Week 9- Calvary & The Mill Church

Rosamond 

The end is here. Street Reach 2015 is over. However, it was a good last week with the Junior High team from Calvary Church. They canvased hard, worked hard, played with kids a lot, and shared the love of God with the neighborhood. What more could I ask for? I personally enjoyed every day this week and every week this summer. The beautiful moments spent with children I have come to know and love have made every hot day, every 9 year old carried home kicking and screaming, every strain on my vocal chords, and every strain on my back worth it. I have loved dance battling, chalk drawing, teaching children to throw frisbees and footballs, and jumping rope with all my favorite children. One special moment this week was when 9 year old Maira brought a children's bible to club. I recognized the bible. Another staffer and I had given it to her earlier that summer at her 9th birthday party. At the time, she acted excited though I wondered if it was all a show - that she really was disappointed at the present we gave her. However, 8 weeks later, she had not only kept track of it, but brought it to bible club excited to show it to me and tell me that she had been reading it. While it is always sad to say good bye to bible clubs for an entire school year, I am thankful for the weeks of bible club we DID have. God has let myself, 100's of volunteer missionaries, and Street Reach itself to be a part of something great - the narrative of God as he redeems the world and saves the lost. Pray for these kids, that God will continue to work in them throughout the school year. But for now, this will be Rosamond's last summer 2015 blog. Remember, "for everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven… a time to tear down and a time to build up, a time to mourn and a time to laugh." This is not untimely, nor is it really the end. But when the end does finally come, it will be glorious, as Jesus himself leads his people which have been raised for years and years among the streets in which we have toiled this summer. And on that day, I will be with my bible club kids, praising the Father forever. Amen.
-Kaden @ Rosamond

National

It's hard to believe that we just finished the last week of bible club for the summer. It's bittersweet, but I couldn't think of a better team to end the summer with other than Calvary. The amount of love that this team showed the kids this week was unfathomable. Bible story was awesome this week as they had visuals that went along with it every day which really helped the kids to understand it. Every day they had posters with bible verses on them and they gave them away to the kids each day to take home with them. Games was also really awesome this week as the kids played soccer and kickball. If you know anything about the National kids it's that they love soccer, so they had a lot of fun! Not only did the team have lots of fun with the kids, but they also made sure that they were intentional. The team wasn't afraid to boldly talk to the kids about the gospel. The team was very willing every day to get as many kids as God would send out. I stood in awe as I counted 71 kids at club on Friday, and we even had some new kids! God is so faithful. Although it was hard to tell my kids goodbye, I left with peace knowing that God is with these children and that he has plans for all them. I left with an overwhelming presence of God's love. All I can think about is how good he is and all of the things that he has done this summer. It has been a blessing to work alongside of all of the teams this summer. Many seeds have been planted, and I am confident that these kids have the ability to go out and share the gospel with their communities. Thank you to all of the missionaries who came and served at National this summer. Please continue to pray for the kids as they begin to start school and for their families and this community. Also pray that the kids will remember what they learned this summer and that they'll continue to grow in their relationship with Jesus. Well, I'm peacing out for the summer. Until next time National! 

-Mergan

Guernsey 

I cannot think of a sweeter way to end our time at Guernsey for the year than having The Mill in town to love on the G-Street kids. They came in ready to provide a fun, structured bible club complete with an ice cream truck on Friday. This team truly wanted to see these kids the way God sees them and they loved them with everything they had. While we had extremely hot days, they never ceased to pour out every ounce of energy and love they had onto the kids. Kids were constantly calling me from all stations to show me the cool things they were doing. Whether the kids were playing kickball, painting in crafts, “hitting the quan’ in songs, or hearing truth in an interactive way in bible story, Christ’s love was shown through all. I believe that each child left bible club this week with a better understanding of who Jesus is and what it means to follow Him, and for that I cannot be more thankful. It was such a blessing to see numerous children decide to follow Jesus this week and I know that this is not even the end of it. These kids that have been shown by all of our missionaries what it looks like to love and follow Jesus and now it is their turn. They are turning around and going back into their schools! Pray that they are bold this school year to share what they learned at bible club with their families and friends and that they won’t forget the Love of the Father that they experienced this summer.  Thank you so much to all of the mission teams who have come in this summer to love on the kids at Guernsey. I am so thankful that God used each of your humble and willing hearts to serve this neighborhood. By His power and for His Glory alone, numerous children will know an even better party than the ones thrown at bible club this summer. We will truly “party with Jesus” all together. A huge thank you to The Mill for finishing out this summer strong and loving the kids on G-Street even through the heat. I can’t wait to serve alongside y’all next summer!

-Sarah

Johnson

The last week at Johnson was truly amazing with Calvary West in town from the Saint Louis area. I was truly blessed to spend the last week of summer with my home church. The kids had fun all week long as intentional conversations were happening at every station. It was the teams first time at Johnson bible club and they bonded with the kids instantly. The high for the week was on Friday when we had 95 kids which happened to be the high for the whole summer! It was overwhelming at times but the team relied on strength given to them from God as they adapted to a new site. They ministered to the Binghampton community kids very effectively and the kids will surely be excited for bible club next summer. It was an amazing summer at Johnson and a big thanks goes out to all the teams that came in town to show Johnson's kids the love of Christ. It is sad to say goodbye to the kids at Johnson but I know they will be in good hands with the missionaries that will come in future summers to minister and love. We are, we are, Johnson!

-Bantz

"And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in." Isaiah 58:12


We are so thankful for the the thousands of missionaries who have come to stand on the frontline for this community. To each person who spent themselves, their prayers and their time fighting for these children, we could not have served this neighborhood at the capacity that we did without your humble and willing hearts. Thank you all for answering the call. 

Remember that as this summer has come to a close, these children's situations have not. These kids are still living in the middle of darkness, drugs, violence, and prostitution but we know that while we don't have 200+ missionaries in town the Lord is still sovereign and working in this community. This summer 1,883 kids came out to bible clubs and even more beautifully 104 children accepted Christ. We know that this isn't even the end of it though. These kids are going back into their schools, sharing what they have learned with their friends and families. They are rising up to rebuild and reclaim this neighborhood. Pray that they will be bold and remember that Christ is still living and active and is pursuing a personal relationship with each of them. 

