Hey everybody, I know it’s been a while since you have seen a blog from me! Well let me tell you how busy this summer has been…

Starting with a sleep over at my house with some of my young ladies. We enjoyed riding the four wheeler, hot tub and sharing what was going on in their lives. We ended up the night watching “The Passion Of The Christ” and that got us all crying and talking about our relationship with Christ. The next morning some of us headed to Jackson Park to meet some of the other Acts 2 staff and students.

We were invited to be a part of “Taking it to the Streets”. We set up a table with Acts 2 information. Staff shared about the programs and students shared of what the ministry meant to them.

Graduation, what a time in a young persons life! You have triumphantly come to the end of your high school years with a big smile on your face, walking across the stage to receive the piece of paper that says in so many words… you have officially completed 13 years of school. WOW! I know for many of them it has taken more than the 13 years to come to this special day. Being able to watch as so many students who have come to Acts 2 for most of their teenage years was pure joy and sadness all mixed in one. Please pray for them to trust in the Lord as they go to college, find a job or maybe even volunteer at Acts 2! Psalms 25:5-7

The end of June we headed to Smithfield N.C for a Youth Service mission trip. Two of our students were able to go with the Cave Spring Baptist youth group. We stayed at the First Baptist Church of Smithfield. Our two students and I were able to be on the same site. We had two crews on one house. We painted the entire outside of the house, two outbuildings and replaced the roof. It was a very hot week and I do believe we had the most difficult project there. Acts 2 students were troopers and they made it through this sometimes emotional week. Early in the week two CSBC students lost their grandmother. Then just two days later another CSBC student lost his mother. WOW, a lot of highs and lows throughout the week. We all became very close during the week. Students and adult leaders came from different states that week and we all bonded together, prayed and looked to the Lord for strength. God is faithful!

July was just as busy as June. July 2, we had a group from Impact Movement Music come and perform a free concert for us. Acts 2, Straight Street and Metro Ministries came together to give out fliers, posters and spread the word about the concert. We held the concert at Straight Street and filled the house with families & students from all around. Impact is a college ministry that we had heard about through one of our staff members, Kristen Betts (KB). Both KB and Lynn, one of our volunteers, tried out for the mission trip and were accepted. They both had to raise their own funds for the three-month experience. They would work together and practice for two months and then they would tour for a month. We were one of their many host areas that they visited. We had supporters and volunteers who hosted the Impact group and each one made sure that the group got back and forth to where they needed to be along with feeding them breakfast. The concert was a blessing. At least ten or more made a decisions to follow Christ and others wanted to talk to someone more about knowing God. The group all enjoyed how Roanoke really got into their performance. 

On July 6th,  we had our very first Dance Camp. Emily, a High School senior from Cave Spring Baptist Church, asked if I thought the girls at Acts 2 would be interested in a Dance camp called “Yadah,” which is Hebrew for “Praise with lifted hands.” I was excited that she came up with this idea and wanted to include the girls here at Acts 2. For her to use her dancing talents to serve and share God’s word was a praise. Emily had three other friends who are dancers to help her teach the girls modern, jazz and ballet. They all took turns each day during our snack break to have a devotion that related dance to God’s word. They provided tee shirts for each girl and also food for each day. There were thirteen girls who came that week from 12:00 until 4:00. Boy, did we get a workout! They learned two dance routines in a week's time. Several of the moms and others came on the last day to see the girls perform. The Roanoke Times came each day to take pictures and write an article on the event. Hope you were able to see it. Thanks goes out to Emily’s mom, Paula, for preparing the food and helping in so many other ways. (cleaning the kitchen!)

On July 13th the girls were invited to the home of Cathy Wilson, one of our Acts 2 supporters, at Smith Mountain Lake for a fun time in the water and bible study, including dinner. We have been there before, so all of the girls were excited to do it again. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson and their whole family were such gracious hosts. It is so good to see others do so much for the students and the staff at Acts 2.  God has truly blessed us. When we got there, all headed to the water to swim, ride in the boat and some even took a ride on the huge tube that held four girls at one time, what fun! We all got to talk and get to know each other a little better. The food was wonderful and then we headed out on the back lawn for KB and Lynn to share all that they had learned and done on their three months on the road with Impact Movement Music tour. The girls enjoyed being involved with a music skit that KB did a lot on the road.

