Our Savior Lutheran Youth

River Rat Ramble is coming along. We have a convoy of six vehicles, and thirty-eight people going. To me, it looks like we’re planning a small invasion. Soon as the vans pull up, all those kids flood out after being cooped up for the trip. Now more than ever we are using those camps scholarship dollars. Thank you for helping send some kids. It is one less burden for the families that are struggling right now, knowing that their kids don’t have to miss out on this mountain top experience.

While I’ve been through tough times before, it’s harder for me now because I am the daddy, the title that holds the most weight and reward. When I compare the things I know about God with the things I don’t, it seems I know very little. But I do hold to idea that God knows what it is to be a father. When the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray what was the first line? I have faith in God the father. I choose faith over fear, not blindly
but based on historical references of my own life. Remember where faith has led you and where fear has led you. (Sola Fida, “Faith alone,” was the motto of the reformation). That faith leads us on.

Planning for the mission trip to West Virginia is moving forward. Our chaperones are lined up and our youth are ready to go. In addition we are trying to coordinate with some churches in West Virginia to see if their youth group will help. We are in the process of pricing materials. For the porch we prefer the composite recycled material over the pressure treated wood because of its durability. However, we don’t like the price difference! Yet I have learned when doing these kind of things, it’s ok to dream God-size dreams, not Jimmy-size dreams. That, I must say, is one of the benefits of the job. I get to see a glimpse of God doing the extraordinary above and beyond my ability to imagine it. Notice I said imagine not thought, my ability to imagine exceeds my ability to think. (Or so I was told in school.) Ideally, we would like to purchase the materials and have them delivered.
Lowes is one hour away while Home Depot is four hours away. Plan B is to trailer the needed supplies in.

Another important aspect to the mission trip is prayer. I was reminded how every day while the family was at Wartburg, some folks would come by the church and pray for us. I would ask that our church pray for us as well. We, in turn, will have a team of prayer warriors, and we will do a prayer walk where we walk and pray throughout the hollow. It works!

I wish you could get inside my head and see how this trip will help our youth develop into Christian leaders and deepen their faith. I wish you could get inside my head and see how this will impact a family and even a community. I wish you could get inside my head and see what this will do for youth group and youth ministry. Ok everybody out of my head… it is crowded in there! Even though this is by far the toughest thing we as a
youth group have tackled, I am excited! I want Our Savior Lutheran, Vero Beach, to be excited by what we are doing! We’ve been working toward this for years. It is a good thing that we have a healthy church that can send us out!!! If you have any questions about this or anything else regarding youth ministry ask me, or better yet ask a youth.

4 Given,
Jimmy Smith