As we approach the end of our time in Sharps Corner, we have experienced several good surprises. In the beginning of the week, we prepped the volleyball and basketball courts to get them ready to play in the evenings. On Thursday evening when we came out, we found that the people of Sharps had put up a brand new volleyball net, mowed even further around the outside of both courts, and taped the basketball net to keep it from coming down. We had been concerned about whether or not we would find them intact each night when we returned; it was quite a pleasant surprise to see that the community had stepped up to take even better care of what we had helped to begin.
Thursday afternoon Randy, Sam, and Daniel were able to go to White River and reconnect with Pastor Harold and several kids that they had worked with the past two summers. Katie had the opportunity to share the Wordless Book with a little girl named Kaitlyn; she responded to Katie's invitation to accept Christ as Savior!
Overall, clubs have finished incredibly well this week. After a rough day Thursday with only one kid staying through the entire club in Manderson, Friday was their best day ever. Several kids were engaged, listened attentively, and even got onto others that tried to create distractions. The clubs at Sharps have also gone well, and almost all of our team has had the chance to share the gospel through the Wordless Book or have a spiritual conversation with someone.
Last night was our community barbecue, and at 6:05pm, we weren't sure if anyone was going to show up. Fifteen minutes later we were serving what would be 80 people from the area - mostly families from Sharps Corner, and a few from Evergreen. Last year we had a decent turnout for the barbecue, but we mostly served families from the church and kids that had been at clubs. This year was the first time we've seen some of the adults that we've played volleyball with bring their families to the church grounds! It was incredible to see the number of people that were willing to come, not just to eat, but to talk, visit, and share together.
Our partnership with Pastor Brennan's ministry here at Sharps Corner, marks the beginning of a new chapter in our five year tenure, and it is exciting to see what God has been doing. We have had the great opportunity to continue investing in several that we met for the first time in the summer of 2006, including Destiny, Jamie, Jeremy, Delayne, Tony, Cody, and Jamie, among others, and many other dear friends that we have met along the way between that summer and this. It has been thrilling to play a small role in the ministry of the gospel, as we have sought to share not only the gospel, but our lives as well with the people of Sharps Corner through the ministry of Sharps Corner Baptist Church.
As we prepare to leave, please pray that clubs finish well today, and that our team will have additional opportunities to share the gospel. Pray for safety as we travel, and that our return home will also be a new beginning for our team, as we strive to live a mission life at home. Some of our team have been fighting illnesses; pray that they can be on the mend before returning home. Pray for the ongoing ministry of the Brennan family and the church; they have a team from Pennsylvania coming in today to construct a garage and continue with ministry to the Sharps Corner community. Pastor Brennan has a big vision for the area; this week we saw him bring in a bus to use for transportation for kids and tipi poles to be used for a camp, hopefully as soon as next summer. Thanks for partnering with us in prayer and support; nothing this week could have been possible without your faithful prayer on our behalf.
Great turnout for the barbecue!
Hope Bible Church's club
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