Week 8-FBC Greenwood, West Hartselle Baptist Church, Lifepoint Baptist Church, Park Place Baptist Church, Eureka Baptist Church, Union Valley Baptist Church, New Shores Baptist Church, and Barfield Baptist Church

Rosamond 

Hello Street Reach followers to the penultimate blog for Rosamond 2015. It was a great week working with the missionaries from West Hartselle Baptist Church. With a high of 74 kids on Friday and a Salvation noted, it was a great precursor to our coming final week. Tug-a-war, binoculars, crossing the Red Sea, and hip-hop dance offs were only some of the exciting highlights of the week. And by "hip-hop dance" I mean HIP HOP DANCE! Madison (9 years old) has moves! Joy was never absent from bible club or the relations between missionaries and children. As the team loved on kids, the surprise of how greatly they were loved in return was a blessing for me to witness. We are all created in God's image. Sin distorts but never destroys that image. These children can love in return as result of that still present image of God. Our hope is in the day that they will love fully, having been returned to their original design by the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. So please, pray for these kids. There is one more week of bible club this summer. The harvest is not yet over.
-Kaden @ Rosamond 

Guernsey 

 This week FBC Greenwood was back in the house and ready for another awesome week at Guernsey! From Sunday night to Friday afternoon this team never once lacked passion for reaching the kids in this neighborhood. They were so excited to see familiar faces from last summer and make new friendships as well. Each day was started with a prayer walk at the site. It was so beautiful to see each of the youth of FBC Greenwood praying specifically for the children that The Lord was going to send out. The kids enjoyed making crowns, bracelets and even rocks in crafts. The crafts were perfect reminders for the children of the bible stories each day. The rocks reminded them of who our Rock is and the crowns were tied to the story of Esther. Songs brought out not one but three guitars each day which put a cool twist to the whip and nae nae as well as the typical bible club songs. Games provided fun tag games and the kids enjoyed on going kick ball games each day. Friday was hot and sunny unlike the days before and as the team headed out Bristow said "Hey, today we are going to have 50 kids!". Not only did The Lord send out exactly 50 children but we ended up with exactly 50 lunches. God is so faithful and I am so thankful that He uses us and sends us into His harvest. Thank you FBC Greenwood and the numerous mission teams who have come in this summer to love on the kids at G-Street. I am so thankful for your willingness to not just talk about Love but put it into action. Please pray for the missionaries coming in for this final week of Guernsey bible club for the summer.

-Sarah

National 

What a great week it was at National! We had a group from West Hartselle in the house this week. It was an absolute blessing serving along side this team. Not only did they show love to the kids this week, but they also did to Beth and I as they continued to encourage us throughout the week. This team was eager to get as many kids as possible, but we were reminded that it's not about the amount of kids that we have, but how much we love on the kids who are actually there. It didn't matter if there was 30 kids or 80 kids at club, they were just happy that there were kids there. The black route wasn't pulling any kids for the first three days of club. The people who walked that route started to get a little discouraged, but they remembered that God is faithful. Thursday morning in the site meeting I told the people on the black route that they were going to get kids that morning. I just had a feeling. Sure enough, they showed back up to club with 2 kids! The smile on their faces were priceless, and we were all reminded and amazed of God's faithfulness! God ended up sending us 67 kids on Friday and it was great! The bible stories throughout the week were about the hero's of the bible. They made some really cool crafts to go along with it. One day they made super hero masks, and it was really cute to see the kids put them on and act like super hero's! This led to talking about the ultimate hero, Jesus Christ. They made it clear to the kids that Jesus is our biggest hero because he laid down his life for us even though we didn't deserve it. All glory to him because we ended up having two salvations this week. Addie and Steven both prayed to give their lives over to Jesus this week! It's so awesome to see the kids understanding the gospel and making the decision to give their lives over to him. I'm continually amazed at how good God is. Thank you so much West Hartselle. Y'all were a true representation of Jesus's love this week. I hope that I get to serve along side of you all again next summer!
-Morgan

Johnson

Hey y'all! This week at Johnson was a spectacular one! We had New Shores come in all the way from Texas to show the love of Jesus to these kids! They did a great job with having a structured yet super fun Bible club! We had a high of 93 kids at Johnson this week, which is the biggest day at Johnson for the summer! I remembered the verse, the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. God sent the harvest of kids this week at Johnson! Each Johnson child was connected with each Bible club station wether it was doing the whip and nae nae, playing red light, green light, or learning about Abraham sacrificing Isaac. New Shores did a great job at keeping everything energized, loving on the kids, and canvassing really well! Johnson kids had a really blessed week! Thank you for praying!! The Lord is moving in these kids hearts!

-Sarah Grace

Que Que 

This week is very bittersweet as Club Que Que has come to an end. Throughout the summer the kids of Que Que have heard and been shown the love of our great God for seven great weeks through seven great teams! I have been so blessed to be able to watch these kids grow in Christ and witness five of them accept a personal relationship with Christ! This all could not have been done without the help of the amazing teams that have traveled from far and near to come serve in this community, including this weeks very own Park Place Baptist of Pearl, Mississippi. This team came in with the intention to give the kids all the love they had possessed. As the last week of club I had asked the team to try to be intentional in sharing Christ in every situation, the team took the challenge head on and truly succeeded! Every time I went to a station whether it be crafts, games, bible story, or songs Christ was being talked about. Songs made sure to shout out how much they love God as the sang “I love sugar, I love tea, I love Jesus, and He loves me”. They went on to have competitions over who could sing the lines “I love Jesus, yes I do! I love Jesus how bout’ you?” We ended the week on a high note as three of our kids decided to follow Christ! As the year progresses and the school year begins I ask you to pray for the lives of these children and the community the live in. Park Place Baptist Church- Thank you for coming in and making Club Que Que finish with a bang! We couldn’t have done it without you! I hope to see you all again next year. Keep showing the love of Christ to all those around you! 
-Katie

