Every season has its unique sight, sounds, and smells. In Wisconsin cooler weather and pumpkin pie mean fall. The smell of sunscreen and lake water mean summer is here. For teachers, it’s the sound of children filling the hallways on the first day of school that ushers in the start to another year.
And while most teachers begin that first day of school with a drive to work, teachers at Our Savior’s Lutheran in Peridot, Arizona have a much shorter commute. Just a short walk up the hill. This is because working in Peridot means living on campus. Seventh and eighth grade teacher Chris Mundstock explains why, “Because we are guests on the Apache reservation, we are not able to live anywhere else but here on campus.”
It’s 5:00 am. A blaring alarm clock shakes Kenny from his sleep. It is completely dark outside, the only light pools on the ground underneath yellow street lamps. Kenny knows that pulling the sheets back and getting ready for the day means embracing the cool chill of early fall. But as much as he wants sleep, he also is determined and motivated to get the day going.
For decades, Builders For Christ volunteers have used their construction skills to bless churches and schools here in the United States and abroad. Meanwhile, our Build Up: Mentoring Teens in Trades program is only a few months old. Teens in this program have little to no construction knowledge and want to establish a better life for themselves.
As Builders For Christ (BFC) volunteers help Build Up program participants gain valuable construction skills, participants from Build Up will in turn be able to help with BFC projects. While something like this might sound idealistic, I’ve seen that it’s possible.
Coming together as a Christian community is important, especially when people come from different cultures and backgrounds.
In John 13:34 we are directly commanded by Jesus to love others as He has loved us. This isn’t a love that looks at a problem and offers up a single prayer but takes no action or a love that only cares for those like us. This love is selfless, humble, and inclusive of everyone—no matter their culture, upbringing, language, or economic status. This love puts the needs of others above our own. It is action-oriented, outward-focused, open to all.
Hope is one of the strongest character blessings God gives us. Hope that comes from the Holy Spirit is what sustains Christians when troubling seasons of life come our way. When Godly hope comes into a community, it doesn’t mean that the struggles will immediately go away, instead it gives people the ability to have peace and joy in their hearts as they walk through the fire...
