Bethany Church

Bethany has arrived safely in Providence! This picture, however, is at Lincoln State Park, where them team stopped beforehand for a time of reflection. It's going to be an awesome week with such a devout team, and we can't wait to serve in Rhode Island! 

We kicked (pun intended) the morning at Dexter Park, working a sports camp representing Sanctuary Church. The hope here is that our presence will begin to strengthen the relationship between the community and the Church, and slowly bring the two closer together. Some of us also set up a table for crafts, and Ryan led a short devotional at the end of the camp, tailored to the kids. Friendships were instantly forged, and we'll be returning tomorrow for more fun and ministry!

Sanctuary Church, like a lot of others in Providence, is only a few years old. They currently rent their space through Gloria Dei, an older church in the area, which provides the awesome opportunity for construction ministry. Jeff and Glen have taken the reigns on this area through their expertise, and we spent the afternoon painting the hallway to the children's section a bright blue, removing cracked plaster, organizing storage closets, and reaffixing pews to the floor. The group learns and works incredibly fast! 

Our evening was occupied by a debrief meeting (as usual), but before that, we went to Thayer Street for dinner, which hosts much of the area's restaurants and is a popular spot for college students. Even over summer break, it was a hub of activity, and the diversity of restaurants showcases Providence's population. Though we only got Chipotle, we made the short trip to local park, right next to the RI House of Representatives building. It's been amazing to see the spontaneous prayer and team-building Bethany's youth engage in! 

We returned to Dexter Park this morning for the second day of the sports camp. God held the rain off until after the camp was over, which was a big fear the previous night.  It was wonderful to see familiar faces from yesterday, and some new ones as well, and how easy it is for children to jump into friendships immediately. We've also been talking with some parents and other adults in the park, evangelizing or sharing mutual love for God. It's important to remember that ministry can exist anywhere, and this team has exemplified that. 

Passing the halfway point of the trip, we reunited with Dexter Park in the morning. Unknown to us, the City of Providence was kicking off a summer meals program next week and was holding their opening day today, with the mayor and community-oriented organizations present. This provided the chance to meet other pastors and flooded the kids camp, which allowed the presence of Sanctuary Church to blossom. Sarah led the Bible story of the day, we played more soccer and tag, and tried our hand at origami and coloring. God was undeniably at work today, as the stage was actually set up backwards from the city's plan. If it had been set up correctly, we would have had to move to another spot in the park, but because of his Hand, we were afforded our space and the opportunity to spread Him to more people. 

This evening, Pastor Andrew stopped by to talk to, encourage, and thank us for God's work we've been doing in Providence. He was delighted to announce that he has two new families coming to church Sunday because of the kids camp! Pastor Andrew also gave us some background on Sanctuary Church, their mission, and why Providence needs so much help right now, spewing wisdom and edification with each sentence. God is certainly at work here! 

Today was the last day of our sports camp. It was sad saying goodbye to the kids. Even though it has only been four days, the team has made so many great connections with the kids. There were the most kids there today of any day this week, which was encouraging to see! Anson led the final Bible story and we watched the kids one by one leave with their parents, hopefully seeing them again, if not on Earth then in the presence of God!

We spent the morning of our rec day prayer walking around Providence, returning to Thayer Street and the Brown University campus. We split off into small groups and spent around two hours engaging passerby in conversation, asking them if they had prayer requests, praying with them, and praying over the city where they felt led. It was a challenging time for some, but there's loads of incredible stories to be told upon arrival back home, and everyone got the chance to stretch their comfort zone. 

Prayer Walking is a great way to get into the community and show God's love, and it doesn't have to be limited to a missions trip. Ephesians 6:18 reads "and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always praying for the Lord's people" (NIV). We met some awesome people today, across a wide range of cultures, backgrounds, and walks of life. Some were receptive to prayer, while others weren't, but it's so important to be praying for them nonetheless. 

At the advice of a local and consensus of the leaders, the team opted not to visit Newport during July 4th weekend so we could spend more time on our final meeting tonight. Working with such a grace-giving and understanding team has been an absolute blessing and perfect match for the week. Instead, we visited Providence Place again, this time taking the care to explore some of the stores, including Build-A-Bear Workshop and the Lego Store. 

We spent our final dinner at Newport Creamery (located in Providence), enjoying American fare and huge servings of ice cream. We also said goodbye to Grace at this time, and have been praying for safe travels for her vacation! 

As our last Devo before the team headed home, we walked to the capital building. Sam had us pray over the week, our journey home, and other stimulating questions. We spent almost an hour in prayer, which was a powerful way to start the day. Before 9am, we had collectively prayed more hours than there were in a day! All of this offered a fantastic view of the city we had spent the week serving in. They're headed home now and will see you soon! Thanks for an absolutely incredible week Bethany Church!