Kentucky Mission Trip - Day 2

Today was filled with the unexpected. We've quickly learned that people in this area don't seem to awaken until after lunch. We gad some kids come to our game day today who proudly proclaimed they had just eaten breakfast (waffles) at 2 pm. The unexpected led us to change our game plan for the rest of the week. The unexpected also allowed us to invite even more people to our family fun movie in the park night. Please pray for us on Tuesday night that during this event we will have opportunities to share the Gospel with lots of people.

Another unexpected turn of events was an explosion at a house just down the street from where we are staying. Coincidentally, this house is right across the street from a house our construction team was working on today. Thankfully, our team was finished when the explosion occurred, but our hearts go out to the young people who were injured in the blast. There were more police, ambulances, and firetrucks on the scene throughout the evening than you would find visiting Krispy Kreme in one 24 hour shift. The police initially ruled it as a meth lab explosion, but they have since said it was a chemical grenade of some kind. The details were not very forthcoming, but our prayers are with those who were injured. Events like this one are unexpected in the small town of Lynch, KY. This town of 800 people or so is usually very quiet. This is the second major incident in the town in the past three days. On Sunday before we arrived, there was a drive by shooting in Lynch. I can only guess that the residents of this city are on edge, maybe even fearful. Maybe God has our team here for such a time as this.

Today as we were walking the streets of Lynch in search of part of our team (did I mention we couldn't find them...in a town with a population of less than 1000, one main road, a post office, a half-sized mini-mart, and no traffic lights...still we couldn't find them), I prayer walked the city as we searched. As I passed by the various homes, I prayed for the people who lived there. I'm pretty sure I prayed over the home where this explosion took place. It was an unexpected walk, an unexpected moment, an unexpected opportunity, but it opened the door to me thinking about the people inside the houses, their lives, their struggles, their needs. God is definitely using the unexpected.

Please join me in praying for the people here. These are some names and specific needs our team encountered today:

Cody - salvation and a ceasing of distractions
Michael - salvation
Katie - overcoming loneliness and pain after knee surgery
The Lewis' neighbor - blood clots around his heart
Jimmy - overcoming addiction; understanding that the righteousness of Christ is not just for eternity but is ours to put on and claim and live with all of the rights thereof in this life
Joyce - overcoming addiction and openness to the gospel