Today so far, and it's only 1:00 in the afternoon has been one of literally the hardest days of my life. For the past 2 summers, a week in November, and 2 weekends during April I have gone to a place called Manchester KY. I have spent times building relationships, I have spent times praising The Lord through singing. I have spent countless nights up into the middle of the night playing bananagrams, Phase 10, Blokus, or Spoons with some of the most beautiful people I have ever known. I have spent hours on the Manchester Baptist Church Van picking up and taking kids home along with passing out flyers for Backyard Bible Clubs. I have spent time building relationships with the people we served especially the Maggard family with their 3 beautiful boys Kevin, Alex, and Nathan. I have spent time walking around at the park with Drucie Brown just talking about life and being intrigued by the stories of Haiti that she has told me and just how dedicated she is to serving the Lord. I have made countless sandwiches with Vickie May and enjoyed playing games with her and Bonnie Alldredge. I have been adopted as the granddaughter of countless couples on my various LBA trips. I have spent many hours laughing and having a great time and also a few hours just on my face crying out to the Lord because I wanted so badly to help people and love on people and to show them the love that only Christ has to offer. During my times in KY I have been surrounded by beautiful Brothers and Sisters in Christ and it has been amazing to watch how each time I have left going to Kentucky not knowing very many of the people and yet came back feeling like family with each and every one of them. As I sit here and type this I am choking back tears as today so many of my friends have left to once more embark on this journey to Manchester KY but this time I am not with them. From the time I woke up this morning every little thing that has happened has reminded me of my times in KY. As I went to take a shower this morning I was reminded of the shower trailor that we showered in each day. As I went to straighten my hair I thought of how J and Lizzie and Reina and Ryan all burned Gummy bears with a straightner. As I went to drive down the road I thought of the bumpy roads up into the hollers in Manchester and I could picture the faces of the beautiful children we got to love on. As I walked into my church building and up the stairs, I thought about my beauitful friends who were on that journey to Manchester this morning and how many memories we made in the past two years as we journeyed together. I thought of Ann Booker and Bonnie Alldredge who have just loved on me on all of the LBA trips we have gone on together and how it was because of them that I was able to go on my first LBA trip because I had to have a chaperone in order to go. As I sat in Sunday School we were talking about Moses and how he had to be in the wilderness and to learn the wilderness so that later on he would be able to lead the people out of the wilderness. Although it doesn't completely relate, it sort of does. I feel like I am in the middle of a wilderness of sorts. I don't know all the details and a part of me in a way is frustrated that I can't be on this trip. I've been just on my face begging God to show me while I can't be on this trip and why whenever a door would open for me to be a part of this trip another door would close in order to make it impossible. As I go through this time of wilderness though I know that The Lord is directing and guiding me each step of the way and in His timing He will show me why this wilderness was a necessary part of my journey. I know that He has something incredible in store for me as I wait patiently or more in my case as I wait impatiently for Him to show me what is next.
As you read this, my prayer is that you will put aside my complaints as I just had to vent them and that you will this week be in prayer for my friends who are serving in Manchester KY. Pray that The Lord will do a mighty work while they are there. Pray that the construction teams will not only be able to meet their physical needs but that maybe through a hug or a smile they will feel the love of Christ and a seed will be planted. Please be in prayer for the backyard bible club group that they will be able to love on these kids and show them the love of Christ as well. Help the teams heart to be opened as they travel to the Gallilean home tomorrow and allow them to love on the people there as well. Pray for the cooks that they will not get worn down feeding so many people but that they will see their job as just as important as the other jobs. Pray also for the leaders in KY Ken and Carol that you will help them to feel encouraged by our team.
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