What an IMPACT! Hilton Head, June 24 – 29, 2018

Hilton Head, SC

June 24 – 29, 2018

Our mission: engage Hilton Head, SC with the love and hope of Jesus!

2 weeks ago today, my co-leader Katy and I (Abby) arrived in Hilton Head to prepare for our team from Wisconsin to arrive and get settled before their week of ministry there. 

 

They were a group of 19 youth and 3 adult leaders from Wisconsin. (Needless to say they were a little overwhelmed by the level of humidity on the island. But we ALL were!) After about 16 hours of DRIVING, they made it in time for some pizza, house rules, and to slump into bed exhausted. 

 

Our day to day schedule went a little like this:

7:00 am – wake up

7:30 am – breakfast/devotional/announcement time

8:40 am – load the buses for ministry!

9 am – 12 pm = AM MINISTRY!

12 – 1 pm = lunch

1 – 4:30 pm = AFTERNOON MINISTRY!

4:30 pm – 5:30 pm FREE TIME

5:30 – 6:30 pm = DINNER

7:00 – 9:00 pm = worship, debrief, teaching time

10:00 pm = LIGHTS OUT!

(LONG days = tired youths AND leaders! haha)

 

Ministries:

1. the Children’s Center – which provides lower priced childcare for the community

2. Bloom – a nursing home on the island

3. SOAR – a program that works with kids with special needs in the community

4. Memory Matters – a day center for those facing Alzheimer’s and dementia

5. Deep Well – a community food pantry/construction organization helping repair homes that need some love

6. PELC (Providence Early Learning Center) – our host church’s daycare center.

 

In addition to these ministries, we took one day from the week to do a teaching for half the day and then switched our groups. This teaching was on Listening Prayer where we discussed what it looks like to hear the voice of God.

We drew from Scripture and shared our own experiences as leaders and created a space for the kids to hear from God what He wanted to say to them about Himself and also what He had to say THROUGH them to other kids in the youth group.

Let me just say I was BLOWN AWAY at how the kids boldly and vulnerably listened for the Lord’s voice and shared whether they thought it was accurate or not! We shared with them that we continually can become more tuned in to God’s voice as we spend time with Him in His Word and in community so that His voice is clearer and clearer. All of this is so we can FOLLOW and obey what He’s leading us to in any moment.

Well…. GOD MOVED in MIGHTY ways!!!!

SO many of the youth heard the voice of God for the first time! They shared that this was so eye-opening to them.. that they could actually pray and talk to God and HEAR HIM TALK BACK! We know that this is a game-changer for them for the rest of their lives on their journeys with the Lord. If they took NOTHING ELSE away from our time together in Hilton Head, we were praying that they would learn to hear and discern God’s voice for themselves. What do our words matter compared to HIS speaking straight to their own spiritual ears?! 

As I’ve heard it said: there is no kid-sized Holy Spirit. When children and young adults receive Jesus, they have the fullness of His Spirit dwelling in them as well! So what if we treated them like they can hear Him too and encouraged them to take ownership of what it means to steward this reality and LIVE connected to God and in constant communication with Him?

 

WOW!

WHAT A WEEK!!

THINGS WE (Katy & I) SAW:

In these amazing young men and women and their fiercely loving youth leaders we saw such flexibility, lightbulb moments at how BIG the small moments can be for others, GROWING confidence as some realized that they could do things in God they never thought they could, awe at connecting with God in such a real way.. realizing they can hear His voice as His sheep, open hearts to let us pour into them and teach them and love them, bold vulnerability as they shared what God was teaching them in the midst of some hard situations, AND

 

HEARTS AWAKENED AND ALIVE!

 

Hearts ALIVE because of the love that realized they could give away and watch it change EVERYTHING for people!

Hearts ALIVE knowing they can connect with God so closely and receive His love and love from others so deeply!

By the end of our time with them, we so proudly saw these young men and women wanting to take back what they’ve experienced in only 5 days back home into their youth group, families, and personal relationships with the Father.

 

THANK YOU ALL for showing up to this opportunity ready to go and to give your energy and time, even when it was hot and humid and hard to do!!

YOU ROCKED OUR SOCKS!

 

Specific superstars that we’d like to thank:

-Jordan, Courtney, and Tina leading with the BIGGEST hearts for these kids!

-Tom for providing us with REAL home-cooked meals for dinner!

-Providence Presbyterian Church and each amazing man and woman who played a part in giving us a place to live and grow in love for each other in community time!

 

The impact from this short week is eternal because of the seeds of the love of Jesus these young men and women planted! We’re trusting God to grow those seeds and bring Himself glory on Hilton Head Island and wherever these sons and daughters of God are!

 

Until next time HHI!

–Abby & Katy + the Weatherstone Church youth leaders and youth!–