End of Day 5:
As the night closes and the temperature drops I am concerned. I have not checked the weather and the temps dip down to 41 tonight. My shack is not weatherized so I can expect some pretty cold air. However, I am also completely exhausted but in a great way.
We have had so many people come sit with us, pray with us, and of course give. Encouragement comes in so many shapes and forms. My conversations with pastoral friends and visionaries have been inspiring and enlightening.
Here are a few things ARM is working at and some goals for this year:
1) Neighborhood revitalization in Tuskegee: we have been gifted a home in down town Tuskegee on the square that we are renovating. Through a $3500 grant from Home Depot, we have been able to completely gut it, strip old shingles from the roof, and will re-roof. This home will eventually go to either a veteran or low income family. The City of Tuskegee is asking us to take on more abandoned homes such as these, convert, and put back into the housing market.
2) Community outreach center: This summer incredible headway was made as we laid several thousand square feet of laminate floor, hung and finished sheetrock, and installed dropped ceilings and lights. The fellowship hall is nearly finished. The space in Tuskegee will be an outreach hub where several ministries in Tuskegee will operate. Additionally, our summer mission camps will be housed here.
3) Youth leadership-an expo event over President’s weekend will host youth who have come to ARM and want to learn the principles of how to begin a ministry or start a movement. Empowering and equipping youth will ensure growth of our future leaders in effective discipleship and mission service.
Despite the cold, the fatigue, and my voice slowly giving out…it is worth it. This is most likely the only form of suffering for Christ I might encounter. In a few days, I go back to my warm home and bed, a bathroom I don’t have to walk outside to, and larger space. Unless our families receive vital repairs they don’t have the luxury of moving to another place or escaping to a different location.
With that, I’ll sign off until tomorrow.
Blessings!
www.arm-al.org
Rob, Robbin, and Charles
Comments are closed