July 15 was a pizza party for some of our Club Zion students. We had a competition between the guys and the girls during our 2008 and 2009 school year. Games were done to see which group would win. As you can imagine it was stiff competition. It seems whichever team won, the other would say they cheated. When we got to the end of the year it was a tie. So I had a plan that would involve some of both groups. Before Club began I asked two of our girls to sit at the entrance and ask everyone to sign a sheet with their name and phone numbers. After the game, which the girls won, there were, of course, accusations from the boys that it wasn’t fair and the girls cheated. I announced to everyone one, "Remember the sheet I asked you to sign?  Well, all of you who did so will be able to be at the pizza party!" Then we had a lot of happy boys, but, of course, the ones who decided not to follow instructions were upset. So many lessons were learned that night. A couple of days before the party, a gentleman who is a member at First Baptist, who is involved with FCA, called me to say that he had tickets to the Red Sox game and wondered if I could us them. It was perfect timing! The game was on the same night that we planned our pizza party. It was FCA night at the ballpark. Many church youth groups came also. We all had a great time at the game and many had never been before. Two of our students, one of our guys and one of our girls, were picked to have a dance off with each other. I was so proud of them, getting on the field in front of all those people. The prize was a twenty five dollar gift certificate to a restaurant in the area. Our gentleman won and I thought it would be a good idea for him to take me to lunch one day. He just smiled.

On July 26th we left for summer camp. CitiKidz in Pennsylvania was the camp we chose this year. We had been to K.A.A., Kids Across America, in Missouri, for the last few years. With the economy and the 18-to-20-hour one-way bus ride, we decided to look closer to home. KB has worked as a leader at Citikidz for the last couple of years and shared with us that Citikidz was the East Coast's version of K.A.A. They both are urban sports camps which do a great job in sharing Christ with these students. We took 23 Middle and High School students and three leaders. It was very challenging for our students to have to run everywhere they went at camp, three-minute showers and when they ate meals, they had to remember that you can take all you want but eat all you take! Yes, everyone got into shape, some more than others. Wednesday night was what they call “cross talk”. The whole camp comes together for a drama skit that the leaders put on. It was a beautiful night of brokenness for many of our students. They realized their lack of spiritual growth. Another God moment that night was to see our High School boys praying with our Middle School boys. WOW!! As I hugged them, one high schooler said it was awesome to be a part of what God was doing there that night. That really touched me the most. We did have rain three out of the seven days we were there. But the spirit of God was never dampened! The last night was rewards night. I was so excited to see many of our students receive awards and their faces were shining as they were so happy and some surprised that they had won. There was one M.O.G award, which stands for “Man Of God”. One of our boys won it. One of our girls won the “I’m Third” award. This is the highest award of the camp. It is for the person that puts Christ first, others second and themselves last. Humbling! 

We were so blessed to have another summer camp opportunity this year. Shenandoah Baptist Church gave the Acts 2 students 50 camper ships at Camp Eagle in Fincastle. There were two weeks in July for Middle School and one week in August for High School.

We had a good many students take advantage of this fun time at Camp Eagle. Gary, our new staff member, and  I went to visit the students the last week of camp and had a tour of the camp by Camp Director Stanley. It was so nice and so close to us. We talked to Stanley about how the week of camp flowed. Both Stanley’s heart's desire and ours is for these students to be followed up with in discipleship. So many times it seems it’s all about the numbers that come to a saving knowledge of the Lord when what is also important is the follow up. Helping these students develop the tools needed for growth is so very important. Seeing the students was great. Many of them said they enjoyed not running everywhere and that they were having a good time. A lot of the students had been to Camp Eagle before and knew what to expect. I’m so thankful for this great privilege that we have been given. We have been so blessed this past year with so many churches and individuals helping us with giving to these students and us in so many different ways. Praise the Lord everyone for He is good all the time!

Picnic at the Willis house Aug. 22 was a blast! We took 22 of the High School students for a fun time of games and bible trivia. One of our Senior boys came and shared his testimony with everyone. It brought me to tears as he encouraged all the students there with the great joy and peace that he had because of what Christ had done in and through him. He will be off to college now sharing Christ with others who he will meet there. I love the way God allows us to be a part of all that He is doing in and through so many of these students' lives. Have you experienced such joy?  If not, then you need to come and join in the great commission which He has given to all of His children:  "Go, therefore, and make disciples out of all nations." Matthew 28: 19a

All through this summer we continued with Monday night bible study. Jack, a volunteer and member at First Baptist Church, leads the bible study. We have been learning about the Kingdom of God. The last few verses of Isaiah 53,also 54, 1Cor. :15 and Romans :8. The students are like sponges and love having a better and deeper understanding of God’s word. As the summer comes to an end please pray for the students as they head back to their mission field at school and college. Pray that they remember all that was poured into them this summer. Also pray that they let their light shine so that others see Christ in them and want the same.