Whittier 

I could not think of a better way to end this summer at Whittier than to have Lifepoint Church from Decatur, Alabama at Bible Club! Even though these team members didn’t quite know what they were getting themselves into, the energy and excitement was completely off the charts! Due to the large size of the team, we were able to walk all five of our walking routes, which brought over 50 kids to Whittier by Friday. But not only were our numbers great, the kids were having so much fun, as they went from station to station, enjoying cup stacking relays with Mr. Kenny, creating unique paper plate crafts with La Jefa (the Boss), strumming Mr. Chris’ guitar while singing praise songs, and intently listening as the Bible stories were read by Mr. Jordan. However, all of our team members not only had fun and loved our kids well, they were truly intentional in their conversations as well. They were never afraid to take a break from a station in order to discuss biblical truths and difficult concepts with the older kids, and did so in a manner that was on a level that they could understand and process. All week, I never heard a single complaint from any of these team members, as they were super willing and excited to tackle any task that they were given. This team was also very culturally aware, recognizing that, although our kids and families live very differently than we may live, our way of life is in no way superior to theirs, and our need for the saving grace of Jesus Christ is just as strong. It seemed as though each team member truly understood why they were here, serving humbly and selflessly for the glory of our King. This team was a joy to work alongside, and made the last week for Whittier one to remember. As our kids, team members, Marcus, and I said our goodbyes at the end of club on Friday, it was highly evident that the love of the Lord was heavily surrounding us, and the scene truly brought tears to my eyes. I believe that God has been glorified through all the teams that have ministered to the Nutbush community this summer, and I am glad that the students and leaders of Lifepoint were there to wrap up the final week so beautifully. Please pray for our Whittier kids as they get ready to return to their schools. Pray that they will remember all that they have learned this summer, and that they will be bold enough to share the love of Christ with their friends and their families. Pray that they will learn to lean on the Lord when they face trials and difficulties, and pray that they will find peace, love, and joy in Him alone. Praise be to our God for all that He has done in the lives of our kids, our teams, and our staff this summer, and may He continue to use us, His humble servants, to proclaim His great Name!

-Big Em & D’Marcus

Treadwell

The summer at Treadwell finished strongly thanks to Union Valley Baptist Church. What a privilege it was to spend each morning serving alongside the Oklahoman team. Our kids weren't at all shy about expressing just how much they enjoyed each of the stations prepared by Union Valley. From salvation bracelets to golden crowns, each craft was cherished. Games station never seemed to lack the energy required, Bible story impressed every day, and having songs during circle up was a good time all around. In each moment laughter filled the air and fun was had, but most importantly the King was lifted high. At dismissal on Thursday each child was given a Bible, and for that there is much gratefulness. A big red bouncy castle and a record of 56 kiddos closed us out for the summer on Friday. The greatest news of all is our D'Kharia came to know Christ personally this week. Jesus used this team as a shining light to those who living amid the darkness of our community, and D'Kharia's salvation is just one example of how wonderful God's ways are with us when we allow Him to work in and through us. 
Grace & peace
-Brianna. 

Kendrick 

Thanks to Barfield Baptist church our kids at Kendrick got to hear about Jesus one last week. It was amazing to watch the team interact with our children. Each kid thoroughly enjoyed crafts, especially coloring crowns, and team's interactive songs station was a total hit. Bible story was well prepared all week long, and it was unique to watch the kids apply the lessons to life by drawing them in chalk. Games was full of energy, no matter what game was being played the kids were ready to jump right in with the team members and play along. Thank you Barfield Baptist Church for an awesome week. Please continue to pray for this neighborhood, for the children who attended bible club this summer as well as their families. Pray for the children as the return to their schools that they will remember what they learned this summer. Pray for the kids who gave their lives to Christ this summer, that they will continue to follow Christ and be bold enough to share with their friends and family. Thank you to all of the mission teams who came out to share Christ's love with the Kendrick kids this summer. I am so thankful that each of you answered the call. 
-Steeley

Pope

It was a bittersweet week as it was our last, yet we were blessed to even have the week at all. Eureka came to town and was highly intentional with bringing our kids the gospel. The structure was spot on as children strove to meet our standards for them and stayed in their groups. Many favorite children were had and the kids gave their crafts to their favorites as well. The games station was rocking it with relays, a highly interactive Mr. Bear, and duck duck goose. Crafts station was a hit as even the older boys did not want to leave as it came time to rotate. The kids felt loved and were giving love back in abundance. Thank you Eureka for your willingness to work with, evangelize to, and love on the Pope kids! Please continue to pray for the community and the kids. Thank you to all who came to Street Reach, and all who prayed for the Bible Clubs! You have made a huge difference in these children's lives!
-Rachael

As this final week of bible clubs approaches, pray for the missionaries that will be finishing out this summer strong. Pray for the kids who have made decisions to follow Christ this summer and the children will come out to bible clubs this week.

Week 7-The Gathering Place, FBC Lawrenceburg, Townville Baptist, The Brook, Grace Church, FBC McMinnville, & FBC Jenny Lind

Rosamond

FBC Lawrenceburg from Kentucky returned to Memphis this summer to love on our Rosamond kids, Street Reach staff and the surrounding community. Bible club kids were thrilled by surprise gift bags given out by the team. Each day was filled with fun and intentionality. Whether missionaries were carting kids across site or delivering water station to station, all hands and hearts were extended with willingness to serve in the name of our Savior. Bible story and crafts were coordinated well, one supporting the other, and the energy in games and songs never appeared to decreased. Olivia and I were so impressed by the team's preparedness to run an enjoyable yet structured club. All week the kids informed me of just how much they adored each specific member of the Lawrenceburg team, and I have no doubts the team's passion toward the kids was anything short of equivalent. No child was forgotten, no matter how many children showed up for club. Our youngest team member, Eli, even donated the shoes off his feet to a Rosamond kiddo Friday afternoon. It was truly a privilege to serve alongside FBC Lawrenceburg this week. Until next time! 
-Brianna

Guernsey

What an awesome week it was at G-Street! This week TGP grew even more and brought along another church, The Word! This was this specific church’s first trip to Street Reach but they came in with hearts prepared to love even the toughest of kids. The missionaries brought in awesome(and wearable!) crafts including vests, bracelets, and even binoculars that went along with the bible story each day. Everyday the bible story station went through the life of Joseph and then brought each story back to the Gospel and applied it to the kids lives. Everyday they looked for their “divine appointment” and the Lord revealed them!  Whether they were listening to one of Jon Jon’s songs he wrote or running back to Asia’s house to give her an apple, each team member was intentional to show Christ’s love to these kids everyday. This week even more children began asking questions and we even saw a couple enter into a relationship with Christ. I cannot wait to see how they grow in that as they begin to follow Him. It’s been so sweet to watch these children follow us as we follow Christ. Every single day this week as soon as Nyjee would get to club he would ask “I could help you pass out lunches today?”. The children are constantly asking if they can help Miss “Sunshine”(Kaylin) with water. And of course our older girls are still asking if they can help the younger ones in crafts station. They love serving each other! I am so thankful for the many mission teams who have come in with servant hearts this summer. The kids are seeing that in you and they are imitating it themselves. A huge thank you to The Word for loving and serving the cool kids that meet at G-Street, even in the heat this week! I hope to serve with you again next summer. 

