Sunday Funday!

Sarah, Sam, Kyle, and Ross

Jenny (in the air), Elise, Philip, Phillip, Erica, Luke, and Rachel

Today was a massive day. We went to church at Grace Fellowship in Kingsport (which happened to be only a few minutes from our hotel, though we ended up detouring and getting the full on Kingsport experience.) , where we learned about Luke 15 and the three parables that it contains. There were two things that stuck out do me in light of this coming week.

The first was a contrast of the Prodigal Son parable to the others that preceded it (the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin)- in the Prodigal Son, there was no search for what had been lost. The sheep and the coin, they were desperately sought out by the people who found them important. The son wasn't. Granted, he left of his own free will, but when the famine came to the land, no one looked- especially not the older brother. He didn't even count his brother to be worth pursuing because of his reckless behavior. How often do I see people around me in that light? As though they are too far gone to love, too far consumed with other sin to be interested in what I have to offer.

The other point was that when we love people, we love the things that they love. People are who God loves, and we love Him. Ergo, we must love people, we've got no other choice. This week, we're going to be with invalids, addicts, and the homeless- people who may be stubborn in their public sin, people who frustrate us, even many who may be frustrated by us. But we must love them because God loves them, and we've got to remember that everyone is worth pursuing, there is no one on whom our effort will be wasted. No matter how rebellious, defiant, uncomfortable, or offputting they may be, they are worth it.


After church, we had lunch with a former CollegeLife staffer/ current GFC pastor Tommy Rutledge as well as Charlie and Earlene Cornett, missionaries who run Mountain Vision Ministries here in the Tri-Cities area. They covered a little of what we'll be doing this week, as well as some things that the church is beginning to help with, like serving meals with Hunger First, another organization here in the area. I am beyond excited to work with the Cornetts, and to really get dirty and uncomfortable with the people we're ministering to here. I know that sounds odd, but I can't wait. I want to know these people, to come alongside them in their pain and get dirty. I want to love them boldly without expecting anything in return, and I want to do it now. I want to learn from them, and pour out, some of what's been so sweetly and freely given to me.

Tomorrow one of our tasks is to take care of people with disabilities in the area and spend time with them while their caretakers can take a small, much-needed break. It'll be fun, awkward, and hilarious, I'm sure. We're going to a cookout at the Cornett's with Mountain Vision people, it should be really great.

Please pray for our team to be open and energetic all day long as we serve- also for the people we're coming alongside who are here serving already, and the ones we're about to meet and serve. Pray that their hearts will be prepared and open to what the Holy Spirit can do in their lives this week.

In other news, Ross loves biscuits, we're living in a lovely church at the top of a mountain, Rachel's giving us free Jazzercise workouts, the guys are playing Catan, 12 people get 1 shower, the pastor told the girls that we're sleeping with King David (a mural on the wall of a nursery), we shopped at Wal-Mart and made Rachel practice shopping with 8 kids, and everyone's got an animal portrait!


~Erica Sheets