More than backpacks

God continues to orchestrate and weave people into our lives that are part of HIS plan to spread the gospel throughout Harrisburg. A group came up from Indian Trail NC (also Tom from VA and Yogi from Youngsville)  to bring backpacks and to help distribute them on Saturday. The backpacks were donated by several churches in NC and one from VA .  We may never have the opportunity to personally thank the people who donated the backpacks but we are eternally grateful for their obedience.  It was so much more than backpacks stuffed with school supplies....... 

We were invited by Camp Curtin school in Harrisburg to set up a table at their back to school picnic.

  At the end of the evening we had 88 children signed up to receive backpacks.

We took some of the backpacks to Maddy and Logan's schools as well. Doors fly open (literally) as relationships continue to be built.

 Logan is in great hands this school year!  This is his principal, Mrs Grant-Spencer.

The work continues into the night making outreach cards to stuff in the backpacks.

Here is the sweet group from NC (and Tom from VA) . They were such an encouragement to our family, we enjoyed every moment with them and they certainly impacted Harrisburg with the gospel. 

We spent Saturday morning prayer walking. It was powerful to have the group in one accord, humbly interceding for the people in Harrisburg. The prayer walking aligned our hearts deepening the love and care for the people in this community.

Olivia and I prayed together for a few minutes and then she walked around twirling on the yellow columns while I continued to sit. I stood up and she sat down and started praying. The words murmuring out of her mouth were many she had heard a few minutes before....a sweet moment for sure.

A celebration took place as we heard stories of having 2 new brothers in Christ. On this morning two men had their lives changed for eternity. A void that has been filled not with money, jobs, circumstances,  housing, friends but a personal relationship with our Creator.

We gathered together to pray for the people coming. We had some new friends join us. 

   

The bounce house was popular. The activities allowed time for us to get to know the families and make connections with the parents, grandparents and friends.

God is moving.......among this crowd

God is moving.......

Yes, God is moving indeed.........His hand is all over this,  many people shared struggles and burdens that they are dealing with and many of them were prayed for.

Sharing the plan of salvation using homemade dolls. The dolls had a beaded necklace with colors representing the plan of salvation. I can't help to wonder how many children were tucked into bed holding a new doll thinking about the meaning of beads, while they drifted away to sleep.  

As these ladies painted on the kids  faces they spent time talking with the children, pouring into them as they peered into their sweet faces.

Breanna and Lori working so hard, they made a great team.

Waiting in line to pick out thier new backpack

New backpacks everywhere you turned. The atmosphere was pleasant, comfortable and  relaxed.

All packed up and done but the work here is not.............

 It was so much more than passing out backpacks, more than getting a snow cone, a doll, bouncing in a blow up or getting a bag of popcorn. Before our eyes we witnessed walls crumble down in peoples hearts. It was a humbling, overwhelming and indiscribable experience to watch the Holy Spirit melting the outer hard shell during a conversation and for people to begin share deep hurts, needs, disappointments and desires. 

  

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16