Let's Drive

The other week I went on a missions trip to Detroit. WOW. It was such a unique experience. We helped run different VBS (vacation bible school, think kids day camps) programs in churches there, and also did tons of work projects at homes through the city. I was on the work project team and we helped do 4 projects. On the first work day (Tuesday) we scraped, sanded, and painted garage one morning (And got it all done it 3 hours!!), and cleaned up a backyard in the afternoon.

That night our whole team went to the area around Comerica Park and handed out free water and pop to the people passing by. We all wore shirts that said "hope for Detroit" on them. We got so many reactions from people. Some just ignored us, some were thankful and took the water&pop, and some scoffed and said "there is no hope for Detroit". That was sad. The people who live there don't even think there can be change, which is part of the reason there isn't change, and the rest of the country doesn't think there can be change.

The next morning we took care of a womans backyard and started painting her front porch. I got a chance to talk to her and she said that her sons used to take care of the yard, but in the past year they had both died of cancer. She didn't have much, but she gave us all Popsicles as we were leaving her house. That was amazing that she was willing to share what little she had.. We got a chance to go to a church service in Detroit with one of the other teams that night and MAN was that preacher good. It is so cool to see how differently people worship, even when they're only a little ways away from you...

Thursday morning we went to a corner in Detroit where a lot of homeless people hang out. We handed out bags of food & water to them, and then started talking with some. Most of them were super nice and we laughed and joked for a while. Then a woman walked over and the direction of our conversation completely changed. She started swearing at us and telling us that we don't know how they live, or what they do to get by. Why are we even there, they don't need God. Our leaders decided it was time to go and she said we were only leaving because we couldn't handle the truth of what they go through. That was a moment I will always remember.

After that adventure.... We headed back to the womans house where we were painting the porch, finished up, and headed back to spend the rest of the day at the VBS. They were having a party that day and we had a slip n slide, chalk, jump ropes, hula hoops, etc.. As soon as we got there the kids just latched onto us, which was cool but very sad at the same time. We hadn't been with them all week. We had never met them before. Yet they wanted to be loved so badly, even a complete stranger would do.

This trip was very eye opening to me, and everyone else who went. The big thing we all learned was that you don't have to go halfway around the world to make a difference. Christ's love is needed everywhere, even in your own backyard.

6 Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustice

and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free

and break every yoke?

⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry

and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—

when you see the naked, to clothe him,

and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness will go before you,

and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

⁹ Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;

you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,

with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

¹⁰ and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry

and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise in the darkness,

and your night will become like the noonday.

¹¹ The LORD will guide you always;

he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring whose waters never fail.

¹² Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins

and will raise up the age-old foundations;

you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,

Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

ISAIAH 58:6-12