Sacred Road, Entry 2

     You know those times when you realize you've forgotten something you should have been doind for an extended period of time? This is one of those times for me. I've just finished with the first team week, and taken no pictures. I'm sure some will be on facebook before long, but still, it's a little embarrassing to forget something like that. I suppose I should be used to it by now. I've never been good about remembering to take pictures. I shall make a note to be sure and take some the next team week.
     As it is the day after the team has left, a recap of the week's work done is due. in 4 days of work and one field trip day, we had two days when rain made it impossible for the painters to paint, yet we still managed to first-coat a house. the roofing crew had only one day when they couldn't work, and they stripped and re-roofed over 3000 square feet of asphalt shingled roof on a building purchased by the ministry last year for conversion to a church house. The third crew had the task of tearing down and cleaning up the debris of an approximately 2000 square foot shed. It was done. It took all 4 days of work plus a couple hours the morning of the field trip, but it was done.
     The physical labor in construction (or destruction, as may be the case) is a huge part of the work week here, and can be physically exhausting, but the part of the week that takes the most out of you is kids' club. An hour and a half of giving piggyback rides, playing tag, pushing kids on the swingset, and helping them cross the monkey bars, then 20 minutes of snacktime, a Bible story (acted out by the kids under the direction of an intern) and a couple songs before walkinng to kids home or loading them on to the van for the ride back to their house. Physically, it is tiring Emotionally, at is simultaneously exhausting and incredibly refeshing and incredibly sad. there are far to many stories of kids that were engaged at kids' club one day and gone the next. Talking to the permanent staff members, you hear the stories of bright, promising children. Enthusiastic or maybe just reaching the point where they can let down their armor a little who never come back. Some have died. Many have moved. some are scared by the fact they are opening up. for whatever reason, we lose them. The hope for these kids is they will someday seek out 'church people' (I'll explain) later in their life when they are in a hard spot, remembering the love that the teams and staff of Sacred Road had for the as children.
     I've just used a phrase with negative connotations in much of today's world. 'Church people' is, as often as not, seen as a near-epithet. The Christian church has become an institution people are immediately suspect of; there is a long history of reasons for this, and one can hardly fault people for being suspicious of our motives. After all, 'church people' are weird. There is a dafference here on the reservation though. The work done by Sacred Road has drawn children -and their parents and older siblings- twoards, rather than away from the church. When the teams show up for kids' club the first week, you can hear the yells of the little kids: "The church people are here! the church people are here!" It's a challenge to us as members of the church, too. When was the last time we were so excited about the church we would literally run to be a part of it? Of course context is important, and these kids are excited because here come perhaps the only big people willing to play with them. Wait, stop. Go back and read that again. The only adults willing to play with them. These kids are in a bad spot, and the church is for them a place of relief. They find joy with the Church people as we reach out to them. Sacred Road iis living out the command to care for the poor and the orphan. There is an excitement about the church here, and the work the Lord is doing, even in tragedy, and amazing to behold.


Specific prayer requests this week: My health (I picked up a cold somewhere.) the safety of the Sacred Road staff as we recover from one team week and prepare for another. Rest. Joy. Safety for the Kid's club kids in the off week. Thanks for the work done and the relationships developed over the last week. Safe travels for the people traveling on our free day (Monday) this week.


Blessings in Christ,
Thomas