Final Reflections from Team Purposeful Connections

Day 4

This morning we joined their chapel and we asked the students some questions. Billy led worship with his awesome guitar skills, Mr. Martens spoke about the war of the flesh and spirit, and Mrs. Trowsdale did an excellent job in explaining the facade and challenged the students to be more vulnerable.  We got closer to the students and faculty. A lot of purposeful connections were made(get it!)

We had a wonderful dinner with John and Katrina and their kids. The team wrote response letters to the students and thus deepened the relationship between us and the students.  Many of the students have even begun approaching the team outside of class to get more perspective and wisdom on different issues, and to just talk about life.

Day 5

Another amazing day of chapel, coffee cup game, and journaling with students.  After school, Mr Huffman took a small group of guys out to Five Guys for some extra fellowship and mentoring; and the team then reconvened for an amazing dinner followed by airsoft with the kids.  This was our last day of journaling as tomorrow we hand back the journals for the students to keep; it was hard saying goodbye to them.

Day 6

The final day is always the hardest.  We had a prolonged chapel largely led by students who shared Bible verses and testimonies from their own lives and struggles.  For many students, this was a deeply intimate and emotional time to practice “dropping their facades” which had been an ongoing theme throughout the week.  After a couple hours of testimonials, students broke out into groups and began praying for each other and equipping each other to finish their Spiritual Emphasis Week strong and to prepare themselves to return to classes spiritually refreshed and renewed.

After chapel, there were no classes today.  We took an early lunch and then went to the school gymnasium to play a special version of dodgeball called jailball for the next couple hours.  The team then said their goodbyes and departed for school returning at around quarter past 7.  This was an amazing trip of forming purposeful connections not just with the kids, but between the team members as well and fermenting some life long relationships.