Friday, Day 4

Connections.

This morning the team woke up a little bit later than usual. Instead of our 8:30, 9:00, and 9:30 departure times we were able to stay at the hotel and enjoy our continental breakfast until 9:45 this morning. After having our continental breakfast of coffee and bagels we jumped into our van and headed to a nearby coffee shop where students from Bellevue University like to mingle. We had plans to meet Warren at this coffee shop to talk with him about the mission of Essential Church and how they got started. We were also there to talk with him about some experiences we have had since we've been here and to get to know Warren a little bit better. It was nice to have a chance to sit down and talk with him and get a deeper glimpse of Essential Church.

Warren told us his story. He and his wife were called to Bellevue for church planting about a year ago. They are really trying to focus on reaching out to the community of Bellevue. They reach out to children through soccer camps, good news clubs and face painting at local parks, to college students at coffee shops and on-campus relationships, to families in the community with block parties, and by initiating and building relationships with the people they meet. Warren told us two adults accepted Christ last night at the block party.

Warren told us Seattle was the most unchurched city in America. There is only one Baptist Church in Bellevue.

After our meeting with Warren, we headed back to our hotel with contact information from people who had attended soccer camp and the block parties over the past few days. We called everyone who filled out an information card and invited them to come to the Sneak Peek Service at Essential Church on Sunday at 10:40. We made sure to mention there would be a free taco bar following the service. We will be part of the team that will be preparing the meal.

After making the follow-up phone calls we went to Jubilee Reach to see the Youth Symphony Concert.  
The music was wonderful and everyone could tell the students spent a lot of time practicing their pieces and were proud of their accomplishments. The students smiled and played their instruments outside on the lawn of Jubilee Reach at 3 o'clock in the direct sunlight. With a mixture of string, brass, and precussion instruments, they played an assortment of Christmas songs, Classical songs, and 20th Century Songs.

After the concert, Julie from Essential Reach, who is Warren's assistant, showed us where all of items were that we would need for the taco bar on Sunday.

On our way back to the hotel we stopped at the blueberry farm. "Pick Your Own" blueberries were only $1.50/lb. Of course we jumped on that opportunity and came away with two bags of fresh blueberries. We will be enjoying those tomorrow morning along with our continental breakfast.

Over the past few days we have done a variety of things with Essential Church. Going through neighborhoods passing out flyers and praying over houses, setting up/preparing/tearing down the hot dog station at block parties, mingling with people from the community, and making follow up phone calls to anyone who has attended the events this week that filled out contact information. We have seen a lot of people this week. We have talked to a lot of people this week. With the knowledge of 83 languages being spoken in the area of Seattle, there is no big surprise that communication is not always easy. But it is very easy to see the beauty that spreads through the events we have been to this week. When we look at the people we have met and developed relationships with, beauty is one of the first words that comes to mind. God is here.

We have definitely stepped outside of our comfort zone this week. Multiple times. Being put in situations that are uncomfortable help us realize how little (none) control we have and how much (infinite) control God has. This helps us see His hand more clearly because we cannot rely on our own understanding of anything. This is easier for me to see when my judgement is not clouded by my comfortable surroundings that I cushion myself with. We've met people at the threshold of their homes, face-to-face, and spoken with them from the other end of the phone. We were met with smiling faces and people who did not hang up on us.

We are not sure what tomorrow will hold, but we know Who holds tomorrow.