Columbia County Christian Trip Blog

Thursday was our Jubilee BBQ day at the Beach. The beach here is packed with run-away teens and homeless folk. We through them a BBQ and had a great time doing so. Even though some may not have deserved it we gave them resources and hung out with everyone, trying to love them unconditionally. We do this with the jubilee year in mind. A time when God would put everyone at the same level, he would restore those who may have not even deserved it.
Thursday night was the community meal at the church we stayed at. We were able to serve over 120 people and it was amazing! Lizzie and Robin shared from the word of God about the GRACE of God and also about watching who we affiliate ourselves with. The whole group was able to lead the homeless in an awesome time of worship. They had the choir sway and clap down also!
One man shared with the group about how he wanted to commit suicide. In such a loving way the teens were able to counsel him, take the necessary precautions, love him, and pray for him. One student even gave up his own shoes to comfort this man. The homeless man left in joyful tears feeling the love of Christ through the students. This is what Christ was talking about when He said to go the second mile. A Crazy Love!

Wednesday was a wonderful day!
The group decided to skip showers in the morning so they could spend more time out on the streets with their homeless friends. That speaks volumes about the type of impact they had on San Diego. The conversations we had were all centered around the Lord. The students were really making disciples! We met one man named William who only spoke Spanish. We were all able to share bits and pieces of our Espanola with him. When someone mentioned the name of Jesus, William started to shine. He was full of joy and really had Jesus in his heart! We spent time laughing and singing together. That was true worship! It was amazing to see that his God is the same God in PA as he is in CA and he speaks many different languages. There are thousands of languages and everyone speaks LOVE.
Later that day the group was able to join in with Horizon Park Chapel's youth ministry. They played games, worshipped the Lord and fellowshipped together. Again there was the common theme of love through Christ.

Today we had an outreach at the Plaza Hotel, a low-income hotel, where many that would otherwise be homeless find shelter. We cooked a meal, sang some worship, studied the Bible and ate dinner with everyone that attended. Many of the students got into some deep conversations with the people. The gospel was shared individually and as a group. Blaine was able to share from the Bible about relying on God and trusting in His word. What a perfect message for these people! You could see the Spirit of God really moving in that place that night. The joy that was flowing through worship was contagious!
The residents of the hotel really enjoyed having the students and really felt the Love of God!

Monday was a day of learning the great joy of being uncomfortable. The group from PA started to grow as they stepped out of their comfort zones and into the poverty of downtown SD. The morning started with devotions and showers but quickly moved into a time of outreach on the streets. We were able to do church with the homeless as we walked the streets, handed out physical resources and spent time talking about the Lord, His word and praying for and with people. We learned that homeless people are no less than us and we can spend a lot of quality time with them. Later in the day we were able to go door-to-door in a local low-income hotel and spend some time visiting with the residents. What a sweet time with the people of "The Plaza hotel"!
We were able to love people that no one else loves and see a part of San Diego that is hidden to the rest of the world. After hours visiting those in the hotels and inviting them to an outreach we headed back to Horizon Park Chapel for a drug-recovery Bible study, "The Most Excellent Way". This was a great time of prayer for those that are struggling with life-dominating sins. God is setting people free!

Today was a day the group spent with a local congregation. They first attended their church service and worshipped with the people. Directly after the service the church distributes food and clothing to those in need. The group was able to run this distribution and meet many people's need and also simply meet the people. It was a great time of God working in the hearts' of the team members as they realized these "homeless people" were really just people. They realized the homeless have names, faces, stories, families, SOULS just like we do. They also were able to pray with almost everyone who walked through the doors in their time of need. I always enjoy simple distributions like these because you see the joy it gives to those in poverty. Something as simple as a fresh t-shirt can lift up someone's demeanor. We walked away thankful for what we have but also questioning why we have so much and why they have nothing. After the distribution the group was able to join the congregation for an evening BBQ and Baptism in the San Diego Bay. With a bus packed full of the team, church members, street people and pastors they made the 5 minute journey to the Pacific Ocean. Many were baptized and it was a great time for the team to mingle and enjoy the San Diego weather and the people of the church. Lizzie, a member on the team was Baptized along with others making a new decision that evening! Praise the Lord for is great kindness! It is the kindness of the Lord that leads us to repentance...

The team arrived today to the host ministry site (Horizon Urban Ministries) in downtown San Diego. The basement of the church was turned into a temporary skatepark for the night, with a couple-dozen urban youth shredding through the room. After getting settled, the team from rural Pennsylvania had a home-cooked meal together and went over the basics for the week. The host ministry, trip leaders and team were able to get to know each other before getting started on a busy week. After the orientation everyone went on a prayer walk through the downtown community, stopping at a variety of ministries, churches and charities that Horizon Urban Ministries is able to partner with. This was an amazing way to start a trip that will have an eternal impact on so many lost and hurting people in inner-city San Diego. The group returned from the walk wiped-out, jet-lagged, and ready for bed...