-Sarah

National

I cannot believe that there is only a couple weeks left of bible club for the summer. As it gets closer to the end of the summer, it gets harder to maintain a continuous amount of energy that it takes to go out to bible club and love on the kids every day. That's why it's so encouraging to have teams like Fbc McMinnville who come in with tons of energy and hearts ready to serve. It was super exciting to have this church in town this week because they live really close to my hometown. It was really nice to have a little bit of home here in Memphis with me this week.This team was willing to do whatever it took to spread God's love to each of the children. No matter how hot it was outside or how tired they were, they relied on God's strength to keep pushing them through. They continued to pour into these children every day knowing that they could be the only Jesus that these kids might ever see. We had quite a few kids give their lives to Jesus this week! We also had some recommit their lives to him! All of the glory goes to God because we know that it was all because of his work that he is doing. At the end of the week, the team gave all of the kids storybooks so that the kids could continue to learn about the gospel. I can't even fathom the work that God did through this team this week. Thank you Fbc McMinnville for giving up your time to come and love on the kids at National. I cannot wait to see what God is going to do these last two weeks.

-Morgan

Johnson

What's up everybody? This is Bobbby with four b's coming at you this week. The Gathering Place Church from Moody, Alabama rocked it this week at Johnson! They came here on Sunday night with great energy yelling, "GP+Y"! The Gathering Place came here ready to share the gospel this past week and put in many long hours preparing for bible club. The team was ready to meet new faces and to be reunited with old ones and proved that by canvassing amazingly and bringing 86 kids on the highest day of the week! The energy was great all week at bible club and away from bible club as well. God was there this week at bible club with multiple salvations throughout the week. The kids at times pushed the team members but the team held there ground ministering to the kids no matter how tough the children were. The kids loved being able to dance to the whip and nae nae but loved the team memebers even more for doing it with them. The kids learned a new song this week called, "superhero", and loved dancing to it. They  had so much joy on there faces this week as GP+Y showed Gods true love to them. I want to thank GP+Y for everything they did this week. Hope to see everybody next summer back at Johnson for another great week. God bless The Gathering Place youth group for being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. Hope everyone has a blessed summer! See ya guys!
-Bobbby & Bantz

Que Que 

This week at Club Que Que was great one with Grace Church in the mix! The kids loved hanging out with the teams so much that they pushed through the crazy heat to see them each day! It definitely helped that the team came in fully prepared to smother the kids with love and guidance! Throughout the week the kids were taught about forgiveness and the love and grace of our great God! They were also able to learn some awesome new songs as the team broke out the guitar and had them all singing " We will sing because you are good" followed along with them shouting "We will shout because you are good, you are good to me". It was so great to hear all of these kids learning how to praise our mighty creator and loving to do it! The kids were constantly talking about the bible story and were able to answer almost every question we threw at them! We ended the week on a great high note as two of our kids accepted Christ! In the end I think we all realized that sometimes it is all worth melting in the 100+ degree days just to see Christ work through us! Grace Church thank you for coming and serving at Club Que Que this week and teaching the kids more about the love that Christ holds for them! Y'all were amazing this week! 

-Katie

Kendrick

Good good father. That's what has been on my mind as I've been thinking about what I wanted to put in this blog post. We serve a good good father. This week The Gathering Place church came and shared Christ once again with the Kendrick kids. Though the first day was small the team made the most of their time by patiently waiting for their divine appointments. And sure enough the appointments were found. We had a total of 4 salvations this week. It's obvious that our kids are learning and growing. This week one of our most troubling kids; Jay found a friend in one of our leaders. He started out the week misbehaving, but by the end of the week he was giving hugs instead of high fives. Helping our younger ones and participating in his station. We are so thankful for Ms Debra and her willingness to spend one on one time with Jay to make such an impact in a small amount of time. This summer at Kendrick I’ve been trying to teach my young Hispanic children who don't speak English their colors. Here's a little story of one our favorite kids Johani. 
*wipes his bloody arm on my leg* 
Me- Johani what are you doing?
Him- red! Red!
Yes Johani. Red. 
Thanks so much TGP for an awesome week!

-Steeley

Whittier 

This week at Whittier was a great example of how the Lord does not need a huge army to do His work, but only desires a few willing hearts to make His Name known. On Sunday evening, I was met with nine team members from The Gathering Place in Moody, Alabama. With such a small number of Whittier team members, I was very unsure of how exactly I would be able to have them walk the five walking routes that have been walked all summer, as well as run a Bible club with the 60+ kids we had loved on during the previous week. However, on Monday, I was reminded that, although it is important to reach as many kids in our area as we possibly can, numbers are not God’s primary goal in having us here. Therefore, we decided to cut two of our walking routes in order to have more team members on each route, and decided to keep our club numbers around 30 in order to be able to invest more in each individual child. And this method brought quite a harvest, as one of our kids, Ayden, began asking questions about Christ and, by Friday, decided to make Him Lord of His life. What a blessing! But not only was the gospel clearly shared, much fun was had as well, as the games station enjoyed new games about finding hidden treasures, the crafts station enjoyed making their own binoculars, and the songs station allowed the kids at Whittier to star in their own music video for “Watch Me,” our kids’ favorite song and dance! All in all, we had a wonderful week with The Gathering Place, and were excited to watch this team grow in both number and experience, with this being their third year at Street Reach, but their first time to take on six Bible Club sites. We look forward to having them back with even more team members, more energy, and more excitement about sharing the gospel with this community! “GP! + Y!”

