Serving Atlanta 2018: December 2017

Saturday - December 30
Our first day at 7 Bridges

Today we woke up at around 7:30 and went down to breakfast. For breakfast we had spicy eggs, spicy potatoes, and really good cheese biscuits. I sat with a single mom and her 3 kids Jonathan, Faith, and Gabe. I was with Sabina, and Gabe wanted some juice so he said “Hey red shirt (me) give blue shirt (Sabina) the cups so I can have some juice” it was so funny and we had no clue what to do so we said “ummmmm let’s wait for your mom”. So then we told them our names and ate the rest of our breakfast. When we were done we went upstairs got ready and then went to play with the kids. We went down to where the kids live and asked the moms if they wanted us to take them outside to play and the moms were so happy. So we took the kids outside and they showed us the new bikes they got for Christmas. After that we went on the swing set and played with all the kids. On the swing set I started going down the slide with Faith and all of the sudden there was 4 kids on me and we were all going down at once. It was a lot of fun playing with all the kids and I can’t wait to do it all over again tomorrow.

~ Jamie Kerwin

Today was our first full day in Atlanta. After playing with the kids and eating breakfast this morning, we left for our route. We traveled around Atlanta in the Bluffs and delivered food as warm clothes to the people there. We went to six spots around Atlanta where people came and were given the things they needed and then we prayed for them. Before we handed out lunches and clothing at each stop, we would form a circle and pray for the people there and that we would be able to show Jesus’ light to them. Sometimes we would also sing songs with the kids if they were there. After we were done with our circle, we began to talk to and help the people who had gathered there. It amazed me how much people were willing to accept prayer and in some cases even pray for us. Most of the people that we gave food and clothes to were saying that with their situations, they were needing all the prayer they could get. There were also other people who said that they didn’t need prayer even though their situation was obviously rough. Instead of praying for them, they insisted that we pray for other people in their lives that were worse than themselves. At our 5th stop, we met a man named Norris. He joined our circle at the beginning and ended up singing “Jesus Loves Me” for our group.

Today was a very busy day but very much worth it. I learned how to be able to easily minister to people by giving them what they need.

~ Isabel Rahn

Today, starting at around noon we gathered and had a small meeting before going out and visiting multiple areas around Atlanta giving food and clothing to people in need.

One person that stood out to me was Dale who was eloquently dubbed Andrew Garfield. Another person that stood out was Benny who was even taller then me and was one of the nicest people I have ever met and who when I offered to pray for him, prayed for me instead. A man named Daryl also stood out to me because when he came to the van and got his bag of food his only prayer request was for him to find a job so that he could support himself and his family. Two more people who stood out to me where a man and a woman at different stops named Artea and Norris. Both were very similar in the fact that both were not the most hygenic and were missing teeth but when we talked to them they were extremely sweet and were very grateful for us being there. Over all this day was extremely eye opening to me. The people we talked to today are really no different then us. They only have different living conditions and problems in their lives.

~ Aaron Zylstra

Today was our first full day at 7 bridges. After a full morning of breakfast with everyone at 7:30 and then playing outside with the kids. We went on our first route. We went in a very large group on the bluff route. I was very nervous and unsure if I would know what to say. At our first stop their were it a couple people who came for food and any clothes/ blankets. We got in a group with two people and mrs. Hendrikse asked me to pray along with her and one other. I was scared but really glad she asked me to because I was thrown out of my comfort zone right in the beginning of the route. We stopped at a total of 6 places some were parking lots and others were apartment complexes. Even if the adults didn't come out all the kids came running up to us to sing silly songs and pray with us. It was so surprising that all the kids knew the people from 7 bridges and knew all the songs. Me and a couple others prayed for two little girls named Destiny and Darielle. After we prayed we gave them lunches and gloves. It was amazing how everybody let us pray them and some even came right up and asked for prayer. We talked earlier in the day about God's plan for our route. It’s hard to realize that God knew each person we would meet and pray for today. He knew where each Lunch would go and what each person was going through.

~ Sabina Balint