Yesterday (Tuesday) our students and their leaders were back in downtown Cincinnati at the YMCA where....

We hung out with kids ages 5-7 or so. They were full of energy and super loud and fun!! They jumped at the opportunity to talk to the big kids and held our hands, played with hair and hats, jumped on our laps, told stories, goofed off, ate lunch with us and offered to share. They were wild and we loved it. We're excited to have them at a block party tomorrow!!

 

And from another "reporter"...

You could tell as soon as we walked in the room that they were looking for attention. They were really sweet kids and the church planter's wife (Jen) was telling us that most of them come from broken homes or lower income families. They really attached to us and all of the little boys immediately fell in love with the older boys from our group. 

 

 

 

They kept asking me why my hair was so white...and these girls asked to do my hair only a few seconds after I met them.

Back to reporter #1...

Yesterday (Monday) we pulled weeds outside of a community whose majority is elderly residents. They talked for the rest of the evening about us kids who had come from West Virginia and helped power wash their patio-- how they're looking forward to sitting out there again. A big encouragement is that we're helping immerse the church plant family into the community, making their work known and being a strong and cheerful presence in this neighborhood.

 

This picture [below] is from the apartment building that is one of the places the church planters, the McKinney's, use to meet with their church. This is the place where we weeded the flowerbeds and powerwashed.

 

 

After we were finished at the Y, we did some more looking around the city and hanging out with the church planting family while we toured. We went to the top of Carew tower (seriously so high!! But surprisingly not scary!)

 

 

 

Each day after their time downtown, our gang heads back to the host church to join other World Changer groups, who have been working on different projects in the area, for dinner and worship.

Our students are ready for a big day today and ask for your prayers...

Here are some things you and the church can be praying for:

• That the McKinney family would be encouraged to keep on keeping on in their ministry in a very resistant part of town and that our team would be an encouragement to them this week.
• A strengthened partnership between the McKinney's and the YMCA. This partnership is very new and it is opening doors for them with the community of downtown Cincinnati.
• The Block Party we will be having tomorrow with a neighborhood outside of downtown. We are expecting a lot of people and this is the main focus of the week. THIS IS WHERE WE WILL MOST LIKELY HAVE GOSPEL OPPORTUNITY THIS WEEK.

Father, please let the kids and their leaders be lights in the community. Let them be encouragers, diligent workers, and cheerful witnesses to You and Your Word and Your Way. Let them love unselfishly and without wavering. And let them do it all only for Your Glory.  ~Amen