Last week 70 of us, students and staff, packed the vans and headed to Bellingham, WA for a week on what's called a "Mini Outreach". This was an opportunity to get out and practice what we preach. Since we are all going to be sent off overseas for a couple of months it's a good idea to see how we can all work together as a team. Each morning started in lecture and then the afternoons were spent breaking up and doing some form of ministry.
Sunday we all went to the speaker Matt Atkin's church MOSAIC. It was set in an old ball room downtown and the first thing you see when you walk in is "Don't Go to Church. Be the Church". They had tables set up all around the room so that everyone could sit, chat, discuss and eat an amazing brunch together prepared by the church body. I loved this way of doing church because it was so relational. They were very active in the community and met on Sunday's with the purpose of going out and being the hands and feet of Jesus, however and wherever needed.
The first afternoon of ministry Matt encouraged us all just to go into the city and walk around with no agenda. His theory was "how do you go and love people if you don't care about them or know anything about them?" So we all split up, went into Bellingham and talked to different people around town, finding out about the city and it's history. I love that my perception of "evangelism" has not only changed but been freed from such the idea that we have to go convert people. What freedom there is in just being a Christian in this world and intentionally loving people, the rest is up to God. And, how do we get that wrong so many times. People are people not projects.
We spent the week doing anything from landscaping, planting trees, cleaning out an old woman's house who was about to get evicted, promoting an Arthritis marathon to moving furniture into homes set up for people to leave homelessness.
Bellingham is about an hour and half north of Seattle and most people know that Seattle is usually raining. Well I didn't realize how much this weather would get to me. Mid week, after 4 days of straight cold, rain, mud and fog, the sun came out. It was incredible how much my mood changed when I could finally be outside and see the blue sky. After that week I decided to buy some vitamin D just incase.
Now we're back at the YWAM base ready to start the month of November. Feeling a little homesick as I know the holidays are approaching. The snow on the mountains is majestic and we are greatly enjoying this opportunity to live in such a beautiful place.
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