New Heights

I just got back from Slidell, LA where I had the opportunity to tag along with HPC’s full-time Elevate students on a short-term mission trip to Operation Blessing. I have to say that as a church, we are privileged to have such an amazing group of young people in our midst. Not only do they say they’re fully committed to loving God, they back up that commitment in their choices, their attitudes and their actions.

Most of the group are in their early to mid-twenties, with many straight out of college. I know what I was doing in my twenties, and it wasn’t looking for ways to demonstrate the love of Christ to others. I was awed by their compassion for the hurting and their willingness to serve others. It was humbling to witness.

Operation Blessing had some great projects lined up for us. I just love that organization. We got to build a small deck at their medical clinic so people wouldn’t get their feet wet when it rains. That may not sound like much, but for many people in New Orleans who don’t have a dry pair of shoes to change into, it’s a big deal. We also got to help out at St. Mary’s Academy, a Catholic high school for girls. Although our outside project got rained out, we learned a lot about book classifications from the Sister in charge of the library. I think we may have overwhelmed her a little when a dozen of us showed up to help, but she soon had us all on track. (I’m fairly certain that I couldn’t make it as a librarian or a nun, so my hat is off to her.) As we were leaving she hugged me and said, “You learned from me today and I learned from all of you. God bless you and thank you.” God is so good!

None of the Elevate students have jobs because they volunteer at the church full-time. They still have to pay their bills and buy groceries, but they’re willing to sacrifice creature comforts in order to serve God. When they’re not working in their various departments or sitting in class, they’re fundraising for their overseas mission trips. These kids are busy all the time. I love these guys!

The more time I spend with them the more I want to be around them. They’re fresh and pure, untainted by the world’s cynicism. It’s not that they haven’t been through some things; they just choose, daily, to push onward to the upward call of Christ Jesus. I would encourage anyone who has the opportunity to get to know this group. You see them everywhere…church couldn’t happen without their help. Say hello, invite them for a meal, share their lives. You’ll be glad you did.

All glory to God!