"When the Lord brought back the captive ones of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with joyful shouting; Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us and we are glad." Psalm 126:3
I have struggled to put into words what has happened here these last two months. I was meant to send this update out a few weeks ago but I have not been able to wrap my mind around all that the Lord has done. It has been an absolute blur and I cannot believe summer is gone and it's nearly September! "The Lord has done great things for us and we are glad." God has given us an absolutely incredible summer. The GapYear Team, Summer Interns, and short term mission teams have all accomplished so much. In so many ways it is the combination of a years worth of relational investment through our Gap Year team combined with the energy and freshness of interns and mission teams that creates such a stir. Take a moment to read below, scroll through the photos and watch the highlight video from one week of this crazy summer!
The exciting thing is we get to do it all over again beginning September 1st! As you read this we have a team of forty-six GapYear workers assembling here to launch a new team for the new school year. They are packing, praying and preparing to take the baton and begin their leg of the journey. It is so exciting what the Lord is doing here. Eighteen of our current team will be staying on from last year so be praying for the twenty-eight new ones who will be joining us to make up the new team! They will each be placed with a local church to help support or in some cases start a youth or kids ministry. Exciting! "The Lord has done great things for us and we are glad."
We have had so many great partnering churches and organizations come alongside us these last two months. It has been absolutely amazing. Servant Life sent us our first team from Colorado! Plum Creek Church served at Project Week at Ian Ramsey School and led a Camp of Champions at Ropner Park. SouthCrest from Georgia sent a second team this year across to help us lead another Camp of Champions. The Heights Team from Dallas, Texas served in two locations. One team served again at King's Academy and the other helped us launch our first Camp of Champions down in York. Liberty Baptist from Norfolk, Virginia came back again for the fourth consecutive year to help us run our largest Camp of Champions of the summer at Preston Park where we had over 160 children attend! Idlewild from Tampa, Florida closed out our summer sending us a team of 55 to serve in Guisborough, Billingham and Eaglescliffe. That final week we saw so many amazing conversations and breakthroughs. Several young people in Billingham gave their lives to Jesus as the students from Idlewild shared their stories of faith in Christ. I am in awe of all the Lord has done and so thankful for the constant support and encouragement both here and across the pond!
We had an amazing time with the 285 students and leaders from Prestonwood in Dallas. Click on the King's Project photo on the left to watch the highlight video for the week. They did service projects each day from 9-3 and then we hosted 13 Camp of Champions simultaneously all across The Tees Valley reaching out to hundreds of kids and teenagers. They performed six different concerts sharing Christ to thousands in the NE of England and Edinburgh, including singing at the Mayor's Induction Service in Stockton on Tees. Every time they sang I sensed the spirit of God moving across the crowd. It was indeed an extraordinary week of mission and ministry together and one we will not soon forget! The Lord has done great things and we are glad!
As we begin this new school year with this new team we are always so grateful for your prayers & financial support. It is hard to believe we are starting our fifth year here in The Tees Valley. We continue to have a God-sized Gospel Dream for this place! We are so excited for the days ahead!
In His Joy,
Mike & Kookie
