Grace

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). This is a verse that many of us have heard and recited over and over. Yet, today it was relevant in one of the conversations I had with a young girl named Jasmine. She has consistently come to Russian Jack Park every day this summer, so I asked her what she thought about Jesus. She shared that she thinks that “he is the best and that we should obey all of his teachings.” So I asked her to share more, and I dug deeper. I asked her if I could share with her what the Bible says about Jesus, and she listened. It became clear that she believed in work-based salvation. I had the opportunity to share the gospel with her and how we are saved by grace alone. It was exciting to share this essential part of the gospel and talk about our need for God’s grace.

Today, our team had the opportunity play and share the gospel with many other kids at the local park. It was exciting to see the Lord working uniquely through each team member. Each team member used gifts and abilities that the Lord has given each member of our team to make disciples. Anna, Sydney, and Iryna planned and coordinated the lesson, craft, and game today which were a success. During the lesson, Anna and Sydney shared about how God used people like John the Baptist to be an alarm to wake people up to the gospel.

This drawing was given to me by one of the girls in the park! I made this bracelet in order to remember to pray for her.

Earthquake Park

Our team spent the evening exploring God’s creation!

-Mia