-Big Em

Treadwell 

Week 5 at Treadwell was well spent with the team from The Brook. The old site was cut and new area under the trees were able to provide shade to our site! The kids were able to enjoy protection from the sun while we danced to the awesome music and puppets the team brought with them. The team's unique set of skills were utilized in ministering to people who had yet to be reached. One of the team members was able to communicate to the Hispanic community members including one of our kid's grandmother who waits on her grandchildren across the street. Another team member was able to sit with one of our kids who has slight autism and by the end of the day was the first time I've ever seen him smile. He was laughing and asking for piggy back rides. The group was phenomenal at being intentional with all the one on one time available and the kids were loving the attention. To end off the week we set a new record this summer with 51 kids at club on Friday! A big thanks to The Brook for coming and pouring into this community this week!

-Allison

Pope 

It was another great week of bible club as GP+Y taught the Pope kids all about the best super hero of all, Jesus Christ! Aurtranise learned all of the lyrics and motions as well as several other children. They even recorded the kids dancing to the song for a "music video" which the kids loved. The older boys continued to do flips on our

cardboard break dance floor during the free style portions of the song. Crafts made magnets with scripture verses on them so the children could share the gospel in a fun way with their families! It was another hot week and that let us focus on the children who were there by loving on them and answering their questions about Jesus Christ. Netria an older girl who I have known and prayed for for three summers now accepted Christ this week! I met her when she was ten years old, and she had a lot of anger issues. I have listened to some of her questions in Bible story and she has been trying to figure out who God is. In an afternoon activity club with the sports trailer she stayed at Bible story the entire time and read Jesus Calling! The leader spoke with her, talked her through a prayer of salvation, and then gave her the book. I am very thankful to GP+Y and FBC McMinnville for continuing to pour into kids in the afternoon and discipling Netria. I hope to see you all back next year, and I know that the kids do as well. Please pray for Pope and the team about to come in as salvations continue to occur and we have only one more week at Pope left this summer. This fantastic summer at Pope has caused me to dwell on Matthew 9:36-38.

-Rachael

Jackson 

Wow, another amazing week at Jackson thanks to The Gathering Place from Alabama! This team came in with so much excitement and energy… but when doesn’t TGP have energy? In all seriousness though, I am so incredibly proud of the team this week. Every day I watched the apartment routes hold hands and pray together in the middle of the parking lot, unashamed of their faith, just as the red and green routes did before heading into the neighborhood. The team’s willingness to canvass brought back great numbers (45 was our high) and they even brought brand new kids to Bible Club! I wish that I could explain in words how great Bible Club truly was, but it’s almost something that had to be seen. I saw team members with a kid on each leg, I saw kids being loved on, and I sincerely saw Jesus in the team. I am so thankful to have had such a great team this week because on Thursday night I found out that the next day would be the last day Jackson would run for the summer. Instead of spending a lot of time being sad, the team sprung into action and used Friday to pour into the kids and share the gospel one last time. I know these kids had a great last week and left Bible Club knowing more about Christ than they did on Monday. To The Gathering Place and all of the other teams that came in this summer, thank you for allowing God to use you. Without you all Jackson Bible Club could not have happened. I am comforted to know that your actions have undoubtedly changed these kids’ lives in a way that glorifies His Kingdom. 

I don’t expect that dishonor and shame will plague me in any way, but I do hope that I will continue to be able to speak freely and courageously about Jesus, and that now and forever the Anointed One will be glorified and placed above all else through this body of mine—whether I live or die. For my life is about the Anointed and Him alone. And my death, when that comes, will mean great gain for me. So, if it’s His will that I go on serving here, my work will be fruitful for the message. (Philippians 1:20-22)

-Bristow and Adan

Kippley 

Welcome to the Blog, you blog readers, you. Saying good bye to the kids on Friday wasn't easy, being Kippley's last day for 2015, but the bitterness was outmatched by the sweetness of the week. Only 13 kids ever came to bible club, but my home church family First Baptist Jenny Lind made every second with every child count. Every child received a whole week of undivided attention from the team, a whole lot of fun, a mess ton of crafts to take home, and most importantly the truths of human identity defined at creation and re-found in Christ. It was an added blessing for my siblings and even parents to get to know the kids I have come to love. All in all, it was a great week and a great end to Bible club Kippley 2015. Pray for these kids that they will not forget what they have been taught throughout the year - that they will continue to dwell on these truths and that God will search out their hearts and prepare them for a harvest. And pray that God will send workers into this Harvest field again. Have a good day, a great rest of your summer, and a fantastic year ahead. TTFN - tata for now.

-Kaden @ Kippley

Vernon 

What's up fellow Street Reacher's, it's Armskrong hitting up Vernon again this summer! This week, Street Reach rocked it out with all twelve bible club sites running. We welcomed FBC Townville in the house, all the way from South Carolina! This team jumped in with all hands on deck and ran a great bible club. Monday morning we loaded up and headed out to site with heavy canvassing in mind. We started our week out 18 kids and grew to 29 by Friday. The team each day had a over all bible club theme going along with their daily bible stories. This week the kids enjoyed some fun and cool new games, some awesome VBS song with Ms. Mary Ann, a amazing bible story, and some outstanding crafts with Mr. Richard,  like making medals and crosses! This week was another hot one;  with the heat index exceeding to 109! A huge excitement at Vernon this week was that Townsville youth and adults were on fire for God this week. Team member Jacob, daily talked to me about the love and the passion that his group had for Christ and the mission here. The team helped lead a total of 8 kids this week to Christ. It was a awesome week to see 8 of my kids turn their lives over to Christ and to be born again as a brother and sister in Christ. I told little Kendricus after he accepted Christ, that we are now brothers; of course he thought it was hilarious and he thought I was crazy, but after explaining it, he finally understood. I can not thank FBC Townsville for fulfilling the call to be the hands and feet this week in Memphis; this group was outstanding and helped bring Vernon to a close. Thank you again to the youth and leaders of FBC Townsville, I hope to see you all back again next year, and let it be God's will that we get to work together again! Another thank you to the teams that have helped run Vernon this summer; it means a lot to our kids, community and to myself! With all of that being said I'm signing off from Vernon for the summer; God bless each and everyone. May you all have a great rest of the summer!

