Sleep deprived, we all marched into the kitchen at 8 am to the aroma of bacon, sausage patties, and fluffy butter pancakes. We were also greeted by Pastor Matt, senior pastor of Hilltop Baptist, a man of cheer, love for God, and respect for his church. From him, we learned how Hilltop returned to the basics of their faith in the congregation after going through the 2013 Moore tornado disaster that resulted in $2 billion in damages within the county. Although God allowed disasters, He also brought greater healing. For without that wake up call, Hilltop might not have refocused themselves or become the hosting site for volunteers from around the nation, such as our team, to serve within the damaged and broken community.
Patrick shared the first devotional of the week, making us all laugh with a parrot/plumber joke before reminding us that the time we have on this earth is a fleeting moment compared to eternity. He encouraged us to make the best use our time by serving the Lord and seeking his will and purpose in our lives. We were also blessed by our cook, Laura, who by sharing her personal story allowed herself to be vulnerable not only to us, but also towards God’s unforeseen plan in using her for his kingdom.
There were no building-related activities for us today, so we had a short visit to the OKC National Memorial in memory of the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building that occurred in 1995. There Craig met a Park Ranger, Daniel M., who used to lived in California. He had also worked at other national parks including the Grand Canyon.
Afterwards, we went to tour the OKC Habitat main office to learn more about the daily operations. The tour ended with enthusiasm as team members scrambled to buy signature Habitat tees and sweaters.
We lunched at Bedlam Bar-B-Q under the sunshine and
trees in the backyard patio. Their bbq menu included ribs, hot links,
bologna, and turkey. The number one favorite amongst the crew was the
ribs.
Our first assignment at OKC was to organize the church’s yard sale. We found a number of interesting items; most notably, an extensive collection of clown-themed decor. It was nice to help Hilltop, which lacked the manpower to set up over three hundred items for sale. According to Toby (a church member who, along with Donna, graciously volunteered to cook dinner for us), most members work or are unable to make the commute. Unlike LA, OKC is very spread out and the population is much lower since it’s a rural community.
For group worship, we had music led by John, a returning OKC team member. Lorin shared a personal story from the heart based on Proverbs 27:17, Randy followed up with an activity. Each group of six wrote notes of encouragement to each individual of another group. With groans of disappointment, we learned that we wouldn’t be reading the notes out loud as we had hoped. Rather, they will be distributed tomorrow for each one to read on their own for purposes of encouragement.
We ended the night with around-the-group sharing. Jeff shared a powerful story about listening to Holy Spirit in his encounter with a stranger at a gas station. By obeying the nagging feeling God had placed in his heart, he opened himself up for communication by offering free soft drinks to the man and his girlfriend. The man revealed his struggles with Jeff, who offered to pray for him and shared the Gospel. With the Lord’s leading, Jeff was able to be a comforter in the name of Christ to him. We hope you will continue to pray for God to work mightily in this man’s life.
Tommy followed up on this truth that God blesses and has a purpose for every interaction we have. He recounted how he and his wife gave a car ride to their daughter’s friend. Through their conversation, the Yamadas both sensed some guilt the young girl felt, to which Debbie spoke truth into- that nothing we will ever do can cease God’s redeeming love for us.
What amazing grace! Fast forward 25 years later, and that young girl, now married and a mother of two, reached out unexpectantly to the Yamadas in thankfulness for those very words. Sometimes we don’t get to see the growing process, but we must be faithful in believing God will use our sincere actions for his purpose.
Craig’s Health
Lastly, we also want to update you on Craig’s health. He left LAX for OKC in severe pain, unsure of the cause, but sensing God still wanted him to travel with the team. However, it turns out that it was more than just pain alone. Below is the story:
Craig: “I felt like the Lord was saying, ‘Trust me; there is something that I don’t want you to miss out on.’ So I prayed, ‘Lord, give me some strength,’ and I got on the escalator and got in line for the TSA screening. I was blessed to see that the line for screening was very short and almost effortless. When I got to the terminal, I became very distracted by the pain. Tommy came over and encouraged me, saying, “I think you are being attacked spiritually.” I had already told many in the group about the pain, and many of them prayed for me. I don’t know what happened, but after getting on the plane and sitting down, I finally felt some peace and actually slept through the entire flight. I still felt like the Lord wanted me to come here and even though I didn’t know what he wanted me to experience yet, He gave me a lot of strength starting from last night. I started to feel less distracted.
Being able to lead all of you is something I desire in my heart, and I know that with the other leaders here all would be fine, but I just wanted to see what God was planning when he called me here even in my suffering. I finally got to the ER (earlier today – diagnosis was an infection with a treatment course of antibiotics), but I think the main focus was God’s lesson to me about the outpouring of love. I know that the church family at home and here in OKC was supporting me and lifting me up. It reminded me about the paralytic lowered through the roof, carried by his friends. Brandon, Jeff, and Kevin T. were like Jesus to me (and Virginia was like a caring mother to me). I was sharing with Chris yesterday about a vision I had that God wanted me to play a different role at the job site. I saw myself not involved in one specific task, but rather going around to see what everyone else is doing. I think that part of the reason for my affliction, since the doctor ordered no heavy lifting, is so that I can do that. I feel blessed to lead this team and each one of you is a blessing to me.”
