From my limited observations today it seems that the lack of good sleep, long days of work, and the challenges encountered each day are beginning to wear on everyone. As we were warned on Sunday, the first day or two would be great, everyone would be excited and enthusiastic, but from today on it would be harder to maintain that momentum. For those who worked late last night and were up at 5.15am today, this is going to be a rough day. This is the point where we remember that our strength comes from the Lord, not from ourselves. So throughout today, please pray for all those who have been laboring so diligently in the past couple days, pray that the Lord would give them all endurance and grace to finish this day well.
In the area of prayer, please remember the ministry teams as they continue their work today. In this community there is much alcoholism, drug abuse, poverty, broken lives, and suffering, so pray for those who are reaching out and presenting the Gospel to those in need. Continue to pray that the Friday night evangelistic service would be blessed by God.
I have a few thoughts on the week so far...
Lakeshore is amazing in that it is such a great opportunity for people to use their gifts. This is a place where God just blesses the organization plans so that the people serving in each area are doing what they love. This has been the theme I've heard from many people, and it is true of myself as well. I could be happy in pretty much any situation here, I did not come with any plans of what I intensely wanted to do, I knew that doing anything tech related would be fun, but I knew it was about serving, not about just having fun. And yet I ended up blogging which is one of my absolute favorite things to do. Although, honestly, I have many favorite things, so maybe that isn't a very strong statement, haha. But I enjoy writing, and written communication is my strength rather than verbal, so being on the media team is a fantastic experience. I'm also especially enjoying this as it is an opportunity to see others working and using their talents. Being on the media team means I get a glimpse into many aspects of Lakeshore, so I can see how others are using their gifts to glorify God in whatever role they might have.
Lakeshore is also a great place to learn and be mentored. I might love blogging (which I do!) but I'm learning how to do it better. I've heard similar comments from others as well. They enjoy cooking, construction, etc...but in being able to work side-by-side with more experienced people, they are learning how to improve and take it to the next level. I think this is really neat. We don't just come and serve this community, we come and learn and are served by the fellowship and experience of it as well.
The dedication and discipline of Lakeshore is also very encouraging. We didn't come here to hang out, be non-productive, and amuse ourselves. We came to serve God and this local church. We are reminded of this daily. The commitment to curfew, to attendance of the 5.45am devotions, the consistent focus on Christ and His glory has been inspiring. We are being called to do our very best in whatever our task is. We're not here to just "get by" with doing an okay job, we are asked to do the absolute best that we can, even if this involves some self-sacrifice. Case in point: Curfew. If you're at Lakeshore or have been, and have struggled with the curfew, you're not alone. I have this incredible ability to suddenly wake up at 7pm. The 5.15am morning routine is ok, and I'm surprisingly alert during the devotions, I think the walk through the dark and cold to the church helps wake me up. It is the whole breakfast, talking to people, doing anything, making my mind process information, situation that is hard. That takes a lot of coffee and a couple hours. But...since we are up at 5.15am, that means there's a good chance I'll be ready to work by 7.15am...which is probably the point of getting up so insanely early. There are certain people in my family (namely, my mom) who are hoping Lakeshore will inspire me to start a new schedule and get up at 5.15am every day even at home! To which I respond with a hearty "no way!" But it is a good experience to know that I can actually do this, even if it is not what I prefer.
I would also like to give a shout-out to everyone here at Lakeshore who makes it run, day by day, hour by hour. I'm just here documenting it, but if everyone else wasn't fulfilling their vital role, the only thing I would be documenting would be the slow deterioration of the entire complex. I would be telling a tragic story if there were not all these people working with such dedication behind the scenes. So THANK YOU! :)
Another shout-out to...the administrators and overseers of Lakeshore. You are amazing. I like things to be organized and structured. There is no stress in my heart this week because of the confusion and chaos, for those things don't exist here, or if they do, it lasts about two minutes until someone takes control and resolves the issue. It runs so smoothly. I have deep admiration for the way Lakeshore is organized and maintained. And that's a big deal, coming from this girl who almost always can imagine a better way to do things. Of course there can always be improvements, I'm not saying Lakeshore is perfect, but the underlying structure is really good, and that is what matters.
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