At the onset of our summer journey on Salt and Light, a fellow staff member shared a section of scripture with the team, which paved the way for us all. Isaiah 61 was read calmly as our team drank in the words which were prophesied so long ago.
"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn." (Isaiah 61:1-2)
Without a doubt, these ancient words resonated deeply within our spirits as we anxiously awaited to see what the Lord had in store.
As the summer began to unfold, God never ceased to amaze us. Early on at Salt and Light camp the Lord’s glory fell around the youth during our times of worship. Our campfires were filled with peace which pervaded as we sat in humble silence, in awe of what God was doing in all of our hearts. Freedom knocked at the door for many of the youth, including our staff, as we sang loudly to the Lord. As the week came to an end, many of the youth committed their lives to the Lord in a new and refreshing way.
With a few quick hours of shut-eye under our belts, we headed south to McColl, South Carolina for our mission trip. About 50 youth and adults combined, came together to repair roofs, fix plumbing, reconnect electrical wires and various other industrious jobs. While the area in which we work is well under the poverty level, the faith demonstrated amongst the Pee Dee people exemplifies their relationship with Christ. This display of faith, despite having so “little”, challenged the youth and Salt and Light team to reconsider where we find our roots.
After a week of vacation, our team set out to Camp Greene Hills for the Impact 09’ festival. Interestingly, while our theme for the summer has been “Rooted”, God quickly began to reveal what it meant to be up-rooted. As the rain came and softened the ground (literally!) various dead roots began to rise up to make room for roots of Truth. Isaiah 55:10-11 states, “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth… so is my word that goes out from my mouth. It will not return empty to me.” Impact 09’ was permeated by Good News, healed hearts, freedom for the captives and release for the prisoners who have sat in darkness for too long. It surely was the “year” of the Lord’s favor. Amen!
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