the dark valley

September 17, 2010
I am overwhelmed by the blessing that this family in Christ is to me and my husband, but more importantly, to everyone else it touches. I am astounded at how much we have been through as a community. This summer has been one trial after another, and my heart mourns for those who have lost family members in the past few months. Two of our teen girls suffered tragic losses in their families. The day after the girls found out, we were scheduled to have Teens Adelante. I talked about canceling it, I wasn't sure any of us could do it. I was supposed to teach that night. Someone reminded me that these are the times to show up as a community for them; for each other. We ended up meeting that night, and to my surprise and satisfaction the girls came. We were all brought to our knees that night, all mourning together, in an awkward silence between thoughts and words and tears, and yet we gained so much that night.

The Lord had planned that night. He had planned Teens Adelante to have its own community apart from Kids Adelante, he provided the leaders to be there for these youth, he showed up in our weakness, to support each other, and get through it...together. That night was just the beginning of a hard summer. For those two families, our Mission Adelante community became Christ's hands and feet to keep them functioning; and reminded me that when I can't handle all this, God can. A few weeks later, another one of our teens lost a family member. When we felt like we couldn't handle another tragedy, the Lord had us all in his arms. When David and I couldn't imagine how to counsel this young man through another tragedy in his life, we were overjoyed to discover that the Lord had already been walking with him, and speaking to him through the loss. We were worried that another loss, at the age of 13, would be his final giving up on a good God, but the Holy Spirit turned his anger to peace. In the midst of his mourning he accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior. And now we begin a new small group discipleship format this trimester with the teenagers, where David gets to share all about who Christ is with him.

To look back on this summer, I see the joy that the Lord gave us in the midst of really hard times. Joy that only comes from Him. I realize how He has sustained us through this season and how a new season is upon us. Through all of this, God will be glorified. I sense the beginning of the Lord going really deep with the teenagers this fall and I am so excited and so blessed to be a part of His plan.