Take Time to Smell the Roses ... {er Pollen!} & a D'sozo Wrap Up

Vanessa has the flu now. At least D'sozo is over. Though, I'm not sure the work is over.... seems like their follow up will require as much out of them as ever before. They have Bible studies to follow through with and interests to encourage.

The whole D'sozo project was amazing. It inspired the kids like nothing I've seen, all the way down to the young kids!!

Grace is 8. She was the one who insisted they return again and again to visit a man who said he was seeking and was interested, but had trouble actually making it to the meetings. He finally did and I'm sure it was because of Grace's persistance. Vanessa and Sam went to visit him again this week to see if he want to study the Bible with them. He did. And when Vanessa called Grace to tell her about it, that little girl was over the top excited and insists she'll be attending those studies. It actually will be good for her to go because the man has a special needs granddaughter Grace's age that she can befriend. And Sam?  Sam is a great 15 yr old kid who must be 6 foot 6 by now.  Or maybe taller as Vanessa says 7 feet. :-D. He's not  an up front and vocal, budding evangelist, kind of guy like Garhett.... but he has a quiet kind of interest and will be attending YFJ this summer with Dakota.

Peyton. He's Grace's older brother. Ten years old, I think. He's loved this whole adventure and he's a crack up to listen to tell his stories about going on outreach. "So I talked to her for a minute and then she talked to me for 21 minutes about a hundred different things!!! And she didn't come to our meetings but I know she will be coming to church soon."

Dakota has her Bible study and Natalie has hers and Brianna has hers with Chris and another potential study, and they kind of turned a study with a lady over to the pastor to work with. Vanessa has a few studies going.

McKenzie. Wow. She really gained an experience! She LOVED the afterglow prayer time. She did a fabulous job of her health talk and found she is quite a talented speaker - course, I could have told her that. She always did wonderfully with speaking for choir programs, but now she is older and her speaking isn't scripted and she is even interested in learning to preach. She will accompany Vanessa on one of the studies.

I could tell you a little about each participant, like Shiana, Julia, Mitch, Isabelle, and a string of others,  but it would take up more time than I have... I just know that the Lord blessed and the effects will be seen for some time. It's only yet begun. You cannot imagine what this has done for the older people of the church, who, by the way, supported the youth amazingly! We are grateful.

And may I say, we are VERY THANKFUL for Youth for Jesus! This is the germination and sprouting of the seeds planted at YFJ.... and to think, they are considering shutting the program down!! The young people are creating a DVD of  all the happenings for the ASI board to see. They would like to see YFJ continue....  {Dear Dad, I mean, Dear Mr ASI president, be expecting a DVD and a vote from the young people themselves in favor of keeping YFJ!}

The group now has a conference call "Afterglow" prayer time once a week which includes the teens that came from Vermont, Alaska, and other places to help with this effort. Who knows what this may grow into.

Joyanna (8) was the first to complete the choir challenge of memorizing Psalm 119 for choir!!! Her brother was stunned that she had called me first, but he got down to business and finished it up a few hours later.... So we have two winners :-)  That was 176 verses to music learned in less than 2 months. Way to go Kiddos! I have a feeling half the choir is right behind them.