Zeke - Update 3: SLAM Blog
This past week we worked with SLAM (Students Living a Mission). We helped with service projects during the day, we went to dinner with the kids at night, and finally we did worship, sermon, and small groups after dinner until late night. During all those times, I’ve been doing my best to use my gifts of connecting with people. At dinner times, I made sure to sit with kids I didn’t know. I would quickly try to find a point of connection I had with them and slowly try to get them to open up and be vulnerable. Through this process I was able to develop a relationship with them where we could play games together and worship together.
One boy I connected with the most was a kid named Patrick. We both like the same soccer club, so we immediately connected on that as we ate dinner together and talked. I asked him questions about what he wanted from the trip and what he had been learning. His insights about what was talked about already in the sermons was very impressive, but more so I loved his willingness to share with me. I made sure to check up on him throughout the week and pray for him. During one specific moment of worship I felt like I was supposed to pray for him and tell him how much I loved him and how much God loved him. Today, he just shared a testimony thanking me for this prayer and the love I’ve shown him. It feels good to get recognized for the gifting I have and the work I put into people.
Also, during our final night of worship, I felt led to go stand next to my younger brother, Renny, and sing with him. I just started singing with him and I could see the whole crowd of people in front of me worshiping, and I could see all of Renny’s classmates next to me worshiping, and I started crying. The Lord is giving me eyes to see the future of our community. I saw Renny and all his friends worshiping and I wanted to be the example for them to follow in my footsteps as I wanted to follow in Jesus’. I wanted to Renny take God‘s Word seriously and start wanting more. While learning God‘s Word I’ve had to realize that what I am doing is going to have a generational impact. The more I learn the more I realize how important it is to abide in God, so that the fruit that comes out (the fruit being all the people we are building up which includes Renny) is going to be GOOD.