The Celebrate Church IMPACT team spent their Sunday celebrating God’s creation and resting while enjoying one another’s company.
Our Sunday was a day that Sundays are supposed to be: a day of worship and rest. Russ started our day by speaking his love language and cooking us pancakes and sausage. Big Mike and others were his assistants. We spent a good deal of time in the Word. We studied Jeremiah for our devotions. Devotions are becoming more rich as the week goes on and people feel safer to be vulnerable. We talked about being intentional about what we have learned here when we get home.
The team worshipped with the congregation at the Kirk of the Pines. Pastor Barrett gave a powerful message out of Mark 7:24-30, being humble and building others up. These points were affirmation for us because we have had many conversations on these topics on this trip. The people of Abaco have been displaying these characteristics to us throughout the week. It is powerful when you come down here to serve these people and in turn, we end up growing so much because of them.
The team got to experience an Abaco restaurant. Colors is a beautiful place right beside the water. The food was amazing. And for those of us who came last year, we had a similar experience today as it started absolutely pouring as we finished up. We got soaked running to the vans. The rain caused us to call an audible for the afternoon. We had intended to go out into the community to do food distribution and prayer for families. However, due to the forecast, we postponed those plans until tomorrow. We ended up spending the day at camp talking and in the water once the weather cleared us.
We decided to risk life and limb and went kayaking. We did the two-person kayak, instead of doing individual. We are happy to report we pulled it off and we still like each other. We attempted paddle boarding but quickly abandoned that plan. The Lord has blessed our family with many things but the cat-like balance needed for paddle boarding was NOT one of them.
Russ and Jake blessed the team with a delicious dinner of spaghetti and toast.
Cranmer had a powerful and challenging devotion to Daniel 3 and the fires of life. We spent time reflecting on who our people are and who we can be people for when the fire of life gets too hot. He is now destroying people’s minds with card tricks. We now plan to go have one final night of games with the crew.
Powerful Moment of the Day:
Jalen: A powerful moment for me today was the message given at Church. Earlier this week I did my devotion over Mark 7: 6-9. I gave the message on being humble and how character is more important than status. It was definitely an affirming moment when I walked into church and found out that the message was over Mark 7. I felt that God had put this on my heart for a reason and that the theme within this chapter was something I needed to focus on throughout this trip and as we return home. There have been many other themes throughout this trip but today this was one that truly stuck out to me.
Judd: I am not even sure where to start. As the “leader” of this group, I have been prayerful for a long time about these people and this time in Abaco. This group has exceeded all my expectations. They have been extremely hard workers. There has been almost constant laughter. And we are becoming increasingly vulnerable. It has been so encouraging to me to hear people be honest and challenged. While I have been challenged to grow even deeper in my faith, my heart is overflowing with joy to have spent time with this team and the beautiful people of Abaco. We serve an amazing and faithful God!!!! Strength and courage.
