Taken from a ministry update from Scott Wood, Canadian Base Director to Mary Alice Isleib, Executive Director:

“I just wanted to send you a ministry update from our week with the team from North Carolina. To sum up the past week in one word is impossible but I will use the word incredible.

I saw the Lord do some incredible things in the lives of the team that came as well as the native children that attended VBS.

Our first day started out slow with only 12 kids attending. That was pretty low for a group of 26 if it was a normal VBS. But with native kids it was all they could handle. I had prepped the team the night before for what they might have to endure on Day 1, including that they could expect to be punched, kicked, bit, called names, not listened to and sworn at. I also told them the kids would want to be one person’s friend and would become jealous if that were not the case. I challenged them to love the kids unconditionally, and told them that after the first day things would change if they would just love the kids, as it was a test to see if they would love them after seeing their very worst.

Day 2 came - what a change! We also had 17 kids. The kids were kind, respectful,caring and became friends with the North Carolinans. We had one of the older kids at VBS give her heart to Christ that morning. It was very genuine as the tears streamed down her face as she accepted Christ into her life. Also that morning a teen from the reserve I have been working at gave her heart to Christ. I had invited her and her sister to VBS so that they could hear the gospel from a foundational perspective. I wanted them to hear the basics again. That morning Shania accepted Christ into her life. There were no tears involved this time. Shania shared that she had been unable to cry for a long time. She began to share some of her deep hurts that prevented her from crying. We told her we would pray that before the week was over the tears would come.

One of the toughest kids that came to VBS was Izzy. Izzy is 12 and comes from a very tough family situation. She does not let people get close to her. Izzy was our biggest trouble maker on day 1. She refused to listen and tried to intimidate some of the other kids. On day 2 we saw Izzy begin to have a softened heart. She really connected with a girl named Holly from North Carolina. Izzy listened the second day which was incredible in itself.

Day 3 of VBS saw our numbers go up to 28 kids. One of the older boys gave his heart to Christ. He was the brother of the girl that gave her heart to Christ the day before. He had really connected with a girl named Lauren from the group. She had the privilege of leading Devin to Christ.

The afternoon of day 3 was incredible as well. One of the leaders, Anne, of the NC team had been spending quality time with Shania and her sister Mariah. She told Shania and Mariah how beautiful the girls were and how much she loved them and God loved them. Then the miracle happened as the tears began to flow down Shania’s cheeks. Anne came and got me and there standing before me was a young lady whom the Lord had set free. She said she couldn’t believe that God would allow her to cry. Powerful.

Day 4 came and this was our last day of VBS. This day we had 35 kids. God was continuing to move. He was especially speaking to Izzy, and halfway through the morning Izzy asked Holly to get pastor Jim. They came and got me as well. Izzy wanted to pray and accept Christ into her life.In the sanctuary of our church with Jim, Holly, her best friend Kala and myself gathered around her, Izzy gave her life to Christ. It was beautiful.

We then drove all of the kids back to the reserve in the bus, along with many from NC. There were very few dry eyes on the bus. One of the most powerful images I have is of Izzy, with her head pressed into Holly’s shoulder and both of them weeping and embracing each other. Izzy told Holly that she had never felt loved before this week. Incredible. This team truly loved the kids they met in a way I have rarely seen before. They went out and bought new shoes for every kid that attended VBS. They went the extra mile for so many of the children. They were broken for the things they saw: abuse, poverty,lack of food, and lack of love – things these kids experience everyday.

I know we shouldn’t compare weeks of ministry but I believe that this was the most impacting week of ministry I have been a part of with COI for a very long time.

Incredible!!!!”

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On the fourth of July, we were able to take part in a great outreach in the city of New Orleans. Victory fellowship church hosted "Feed the Multitudes" at City Park (a large park in New Orleans). They put out a call for volunteers to come and help them in this ministry, and volunteers came from across the country, regardless of denomination, so that, as the body of Christ, they could meet needs and minister to people.

