Week 3-Savannah Earlybird

"Jesus must become greater, I must become less." -John 3:30

As we traveled to Savannah, GA to help the GA team with their first week of program, we could not have prepared ourselves for a more connecting and moving experience. We were rather reluctant to leave our new found home of Daytona Beach, but would not trade this past week for anything. We had 5 different church groups and they were all awesome, including the adult leaders. I got to spend a good amount of time with one of the crews and connected with many of the youth and the adult leaders. We worked at the Union Mission, a homeless shelter, weeding flower beds and doing other landscaping tasks. We met a guy named Howard who had quite the story. He we a drug dealer and had been shot, beaten, and everything else you could think of. His right side was paralyzed and he could not speak other than "hey" and "man." He had a great smile and a computer that talked and told his story for him. He is a huge advocate for staying out of gangs and away from drugs and taking a good path. He told the group that he wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for Jesus. It was an amzing testinmony that he tells anyone who will listen. The youth were shaken by his story and the comfort of his smile. He shares his story with the groups that come through the YW site in Savannah. At the end of his time with the groups, he has them circle up, hold hands, and sing "Amazing Grace." Talk about a moving experience. I saw Jesus in Howard, and it left me speechless.

As the week progressed, I saw youth go from only caring about themselves, to having a heart for the community of Savannah and their brothers and sisters in Christ. Sadly, we weren't able to stay for the foot washing ceremony. But, one of the youth that I connected with shared with me later that they had been moved in a way they never thought possible, their world was shaken, and they had never before felt the joy and rejuvenation that comes with living out John 3:30. And that is why I am here. :)

We are now back in Daytona Beach putting the finishing touches on our housing site and programming. We dearly missed our Daytona friends and are excited to be "home." We are pretty much ready for our groups that are arriving on Sunday afternoon, which means we have some time to go to the beach. :) It will be a great blessing to rest. Our trip to Sam's club today to buy 8 pallet carts full of food and supplies for this week was quite exhausting. I'm so excited to see the youth just jump right into the ministry here in Daytona. It's going to be a great week.

I hope all is well with all of you back home. I miss all of you so much.

Please pray for this next week as groups arrive and that they are open to God's will for them and that this is not just a week of their life, but a week that they live their life by. Also, please pray for the staff and perseverance through the week and the summer.

Thanks y'all!

Love in Christ,

Jessica