This update is for Wednesday, July 15th. The slideshow for today shows a few of the children who have been participating in this week’s VBS along with a couple photos of our group during our afternoon activity.
Meaningful conversations with teenagers that go much deeper than the surface level of their lives are sometimes difficult to have. One of the many reasons I value mission trips is because it is easier to have those conversations. Tonight a few of the guys and I had one of those conversations. It wasn’t about movies or video games or sports. Rather, it was about things that really matter – about missions work – about lost people who need to know they are loved and hear the Good News about Jesus Christ. We talked about how we desire to see the Soul Garage increasingly become more and more like a family. This conversation alone made the day a great one, but there was more.
We had another great morning at VBS. Each day during lunch we debrief how the morning VBS program went. Yesterday there were a handful of things that needed to be addressed and tweaked to make today run more smoothly. It was very encouraging to see the youth not only listen to suggestions and guidance, but to actually do what they were asked to do. During our debrief time today, we started by providing an opportunity for anyone to share something with the entire group about another person who did something really well this morning.
After VBS, we hung out with COSC youth at Slingshots, which is a local ministry for middle school and high school youth just a few blocks away from Christ Our Savior Church in Portage Park.
Following serving at Slingshots, we hung out together with the COSC youth group at the actual park called Portage Park that is located in the Portage Park neighborhood of Chicago. We enjoyed playing some football and ultimate frisbee together as well as eating Chicago-style hot dogs.
God is good! Mission trips are one of the most exhausting experiences I have ever had in ministry, but they are soooo good. The time our group has had together is invaluable. Our team is truly growing together in ways that deeply encourage me and others. God is good, indeed!
THE SOUL GARAGE 
Thank you for all those wonderful photos!! And the words. We are so thankful for the words and the updates to follow the progress, the growth, the reflective thoughts. It allows for prayer to be personable to each of the days. God is pretty incredible esp when God writes the story of your life….. :D)