Last
Chance Kids
—Gina Moore
I’ve
never been able to quite explain this mission trip to people who
have not experienced it, and this past week has been no exception.
For example, how do you explain our first concert today in Kewanee,
Illinois--a group of 110 angry, hard, and hopeless young men,
many from the suburbs of gang-infested Chicago, within just over
an hour totally engaged and applauding not just the songs and
skits, but also applauding in agreement several times as Bill
talked to them? What reasonable explanation is there for a young
man at the end of the program finding the courage to stand up
in front of his peers and thank us for coming and giving them
the best show he had ever seen at this facility? How is it possible
that an officer at this facility made it a point to come back
after he took the guys back to their units just to tell us that
he has been there since the facility opened and it was the best
received program of any he has ever seen? Why? Because there is
tremendous power in God’s Word, and it will not return to
Him void! We are but the broken, yet willing vessels that God
has chosen to use to reach these kids, and you are our partners
in this effort. I wish you could all see the faces of these kids
soften as their hearts connect to the words of the songs, skits,
and introductions. I wish you could hear the gratitude in their
voices when they thank us over and over for caring enough to come.
I wish you could experience the “God moments” when
the staff prepares us for the “worst kids in the state”
and instead we find the best audience of the trip thus far.
 The
real irony of today’s event was that we were actually scheduled
to be at a girls’ facility in Toledo, Iowa, at the same
time. I had called Kewanee first, but the chaplain was not hopeful
at the time that it would work out due to the holiday weekend.
When he called on Monday to tell me that he had worked it out
after all, I was faced with a dilemma. Through much prayer and
a series of phone calls to the Toledo facility, we finally made
the choice to go on to Kewanee and cancel the girls’ facility
with the door open to visit them next time we’re in the
Midwest. We’ve never been overly concerned about numbers,
but somehow 200+ young men from the Chicago suburbs seemed a better
choice. We have never doubted from the beginning, 17 years ago,
that God’s hand was all over this ministry, and He has been
in every detail. Clearly today was another affirmation of that
as the power of the gospel transformed lives in Kewanee, Illinois.
To Him be the glory!
See
the Story
July
31, 2011
An
appreciation dinner for our volunteers and supporters.
Please
invite someone to come with you to "see the story" and
find out more about Crosswalk's work.
McDonough
Christian Church
2000 Jonesboro Road
Dinner at 6 pm
at the pavilion in the lower parking lot
Call 404.386.2105
for more information
THIS
IS A NON-SOLICITATION EVENT.
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Dear
Crosswalk Family,
Please
continue to pray for our team members this year: Gina
Moore, Bill Ward, Jesse Ward, Greg Moore, Vinchelle
Woods, Ryan Ward, and Lamar Crockett. You can keep up
with us on our Facebook pages (Crosswalk
USA or any of the team members’ pages), and
if you haven’t given your financial support, it’s
not too late to donate online or mail your check to
PO Box 1613, McDonough, GA 30253.
We
cannot do this without you! Thank you for your continued
support and encouragement.
May the God of the harvest be glorified!
Gina
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