5.22.09 - Grace Church Team
We just finished up a great week with a new team, and actually the 1st team of our summer season. The team was made up of 11 men and women from Grace Church in South Carolina.
The Grace Church team has developed through a relationship with our newest missionary couple Mike and Shannan Fastzkie. Grace Church is their home church, and in their interest to support the Fastzkies the church decided to make a commitment to come down on some summer trips to learn first hand what the ministry of CMA is all about.
Emily and I were extremely blessed to get to know this team. On our last night together I shared that before they came I was feeling a little burnt out, but after being around like-minded believers and feeling their encouragement, they put a spring back in my step. All of us working here are sad to see them leave - they truly are one of those teams that energizes us.
While they were here they helped complete the back half of our housing facilities, where Mike and his family will live this summer. We also worked on some projects within the community by partnering with some churches to reach out to those who need a better quality of living.
On one of the houses where the team served, the owner doesn't even have indoor pluming and is constantly plagued with a leaking roof, termite infestation, and dirt floors.
If all I had to develop my impression of Grace Church in South Carolina was my experience with this team, I would have to say that it is definitely a church that Emily and I would attend. They have a vibrant small group program (the small groups pastor was actually on the team) and many of the relationships we made reminded us of our own friends from small group at FBC (oh how we have missed those relationships).
The Lord has blessed us to get to know these Kingdom workers this past week, and we pray that it won't be the last time we get to be with them.