-Armskrong

Week 6-FBC Center, FBC Arcadia, FBC Jamestown, South Community Church, Grace Baptist of Brandon, Silverdale Baptist, Good Sheppard Church, & Lakewood Baptist Church

Rosamond 

Hey Ho! Rosamond's got soul! And it showed at bible club this week. Thanks to the score of missionaries from FBC Jamestown an average of 60 kids heard about the gospel and the New life found in Christ, had fun at games and songs, and walked home with a slew of various crafts and a handmade doll. And best of all, we had two kids testify to accepting Christ!!!!! It's always a blessing to be loving on these kids and to see their various physical needs get met, but there it is extra sweet to be a part of the admission of a new person into the Kingdom of God. Another personal highlight of mine is a conversation I had with Stephanie. She was upset that her favorite ball had a hole in it. I asked her if she thought balls were supposed to break, and if the person who created that ball intended for it to break one day. She replied, "no." I then asked similar questions about arms and legs, and sickness and ultimately death. She knew well that people are not supposed to "break," become ill, or die. I explained to her that neither did our creator, God, intend for us - his creation - to one day break. We then began discussing what sin/evil was. She was aware that the bad things we do are sin, but I began to explain that anything bad is evil not just what we do. Hunger and death themselves are just as bad as the one who stole the food or who committed the murder. From there, we talked about why these things happen if God didn't intend for them to be. The answer was our sin, and the solution to the problem is Jesus. Jesus came and fixed what was broken. He sought to fix legs that should not have been crippled, people who should not have been sick, and his friend Lazarus who should never have died. And he has righted a lot of wrongs, but one day he will finish righting them all. Please pray for Stephanie and the other bible club kids, that they will receive understanding of these things, and be in prayer for the two who accepted Christ, that they will grow in faith and love and the fruit of the Spirit. Have a blessed day everyone and remember, you only YOLO once apart from Jesus.

-Kaden @ Rosamond

Guernsey 

It has been an amazing summer at Guernsey and week 6 was no exception! FBC Center was back at G-street for an awesome week of bible club. This team came in with one main goal, to love on kids, and that they did! As soon as the kids arrived to club each day they were greeted with hugs and structured free play. In games the team had cool games planned and relays constantly in their back pockets. On Monday I walked over to give the 2-4 year olds lunch and they said "Wait Miss Sarah, we're trying to playing a game!" Normally this group is so eager to get their pizza lunchables! The kids loved the fruit loop necklaces they could eat throughout club and the wooden crosses made in crafts. Even bible story had coloring sheets to keep the youngest group engaged. Songs station was one big party and the older kids never wanted to leave! Because of this team's intentional nature we had tons of questions being answered and two of our 8 year old girls came to know and follow Christ. But it doesn't even stop there! They come from a big family and along with their new Hope, they walked home with new bibles that day. Their very own!(that they were so excited to show me and Brianna) The other children in this family began asking even more questions and they wanted to know what was so special about this book. I got to talk with them and share that this is God's word that He gave to us. I am so excited to see what else God has planned for this site for the upcoming weeks. The harvest is so plentiful! Please pray for the many children who are not only seeing the Gospel through the mission teams we have been blessed to have, but who are turning around and living it out in this neighborhood. Thank you FBC Center for being the hands and feet of Christ this week at Guernsey!

-Sarah 

National 

Week 6 at National was a great one! Fbc Center was a blessing to work with. Every single day they went out and got a lot of kids to come to bible club. We even had a high of 70 kids one day! I'm amazed at God's faithfulness and how he keeps sending us more and more kids each day. We want to love on as many kids as possible, but it's so awesome to think about how much more God desires to love on them. This team had tons of energy all week, and the kids loved it. The songs station was awesome this week! As I walked over to the station everyday, I continuously saw all of the kids whipping and nae naeing and doing the cha cha slide. It was so fun to watch! The team gave everything they had, and even though they were tired at the end of the week, they didn't let that stop them. They completely relied on God's strength, and we finished off the end of the week with 67 kids! That's a lot of kids for any day, especially for a Friday. Thank you so much Fbc Center for being the hands and feet at National this week. His love was evident through all that y'all did. I have loved getting to be a small part of God's big picture with each of the mission teams that have come in this summer. I'm standing in awe at the work that he has done. Please continue to pray for us as we only have a few weeks left of bible club. I know that God is going to continue to do some great things, and that he is going to continued to be glorified.
-Morgan

Johnson

Another week at Johnson has gone by and the kids continue to be poured into. We had several salvations this week and we got to see fruit from the work that missionaries have been doing all summer. The kids loved making crafts, listening to bible story, and singing songs this week as they did their best to earn their stamps. Our high for the week was 84 kids on Tuesday and we never at any point had less than 50 kids. The kids went home with lots of candy and lots of love as the team from Arcadia bonded with the kids at Johnson that were new to them when the week began. It was another great week that continues to build on the foundation that was laid in the first half of the summer and it was truly a blessing having Arcadia in Binghamton this week. 

-Bantz

Que Que

This week at club Que Que was a partay as we had Good shepherd from Alabama this week! They came in with willing hearts and great energy as week 6 began. The kids absolutely loved this team and this week of bible club! The team welcomed an average of 63 kids a day making sure they heard all about Jesus! At one point during club the song station was especially loud as I heard them singing "Hes got the whole world in his hands", it got even better once the names of kids replaced the whole world! The crafts station was great as they kept 19 one through four year olds entertained with fruit loop necklaces and bracelets which the kids were able to chomp on all throughout bible club! The kids has a blast on the last day with water balloons taking up the game slot! Luckily there were only a few kids that got wet! As we said our goodbyes the team was tearing up and the kids were latching on. I was even begged to have all of us come back on Saturday so that the kids could see the team one last time! Good Shepherd- thank you for your willingness to show these kids Gods love, you will be missed! 