Feed the Multitudes was a chance for the church to serve the community. They offered a all-you-can-eat meal (lots of great local foods), also available was non-stop Christian music (in English and Spanish), a games tent for kids, manicures, pedicures, haircuts, a prayer tent, a free bag of groceries and more - all absolutely free of charge.

Victory Fellowship Church in Metairie (a N.O. suburb) organizes this event, which started 18 years ago. The idea came to them as they were seeking to give homeless people a meal and a good time on Independence Day. Since then it has blossomed into a huge, festival-like environment, taking on corporate sponsors and donations from many different places. It is still designed and advertised for the needy, but open to anyone who wants to come.

It is so great to see the body of Christ stepping out of the walls of their church buildings and meeting people where they are at, with a warm greeting and a warm meal. The day was truly an example of Christlike love, compassion and ministry. We were blessed to be a part of it and have it in our heart to see more things like this happening in and through the body of Christ.

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Periodically I get focused on words. My word right now is the word “home.” Just for kicks I typed “home” into Dictionary.com’s search engine, and it came up with 26 definitions. Twenty-six! I think about how I use it on a daily basis. For me, home refers to: - New York, where I grew up and my parents live - Ukraine, where my apartment and many of my friends are - Florida, where I’m living now - whatever building I’m sleeping in on a given night

I talk about going home to visit my parents, going home to eat, going home to Ukraine, going home to sleep, and going home in several other senses that might refer to any one of many of the places I’ve called home since leaving my parents’ house. There is one other major way, though, that I use the word, and this definition has an air of finality about it. Sometimes “home” means Heaven. What a glorious home! Sometimes with all the traveling I do I laugh to myself about having so many homes and yet being homeless all at the same time. But in truth, I’m not homeless, not by a long shot. I just haven’t arrived home yet. Hebrews 11 talks about faith, and verses 13-16 are particularly beautiful to me.

13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

Good news – we’re not homeless! We have an eternal home in Heaven, a place prepared for us by God. This is an often needed reminder for me to set my eyes on things above and not get distracted by whatever’s going on at the moment, a reminder to remember that there’s a big picture. It’s been an encouraging thought to me that I’ve been reminded of recently. I hope it’s encouraging to you, too.

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Last week I had the privilege of working with a group from St. Thomas church, Wisconsin. Our group did a variety of work projects, a prayer walk, and food distribution. We participated in a large-scale community outreach on July 4th.  "Feed the Multitudes” is organized by Victory Fellowship of New Orleans, and has been reaching out to their neighbors every 4th for the past 17 years with dinner and entertainment, haircuts and manicures, kid’s programs, grocery giveaways, clothing and shoe giveaways, a prayer tent, and more, all completely free.The Gospel is clearly presented in every area.

This year we were privileged to be able to partner with Victory Fellowship and contribute to this event. With servants’ hearts and smiles our group helped serve food for hours. With everything from hot-dogs and chicken to jambalaya and red beans on the menu, this was a lot of work! Despite the rain several thousand people showed up for this event and heard the Good News of Christ. Hungry people were fed as we gave out 5,000 bags of groceries to those in need and countless plates of hot food. Christ’s people came together as one body, regardless of race or denomination or anything else, and reached out to the community of New Orleans. God is good, and His work is ever going forward!

Our group also did a variety of work projects in hurricane-damaged homes and food distribution during their week in New Orleans, and through this were a huge blessing to the poor and the distressed.Thank you, St. Thomas!

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"And whoever has left houses or brothers or sisters or fathers or mother or children for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit the kingdom of heaven." Mt. 19:29

I read this the other day and was just reminded of God’s faithfulness! One of the hardest things for me being a missionary has been leaving my family. That may not be the thing that holds you back from going for Jesus but whatever it is just know that, if God has called you to the mission field, He sees you and your heart, sees what is going on in your life, and whatever hard things you have to go through. Our Lord understands and your reward is in Heaven. This life is but a moment, eternity is forever! Remember He who has called you is faithful! (I Thess. 5:24)

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