"Flexible Tuesday"

Today started off with a bit of a change of plans.  When we looked out the window and saw how hard it was raining, Jon made the executive decision that it would be too dangerous to work at the work sites.  While it was a little disappointing that we couldn’t continue our work from yesterday, it was a blessing in disguise because we now got the opportunity to go on a tour of the different neighborhoods of the city of Jackson, led by Voice of Calvary Volunteer Coordinator, Sam Pollard.  This was an extremely eye-opening experience because it was unbelievable to see the difference between the poor side of Jackson, made up of rotting, dilapidated houses, and the rich side of Jackson, composed of huge, beautiful houses.  It was even crazier to see the houses that the Voice of Calvary used to own but had since been bought by the JSU campus.  Voice of Calvary turned these houses into houses that people would actually want to live in, but in only the three years that Jackson State had purchased it, the houses fell back to a state of extreme disrepair.  We are praying that someday these houses will be restored to their previous condition that VOC put so much effort into.

After the grand tour of Jackson, we went back to the Voice of Calvary church for lunch.  After a delicious meal (fried chicken and macaroni and cheese!) we were blessed to have the opportunity to listen to Dr. John Perkins, founder of Voice of Calvary and author of the book that we read, Let Justice Roll Down.  Even though Dr. Perkins was 84-years-old, he had the vigor and power of a 20-year-old.  The first thing that he told us was that we are the generation that is going to make a difference, to turn a world of hate into a world of love.  Dr. Perkins said, “The only love you can keep, is that which you give,” showing the importance of living a life of love.  He emphasized that we have the opportunity to use our love of God to better the world in which we live, and it is important that we take advantage of that opportunity.  I am extremely grateful that we got the chance to see Dr. Perkins speak in person, and I will certainly be praying for him as he continues to spread love around the world.

We went back to We Will Go Ministries for our second day of VBS after the lunch.  I help out with skits that we do at the opening of each day and am a grade guide for the older kids.  To be honest, I was nervous when I found out that I was in charge of these teenagers because I just didn’t think that they would want to participate in anything.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  The first thing we did yesterday and today was a craft, and seeing the teenagers make beaded cross necklaces and coloring coloring pages of Jesus made me so happy.  I knew that God was at work in their lives.  Today’s bible lesson was about Jesus and Peter walking on water and calming the storm and I am praying that those teens love and trust God just as much as Peter did.  We ended the day with a quick game of basketball, Mississippi against Massachusetts.  While I thought that it would get way too competitive, the teens just played a fun and fair game (with me obviously cheering on the sidelines instead of playing on the court), which helped strengthened the relationships that were developing between us.  It is sad to think that VBS is already half-way done, but we are hoping to teach these kids as much about Jesus as possible in the little time that we have.  With God’s help, we can truly make a difference in these kids’ lives. 

After a hard day’s work, we got home to a dinner of hamburgers and hot dogs and are about to leave for another Walmart run and then a special trip to Krispy Kreme for Max and Nora’s birthdays, which we are all very excited about.  I am so blessed to have been able to be a leader on this trip as I am having a truly amazing experience and am strengthening my relationship with not only the other people on this trip but also with God.  Please continue to keep all of us in your prayers.      

-Taylor Reale