05 Aug Summer LINK Seattle: Unconditional
As the fourth week of Summer Link Seattle ends our team is heading to Olympic National Park to go camping which will be an adventure worth speaking about but we want to jump back to the second week of soccer camp and share a little about our adventures there. Being the second week, we had a lot more of the logistics figured out but by no means did that mean it was more organized. One of the most amazing and humbling things about soccer camp that we learned was just how much the kids wanted to be loved. One of the days in particular showed us this the most. This day was a day of distraction, chaos, and many other things. As the ending game we decided to play capture the flag with all of the kids by this time in the day we had lost all focus from the kids. At one point during capture the flag we looked up and there was a pile of kids in the middle of the field playing around, to say the least we had given up on trying to do anything organized. We were humbled because even when times felt chaotic, disorganized, or completely out of hand. God still used it to show the kids love and allow them to feel loved and appreciated. We had many parents come to us and tell us how much the kids enjoyed camp and wanted to come back. Some of the kids we could tell just soaked up the love from us and we could tell they were not receiving it from home. It was awesome to see how God?s unconditional love flowed through regardless of the situation!
The fourth week has been an interesting week of rest and readjustment from the past two weeks which have been extremely busy. It has been really bitter sweet for those of us at soccer camp because we had to say good bye to each one of the kids we got the chance to talk and hang with but on the flip side we got to meet the kids the other half of our team was investing in at Odle Middle school. It was so amazing to put names and stories to the faces of the kids at the middle school and see how our other team members have been building relationships. Even though none of our team could share the gospel outright, since both places were public schools, we had the opportunity to set an example and to share the unconditional love of Jesus with the kids we came into contact with.
The Lord opened an opportunity through the relationships with kids at soccer camp to share the gospel with one of the girl?s mothers. We saw her on the way out of the local Walgreens and I asked her about how her daughter was doing since camp was over. She proceeded to tell me that she was doing well and she thanked us with tears in her eyes that we had loved on her daughter and the kids. She said we do it with such joy in our hearts. She said I want that I kind of joy and I shared with her that the joy we have is not from within ourselves but through Jesus Christ and what He has done. She was catholic so she had an understanding of who God is and who Jesus is but she did not understand grace. She said I try to be a good person and act the right way but it is never enough. I told her that she was right it will never be enough but because Jesus came and died for us and paid our debt we no longer have to try and be good enough. Jesus finished it on the cross and if we put our faith in His righteousness we are His forever. Although she did not come to Christ that day she has heard the gospel and knows the truth and is being prayed for. It was such an amazing opportunity to be able to share the truth of Christ with her. It was incredible to see God open the door for the truth of the gospel. We are so blessed to be able to be out here in Seattle and share the truth of Jesus.
By: Alyssa Poole