Sunday!

Isaiah 61:1(a)
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted...

This morning, we went to Church Under the Bridge, which is an organization run by Mission Possible along with the help of many other local churches. Church Under the Bridge is exactly what it sounds like. It is not a literal church building, rather a gathering of people coming into the Lord's presence in order to learn more about who God is. Most people that attend CUB are either in poverty or are homeless. These men and women are broken, hurting, dirty, and very much in need. Upon arriving at the Bridge this morning, the team began to mingle with people and discover more about their stories and who they really are. We would have never heard these incredible stories had we not taken time to listen to the Lord and where He was leading us.
One man, Jerry, was actually shot in the head and lived to tell his story! I have met very few men with as great a faith as Jerry.

"Today we went to Church Under the Bridge. While we were there, we talked to many people, but a conversation with a man named Daniel really stood out to us. As we were talking, he confronted each of us with something he had been struggling with. He showed us what we were doing wrong and what we needed to do to fix it. It was amazing to see God teach us through a person whose life was in poverty. We learned and experienced God using an unexpected person to teach us a lesson."
-Lauren Cielonko and Zach Hawks

As I also began hearing others tell stories about other people they had met, I began to see a familiar pattern...We attended Church Under the Bridge praying and hoping to bless these people in the Lord's name, when really they blessed us!!
All people are the same. We all strive for one thing, really-to be LOVED. Only when we begin to put ourselves on the same level as others no matter what they dress like, how they worship, or whether they have teeth or not, we will begin to see them for who they really are - God's beloved children.

After dinnertime, we all headed to Mount Bonnell for a time of worship and prayer. As we sat, we faced the city. We could see everything from downtown to the rolling hills behind us. As we worshiped our Lord through prayer and song, we praised the Lord for who He is and what He is doing in our lives as well as what He will do this week. We begged Him for strength and to be made strong in our weaknesses. We realize that we are a broken people and without God, we can do nothing. We believe that God will use us this week!
-Erica Harrison, Student Ministries Intern

Please pray for:
-Weather
-Health (as we go out into the hot sun, hydration)
-Open hearts and minds to recieve Christ
-Energy & Patience
-Discernment