Dear Prayer Partners,
One of my great joys in ministry here at Eagle Village is to be able to care for and invest in the lives of our staff. Through many avenues, God has brought people who love Him and have a servant’s heart here to be a blessing to the youth and families we serve.
One of those such people is Christina, who serves at Eagle Village in our Mission Impact program—a “gap year” for young adults in transitional phases of life. She lives on campus and splits her time between the Camp and Retreat Center and investing in the spiritual lives of our residents.
Here are some of her thoughts on her first few months of ministry at Eagle Village:
My name is Christina Laidler, and I’ve been in the Mission Impact program here at Eagle Village for almost three months now. The best part of my job is by far the relational ministry aspect, just getting to hang out with the kids. I love helping lead worship at chapel every week and spending time in the houses, playing games and baking.
What started out as me bringing cookies to the houses to break the ice, has turned into being in a different house with a different recipe every night. I even have people from my hometown sending me checks and their favorite recipes in support! One staff member made a comment a few weeks ago about my baking with the kids and called me, “Miss Candyland”. Of course, the boys in that house thought that was hilarious and haven’t forgotten it. (They can’t remember to wear clean socks but they can remember that.)
One time I was in a house and ended up leaving without baking because the residents were so loud and disrespectful. But the next week, I was back, ready to try again. One of the residents asked me why I came back when they had been so rude. I told him because that’s what mercy is. His face showed an equal mix of wonder and confusion.
He didn’t understand why I was sticking around, why I wasn’t giving up on them. He’s not the only one whose past has left him far more skeptical and hurt than any child should ever be. My heart breaks on a daily basis for these kids, but with each crack I see God’s face in them more clearly. It’s truly an exhausting, beautiful experience.
One of our greatest needs at Eagle Village is to find more people who, like Christina, see the work we do here as ministry. This month, would you pray fervently for God to provide more new staff who love Him and have a desire to serve? And would you also consider encouraging a young adult or recent college graduate to apply for regular employment at Eagle Village?
Thanks for your prayers!
In Christ,
Pastor Eric Woods
