Hope

“I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
-Philippians 4: 12-14, 19-20

Christ gives us hope. There is so much despair, loss, loneliness in the world and our own hearts. We feel empty and want to feel full again. So we our lives with junk hoping to feel that satisfaction. We fill ourselves with sugary chocolate and salty chips. Thinking the non-sustainable will fill us as we lick chocolate off our fingers. It makes us happy and full for a little bit, but again we feel the emptiness- even heavier this time. We knew the junk was a copout, but it looked to satisfy. We are desperate for food to fill us, our mouths are quenching for water. Not the physical substance, but the bread of life and the everlasting water. He has given us a right relationship with our Father, a reason to really live, and a hope in heaven where every tear will be wiped away. We taste and see. We taste and we live- really live. We taste and are satisfied. Even through the trials and circumstances we not only know who we are, but Whose we are. And to Him we pray- “to You be glory forever and ever.”

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”
-Psalm 63:1

“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”
-Psalm 34:8

The First Church

One major part of this upcoming summer is community. A big part of us coming together is to be in community with one another.

What does community look like? The first church is an example we should look to on what community should look like. At the BCM, we have a “big bible study” called The WELL every Thursday. We eat food and then someone teaches on the Bible. This semester we are going over the book of Acts.  Daniel and Heidi, the interns at the BCM, live in the apartment above the BCM. They decided for this week at the WELL, they were going to have it in their apartment. We all were squished in their small apartment, fellowshipping, praying, eating, and singing. We tried to follow the examples of the first church. Acts 2:42-47 and Acts 4:32-37. It is about being together, and building deep relationships, sharing with one another, serving with one another, and sacrificing your time for one another. I ask that you pray for the team that we will be able to have that sacrificial type of love, not just surface relationships. That we will persevere through the hard times and show Gods love. Community is not an easy thing for us to do, but God calls us to be in community with one another. (Acts 2:42)

P.S.-  In the Dominican Republic, we will be holding a vision clinic. Here are some things we are looking to collect…

-Readers (small glasses you can buy at Dollar Stores): need 500+
(best ones are 100s, 125s, 150s, and 200s) Seriously, can be purchased for $1/pair at a Dollar Store

-Tons of pipe cleaners, assorted colors (will use to make glasses with the kids)

–outdated used glasses