Lately, Life.

Lately, life has been insane.  There were a few days in the past weeks that I spent all day in bed with my crappy immune system.  Living in community means we all get each other's germs, and while everyone else was in bed with head colds, I ended up at urgent care getting breathing treatments.  Ugh.  It's times like these that I want to give all single parents an award, because I can't imagine being sick like that and having to keep up with my crazy, bouncing Nut child.

Also, today launches our Summer Madness, in which we have 3 interns living with us...so you know the last couple of weeks have included some serious catching up on house work!  My house hasn't been this clean in, well, I won't say, but awhile.  The interns are all guys, so, I will be even more out-numbered than usual for the next few months!  If you need me, you can find me in my room.

And, if all that wasn't enough fun, we had a Memorial Day weekend Medlen Family Reunion out at Andrew's aunt and uncle's farm in Mexico, Missouri.  We slept in a tent.  Every time I sleep in a tent and spend most of the day outside with bugs, sweat, and the smell of my own armpits I am reminded why I choose to live in the city.  But, aside from the father-in-law's foot-breaking incident, everyone had a great time. 

We have just a quick moment to catch our breath before we dive into the summer schedule of insanity.  Here we go... 

God, the Healer of Broken Souls

For six years we've watched, we've prayed, we've offered relationship, but only been able to do so from a distance.  A young man, hardened by the street, wounded and angry. A dangerous mix of sorrow and rage left glass glittering in his wake, and empty spaces left in place of others' things.  He walked down the street, cloaked in dangerous colors, with a street-wise swagger in his step, falling into step with men only too happy to lead him toward destruction.  We've seen him disappear for months, even years, moving where he could find shelter only to later reappear, still hardened and distrustful.

Now, at eighteen, all of his friends are in jail.  We have prayed he would not join them, or worse.  He is not in jail, but he is in bondage to the street.  For six years he has stayed on our hearts and minds, but his hardened exterior kept anything more than a smile and hello at bay.

Until, I drove up to our house one afternoon this week and saw him sitting on our porch with Andrew eating cookies on a paper towel plate, his legs relaxed down the stairs, giving the impression of a young child too small for his chair.  I tried not to let the shock and excitement register on my face as I carried our groceries past them and into the house.

For about thirty minutes this young man asked Andrew about life after death, shared how lonely he was because all of his friends are in jail.  He was vulnerable and open and Andrew took the opportunity to share the Gospel with him.  Andrew promised to pray for him every day.

And so, we continue to pray.  We know what God can do.  He can take moments of vulnerability in guarded hearts and use them to transform lives to the glory of His name.  We know this young man can become a new man in the Lord, healed and whole and walking a path of life.  God is the healer of broken souls; pray with us.

Schooled

Last night, 7 of our staff, 2 guys, and our 4 staff kids (3yrs and younger) made it home after a grueling 400 hour trip from Wichita, Kansas…ok it only felt like 400 hours by the time we dragged ourselves into our beds. I could have done without the van ride, but the weekend was absolutely worth it

Our team attended the very first Christ the Victor Church Plant School at our World Impact Wichita site!  I love to learn, and did we!  Thursday evening through lunch on Sunday was packed with teaching sessions and strategy meetings that left us little time to think about anything other than church planting.  Even with my love of learning it was almost enough to fry my brain.  By Friday night I felt like there was a tornado of thoughts whirling in my scull.  It's going to take us awhile to process it all.

Christ the Victor is an association of churches, with common values and commitments that we hope and pray will be used to start a church planting movement in the cities of America.  We spent time talking about our identity, which can be summed up in these three shared values:

·        A shared spirituality centered on Christ and celebrated through the church year.

·        An historic theology anchored in Scripture and summarized by the Nicene Creed.

·        A focused mission of reproduction resulting in church planting.

We also talked about strategies for church multiplication and training indigenous leaders.  World Impact is blessed by some brilliant minds and experienced missionaries and it is an honor to link arms with them in this endeavor.

Aside from the teachings, our St. Louis team had time to strategize about our own church planting plans and what we feel God is calling us to do.  God has brought, from our neighborhood, two quality young men along side our missionary team, who we believe will be used mightily by God in this process.  They soaked in the weekend, asked the right questions, and are willing to seek the Lord’s will for their lives as we start to flesh out the steps we feel God calling us to right now.

I’m beyond excited, and a little terrified too, at the task that lies ahead of us, but one thing I know, and as we told ourselves all weekend, “the battle belongs to the Lord!”  We have a lot of work ahead of us with some really big goals in the next year.  The eight of us don’t have it in us.  But, God does.  We’re going to rely on our prayers, your prayers, and the miraculous work of a God who can part seas, conquer death, and who can redeem the lost of our city!