noah Vinson gave a short Bible lesson about the Gospel. The lessons were so impactful that, at the end of the week, several kids asked how they can be saved and wanted Bibles of their own or to give to their parents. You can see one of the kids proudly holding one of the Bibles in the picture to the left (far right in red shirt).
All the students spent time with these kids sharing Bible verses or talking about how our God created everything by drawing with chalk. It is amazing how many relationships were built in such a short period. We hope to continue to build these relationships in years to come!!
We also went to Crossings at the end of June (pictured at left). In my opinion, this was one of the best and most impactful themes they’ve covered. Rob Turner was our camp pastor, and he talked about identity crisis, identity challenge, and identity change. He used the woman at the well as a primary reference point and challenged our students in where they are finding their identity.
One of our students described Rob as being brutally encouraging, which is so accurate. He has a way of really getting to the heart of the issue and pressing in and encouraging change. Our students learned a great deal, shared a great deal, and got to know each other on a deeper level. I love the community that was built through this experience.
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who helped us go on mission and to everyone that helped us get to camp!!! Your support and encouragement mean so much and has changed many lives!!
Much Love - Mark