Over Spring Break, I took a few students to a ministry that lives among and serves the inner city in Chicago. We had a week packed with new experiences and we were able to be part of what God is doing there. Two foundational verses for us were:

    He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.  — Micah 6:8

    Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. — Jeremiah 29:7

    We tutored elementary and middle school kids after school, ate lunch with the homeless, met people in the community, but most importantly we learned that even amongst all of the brokenness that does exist (and that is easily spotted) there is beauty that exists and renewal is happening.

    One of our students was really impacted and came away realizing that you can’t minister to people that you think you are better than. The inner city can teach us a lot about perseverance, caring for family, and trusting God. It’s hard to really know how to trust God when we really don’t need to: most of us have gas in our tank, food in the fridge and money in our savings account.

-Stephanie Michael (Women’s Ministry)