Thursday

Jimmy's tired.

For those of you who will be fortunate enough to witness a Jimmy Cardio video at some point you will understand exactly what that means; but for now suffice it to say that we have had a great week and are a little more tired than usual but yet filled with more loving joy (and mercy-- MORE MERCY!) that compels us to go on than when we got here.

Last night was the final Kidz Klub. It had been a relatively quiet week, and that just didn't fit our style. So we went out with a bang by busting out all the stops. We played with bubbles, balloons and squirt guns and double treated them with Blow Pops and freezie pops. We managed to make and consume over 44 lbs of popcorn during the Kidz Klub times and who knows how much water. It was a little sad to leave at the end of the night after spending so much time loving them and investing in them and we will miss all the friends we met.

After the Kidz Klub we made a fun laundry run. We made sure to separate our lights and darks (or maybe we tried to be economical and crammed as much as we could into one washing machine...) and had a blast just hanging out while we waited. We even managed to spread a little cheer in the laundry room (the feeling, not the detergent) by handing out leftover licorice rope and freezie pops. I (A.T.I.) left at one point to go help Mike and came back to find out that one of my shirts had shrunk in the dryer! Fortunately, it was my white tank top with a bow on the neck line. I didn't really like that shirt any more anyway. So, it was okay. And now we are turning it into a memento to remember the trip by. (Just so everyone is clear: that was not my shirt at all but must have been left in the washer by someone who used it before us and was then transferred to the dryer with our clothing. It just became a running joke.) Laundry was followed by ice cream from the local grocery store and then it was off to bed so we could be well rested for our last day of activity here in St. Louis.

As for today proper, it was a little bitter sweet. It was the last day of tutoring and some of our kids were happy to see us go while others were brought to tears. Personally, it is a little hard to know that these kids have to go through this kind of emotional attachment and then quick detachment every single week, but I suppose a little love and support is better than none and I can only hope that in the end the little amount of love we were able to give them counteracted any bad emotional habits that might be forming. Today also marked Jimmy Cardio's last appearance, he has gone the way of all great performers these days and will pass on into our memory until he is only shadow and dust (...shadow and dust, Maximus!). But while he was with us the kids really enjoyed his presence. The little boy I tutored liked him so much that today after the performance he requested to have Jimmy's paper plate (used as a note card) bequeathed to him as a special parting gift. The request was forthrightly granted and the young boy scampered off to show his wonderful treasure to his friends.

Some of us spent our final workday split between two places. We finished at a carpentry shop by heling mount some A/C units and throw away a spider infested couch, but we first returned to the apartment complex to have lunch with the owner and put the absolutely final touches on the swing set. The food was delicious. I want to give one member of our groups some major bonus points for living out 1 Corinthians 9:23 because while I found the food delicious, others did not. Yet this person was willing to to put aside personal preferences for the sake of the Gospel even in this small way. Seeing these amazing students, my friends, step up to challenges like this has been one of the highlights of the trip for me.
On a note of interest, I want to throw a teaser in at this point:::: ask someone you know who went on this trip about the Arab/Muslim/African-American friend we made right after we finished up the swing set. And maybe ask a few people, because some versions of the story are more exciting than others.

This evening instead of Kidz Klub we were treated to Pakistani cuisine. Again, this was delicious food and the best part is that our table decided to go traditional and ate using only our hands. I have to admit that since I haven't relied on my hands as the medium of transportation for a majority of my food since I was younger, I was a bit out of practice.

We came back after dinner for a final debriefing session with Andrew. We talked about who is included and who is excluded at our churches, whether intentionally or unintentionally. The discussion helped frame the idea of Paul confronting Peter about the conflict concerning circumcision for new believers about twenty years after Jesus' death. It helped us ask “What kind of requirements or other additions do we tack onto the Gospel at our churches?” I could give you our answers and some examples from the other groups, but that's not nearly as much fun as giving you a reason to engage a group member who was there or even to allow your mind to wander on your own.

We made final cleaning sweeps after the meeting (Mike finished a luxurious case for the popcorn maker, it is now much more safe to travel with) and a final slushy run after that. Slushies are good. So with spirits and sucrose levels high we returned to the New City campus for a time of happy last minute memory making and shirt decorating. Everyone should stop by the youth group room to see the memento displayed (it's not just the shirt, but there is a twist to it) and maybe you will see some other nicely decorated shirts in there as well.

For me, tonight had some touch and go moments (I had to chuckle to myself because “touch and go” is such an appropriate phrasing for some of the things that transpired), but it also had some great fellowship and laughs.

I enjoyed this trip. It was not always fun, or easy, or exotic (although it was hotter than an otter). I enjoyed it because of the perspective, experiences, and joy I have gained from being involved. I continue to pray that God uses our small acts of big love (and even those times I screwed up) to water the seeds that have been planted in the St. Louis area by our brothers and sisters. Our prayers stay with the friends we have made here and even with some who we have never met.

Our return is scheduled for Friday. Be prepared. We are returning with love and joy, both of which are contagious.