Good evening friends! Hello from Oklahoma City! Our Oklahoma City (OKC) mission team arrived to the OK City Center last evening, after a long 14-hour bus drive from Mishawaka. The bus trip was uneventful (which we are grateful for) and several experienced their first Buc-ees (the “Disneyland of gas stations”) on our way! The bus ride is a good time to sleep and connect and get to know each other while we drive, so it is not wasted time! Jed Chappel, the founder of City Center, met us last night when we pulled in, he gave us a quick tour, fed us pizza, and then many of us crashed early so we would be fresh for our first full day here. 

Today started with early morning devotions (my heart is full when I see our team getting up early, spreading out, and spending some time with Jesus :), and then we had a few minutes together as a team to share a few bible verses and pray together. After an amazing breakfast by Christy (our chef), Jed & Julie Chappel shared the purpose behind the City Center, as well as the personal stories of their own lives and Jesus’ journeys, which are integral parts of why the Center here exists. There were many tears from our team as Jed shared the way that God redeemed his life. What a great way to start our day. 

The morning was full of great stories and information about the center, and then we got to work! I love our teams from Vineyard—they work so efficiently and cheerfully! Among the many things our team did today, the list included: organizing the food pantry (which gives out 20,000 (!) meals a month)—including putting together food bags for at least 10-12 families just today; cleaning out and organizing a closet full of new clothes & toys and other items; sorting through bags (and bags and bags) of donated clothes and adding them to the clothing store here on site…as well as painting a bathroom, cleaning out the sports room, planting flowers and cleaning up landscaping, hanging with kids after school… and more I’m probably forgetting. 

A couple highlights of the day… We got to meet 4 folks from Wings, a ministry for developmentally disabled adults, who parter with City Center putting together hygiene packets for their guests—what joy-filled people they were! Then, a group of our team went to Feed the Children, where City Center is able to get food for their pantry and other ministries. Some of that food was donated to the Spero Project, who came tonight to share with us their ministry to refugees. This was made even more “real” since two of our team members—Sum & Seejle—are themselves refugees from Burma and Pakistan.

All in all, the day was busy and engaging and our team was able to work alongside one another and begin to develop relationships both with folks here and with one another. There is a depth to this team that is rare and beautiful and I can’t wait to see all that God will do. Tonight, during our debrief and sharing of our “happies and crappies”, Gabe said he was so glad that it was just day one and that we have four more days to go. Love that and I am grateful for the anticipation our team has for the rest of the week.

I’ll end with this thought that kept us through the day today. . . “For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.”  Psalms‬ ‭100‬:‭5‬ . He “continues” for us and we will “continue” to serve him willingly and joyfully! 

 

Share