-Katie

Kendrick 

This week at Kendrick we started out small and made our way up. By Friday we had 40 kids. We had an amazing team from FBC Center who rocked it. The kids thoroughly enjoyed every second with them. Little Patrick fell in love with one of our team members and everyday would attach himself to him. Our team also got to experience one of the sweetest things this summer. You know it's been a good week of club when the ninja crew decides to get back together. Back at the beginning of the summer our little ninjas got in a fight and decided they weren't friends anymore. This week they decided to get back together and start over. Red scar, blue scar and yellow scar were back at it. Turning flips and fighting off the evil forces. Opening milk cartons for the little kids and being our bible club security. We are SO incredibly thankful for FBC Center for an awesome week! Thanks to them our kids got to hear about Jesus once again. 

-Anna

Whittier

As the summer comes to a close, it is difficult to continue to love on these kids with a consistent  amount of energy each week, as the days get hotter and more and more kids come out to Bible Club. However, high energy levels are not so difficult to maintain when groups like South Community Church from Tulsa, Oklahoma come into town! This group has ministered to Whittier and the Nutbush area for three years now, and has brought more and more passion and willingness every single year. From Sunday evening during our first site meeting, each member of this team was overjoyed to see kids that they had met and loved during previous years, while also being excited to meet new kids. Their love for these kids was not merely something they talked about, though; this team truly displayed their love for Whittier kids by being willing to fully canvas our area and bringing 51 precious little ones to our club on Monday morning. What a way to start off the week! By Thursday, our summer record was reached, with 63 smiling faces laughing and playing “Duck, Duck, Goose,” singing and dancing to “Me Without You” by TobyMac, creating beautiful beaded cross necklaces, and most importantly, confidently raising their hands to tell Mr. Mark about how Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. On Friday, this team was nowhere near ready to give up or tire out, but completely gave all that they had for these kids and allowed the Lord to use them to reap a great harvest at Whittier! Many of our kids spoke one-on-one with the students and leaders of South Community, and Destiny, Antwain, Landen, and many others prayed to receive Christ for the first time. Team members Megan and Michaella even took steps of faith and prayed with parents and other family members, pointing them to Christ as well. What a blessing! In the coming weeks, we will be sure to follow up with these kids and families, and encourage them in their new life with Christ. Thank you, South Community, for your passion, your willingness, and your true and genuine love for Christ and this community. You showed what great work can take place when we step out of the way, get past our own pride and self-gratifying agendas, and humbly make ourselves available for Christ to work through. You have shown these kids what it looks like when one really submits himself to Christ, and have accurately displayed how following God is not solely about rules and discipline, but, more importantly, about humble service to one another. Your energy has been wildly contagious, and has been a great encouragement and motivator for not only the kids at Whittier, but myself and the rest of the Street Reach staff. I am truly sad to see you go, but I know the Lord will continue to use each of you in your own community and bless others as you have blessed me. Thank you for such a memorable, prosperous, and refreshing week!

-Emily and Armskrong

Treadwell 

Lakewood Baptist Church returned to Treadwell this week and offered up all of themselves to these kids. This team loved on these kids in a way that was very true to who they were. They spoke truth and answered questions in Bible story. They loved on the kids in games by providing fun and entertaining relays.They kept all the kids engaged at songs by spicing it up with their own flavor. And they were incredibly intentional in getting to know the kids! The team was even intentional to bring the kids to club as they went out of their way to take a detour to the library to pick up any kids who wanted to join us at Bible club. We are super excited the team was able to talk and pray with three of our kids this week about the life changing decision to follow Christ. As one of the team members said, "it's encouraging to see God's fruit." Thank you Lakewood baptist for ministering to these kids this week!

-Allison

Pope

"Boom! What now?!", I am pretty sure is what God said as 69 kids came to bible club at Pope on Thursday! The answer of course was to rely on God for strength to love more, work harder, and be even more determined that each child left having felt the love of Christ. That is exactly what Silverdale Baptist Church did this past week and the outcome was grace and love seen everywhere. We added two of Kippley's routes to Pope so those kids could continue to attend bible club because Kippley's bible club did not run this week. Kids that we had never seen before or had not seen in a year came to club! The older kids bible story was broken into two groups to better interact with them and it worked splendidly! We had ten kids added to discipleship club from Pope this week!!!! From Jeremiah choosing to be a leader even when he wanted to go off on another boy, to three year Lil' Weedy rapping "ayieeeee rap rap rap rap rap", it was a fantastic week of kids being held and taught about Jesus! Thank you Silverdale Baptist church for your love and effort poured out into Pope bible club.  

-Rachael

Jackson 

It was a great week at Jackson! Grace Baptist Church drove from Jackson, Mississippi to Jackson Park in Memphis with full hearts ready to share Christ to the children at Bible Club. They operated well while keeping the structure organized and keeping the kids engaged. With team having everything put together we had the opportunity to sit in the stations and participate with the kids. We were happy to see all the kids wide-eyed each day in every station as the team interacted with them. The kids fed off of Grace's seemingly endless energy and were amazing all week. Even the youngest group, who like to stare into space and not listen, answered questions and joined in conversation. God shined through the members Grace and on Friday one team member helped lead one of our girls to salvation! It really was an amazing week. Thank you, Grace Baptist Church, for allowing Christ to use you all to do His work (hard work, that is) and doing it so well! Continue to be in prayer for Jackson and the Street Reach Staff as the last few weeks are approaching. He has and will continue to be so Good!

-Bristow and Beth 

What an awesome week 6 it has been! We are so thankful for the many missionaries who have answered the call and who are actively fighting for these children. The statement "the one who spends the most time wins" has definitely been shown to be true as we saw so many children enter into a relationship with Christ this week and we know that the One who has begun this good work will bring it to completion. We are expectantly waiting to see how the Lord continues to bring the hearts of His children towards Him in these last few weeks. Please continue to pray for the club sites and the children who attend them as well as the missionaries who will be standing on the frontline for this neighborhood. 

Week 5-Union Grove Baptist, FBC Monroe, FBC Collierville, FBC Liberty & Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Rosamond 

Happy Birthday 'Merica! Cause Freedom doesn't start with a vowel, so neither should 'Merica. But the 4th of July is only a side note compared to the Kingdom work done this week by Union Grove Baptist Church. With a high of 70 kids this week, it was a blessing to see so many of the kids I've come to love be loved so deeply by so many others. From the "Cha-Cha Slide" in songs, to the Froot-loop necklaces in crafts, the kids had more fun than 10 barrels full of monkeys. And more importantly, never once did I see a child feeling as though he was unloved, unattended to, or bored. A personal favorite moment of mine was just before dismissing kids to walk home on Thursday, I am suddenly stampeded and nearly dog piled by 40 something kids, all of whom are hugging me and wishing me a happy birthday. That's right, if I could boil the whole week down to one word, it would be "LOVE." It was hot on Monday, it rained on Friday, and a lot happened in between. We had Hawaii-day, coloring sheets, sack races, and legos. Children played and laughed and fought. Raisins were thrown, and shortly after picked up by those that threw them. But every moment of everyday, everybody was just loving on these kids. With laps and necks and arms, with songs and crafts and games, and with the preaching of the word of God, I can say at the end of this week that my children have been loved by 19 images of Christ - and it was awesome! Thank you again, Union Grove, for such a good week.  If our missionaries preach with tongues of angels, explaining all life's mysteries, while performing miracles and even moving mountains but have not love, we are nothing. However, we can love because God first loved us. Remember to keep praying, everyone at home, for these last 4 weeks of the summer as God continues to work. Till next time, pray, fast, meditate, and listen to God. He is all you need.
-Kaden @ Rosamond

Guernsey

What an amazing week at G-Street with FBC Liberty! This team came in ready to love on the kids by providing a structured but fun club. In games they brought relays with plastic eggs and spoons and obstacle courses complete with pool noodles. In crafts they not only made awesome crafts that corresponded with the bible story each day but they reinforced the memory verse for the day and even asked the kids what that meant and how it was relevant to their lives. Bible story didn't just stay in the bible story station and I truly believe that each child left with more of an understanding of the Gospel each day not only by what the team told them but by what they lived out. The team not only saw the great needs among the kids but looked to fill them. They lived out 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 and became all things to all people, all for the sake of the gospel. Thank you FBC Liberty for loving the kids and us so well.  We cannot wait for next summer! 
-Sarah

Que Que 

This week at Club Que Que was cray cray with Collierville FBC in the house! The kids were able to learn more about Jesus and his love in many ways! Throughout the week the team taught the kids through songs and bible stories about being able to trust in Jesus in every situation in their lives! Every day they sang the line "whether it's raining or its pouring I will trust in you Jesus!" On Friday we put our words to the test as it began pouring down on the kids we had at bible club. Our team showed their trust and fun loving spirits as we had races, dance competitions, singing, and of course the whip and the nae nae in the pouring rain. We ended club early due to the thunder and lightning but we were able to get some kids homemade peanut butter and jelly sandwiches first! As we waited for the last three members of the team to get back we started to sing our bible club songs in the parking lot as the surrounding neighborhoods recorded us! Collierville FBC thank you so much for your caring and loving spirit as you served with us this week! You will be missed.
-Katie & D'Marcus

National

What up y'all! It was a great week at National! We had a group from Fbc Monroe come to serve this week. This group brought a lot of different cool ideas to bible club. They went out everyday and got as many kids as they possibly could. We had 65 kids on Monday, and it was really awesome! The team really focused on teaching the kids the gospel in a way that they could easily understand. I sat in one of the groups one day and listened as the team asked the kids questions about the bible story. As I sat there, I listened to a little 5 year old boy, Kyler, tell the story back to us. I was amazed, but it didn't stop there. When he was finished telling that story, he began to tell even more bible stories that he had learned from reading his bible. He told me that he has read a lot of his bible and that he's learning so much. My heart was full as I was able to see how much of the gospel that the kids are actually learning. The coolest thing about this team is that they came here to learn how to run bible club so that they can go back home and run bible clubs in their own neighborhoods! This team knows that it's not just about going on a mission trip for a week, but that it's about living our lives on mission. Christ's love was very evident this week. We were all thankful to serve alongside of Fbc Monroe this week. Thank you for having server hearts and loving on the National kids this week!
-Morgan

Johnson

The summer is going by so fast at Johnson as we just wrapped up week five which means that the summer is more than half way over. It is a bittersweet feeling to know that we only have four weeks left with our kids but it’s when you have teams like FBC Liberty pouring out their love on the kids you really get to cherish every week. The high for the week was on Wednesday when we had 84 kids come to bible club! It is good ton see some ole Johnson numbers and the kids were having a blast. The kids got to experience a variety of new games and they also raved about the crafts they got to make. The team even held strong in the torrential downpour on Friday and all the kids got amazing Brenda B pb&j lunches. It was a great week through and through and I was blessed and privileged to spend the week with the folks from FBC Liberty. The kids got to grow in their knowledge of the bible and of Christ while having a great time and in my book that is always a win.
-Bantz 

Whittier

Week 5 at Whittier, what a week indeed. Mount Zion Baptist Church, all the way from Arkansas, came in town with one goal in mind - to bring the life changing, mind shaping, and heart mending Gospel of Christ to these children in this broken place. And I'd say it was a success. From the bible story to even the songs they sang, the focus was on Christ, His Glory, and His love for these children. We are dependent on God and He does not NEED our help what-so-ever, but it is the greatest of blessings when He allows us to participate in His salvific work in the lives of others. Mount Zion sought that blessing with everything they had, and I thank them for that. I cannot wait to see, as the weeks go by, how the truths that were taught this week will begin to sink deeper and deeper into the hearts of the children. Pray for these kids these last few weeks of bible club. Pray that God will give them understanding of His word, that they would recognize their desperation for a savior, and that they would realize the profound nature of the love and care found only in Jesus Christ. I hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend, and grace and peace be with all of you.
-Anna

Treadwell

This week at Treadwell we had a returning team from First Baptist Collierville. The team was energetic and competent in taking on the task of Bible club as the kids were able to enjoy their new songs and charismatic stories. This team has been incredibly intentional in sharing Christ with the kids. One of the team members specifically prayed for an opportunity to talk with one of our kids and the Lord answered by bringing that specific child back to club the next day despite others living nearby not returning. As the summer progresses the kids are beginning to become at ease and enjoying the familiarity of Bible club. Kids are coming even in the torrential down pour of rain. One of our kids said "I love this place. I wouldn't miss it for anything" as he was getting soaked by the rain. We even had the opportunity to canvas in new areas and minister to new people. This week was a great week; thank you First Baptist Collierville!

-Allison