A Helping Hand

Once a year, KeyBank employees volunteer for an afternoon within their community. We here at The Compass were given a helping hand yesterday by some of them. We were blessed to have a group of people give their time and our landscaping looks wonderful as a result.

The next time you go by The Compass, check out our weed-free, newly planted flowers, and new mulch landscaping. We are so grateful for those who volunteered to bless us with a more attractive setting outside. We would like to thank Steve Bell for the donated mulch. We would also like to extend A BIG thank you to our KeyBank volunteers!

Hooray!

We have several things to celebrate at The Compass this week. The children have been commenting on the daily devotionals by giving feedback and asking further questions because they seem to want to understand. We experienced this several times, regarding several devotionals this past week. In fact, one of the children, almost exactly 2 hours later, made a comment about a particular day's devotional. That was exciting first of all, because God provided proof that they were listening and "getting" it. Secondly, we were excited and encouraged because God also let us see He was still being thought about. We gave the illustration of a rain coat, how it shields and protects us from the rain, getting wet, etc. and that God is like a rain coat. He shields and protects His children from the things of this world that try to pull us away from Him, would harm us, etc. We also talked about the fact that just like we have to put on a rain coat when it's raining, we also have to ask God to be a part of our life every day so that He can help us, protect us, etc.

As mentioned earlier, one of the children, several hours later, was talking about that with me. As we sat there coloring together, she decided that it was kind of like coloring. "We," she said, "are like the picture. We are just blah and boring without being colored. But then God comes along and colors us. Even in bad times, He still adds more colors. He's always with us and when He's all done with us, we'll be a pretty picture." Please keep your prayers coming for these children, God is at work!

Speaking of work, we have a work team coming from KeyBank tomorrow. You may notice some pretty flowers and a lack of weeds within the landscaping, cleaner windows, and a stick-free yard provided it doesn't rain between 1 and 5:00. We are grateful to Melanie Weldy for thinking of us and suggesting us to her co-workers. We are looking forward to "hosting" our first community work day tomorrow.

Several of our families continue to comment on their appreciation of the study time we provide at The Compass. They continue to be grateful for the homework time we provide for their children and the family time they experience at home as a result. What an encouragement!

As we finish up the last seven days at The Compass, we pray we continue to be an encouragement to the children, and the children's families, through God's Word, your prayers and ours, and by being the hands and feet of Christ. We are also praying for a continued growth in our volunteer base.

As we share with the Wakarusa Lions Club this evening, please pray for our words to be God's words. Please also pray for any God may be calling from this group to be involved at The Compass, to clearly hear and respond to the invitation.

As you can see, we have many things to be cheering about. We have many things to be praising God for -- and we are, and we do!

Gifts...

We've been receiving gifts at The Compass this past week. We've been given drawings and pictures created and colored for us. We've been given art projects and poems made and written for us. And most importantly, we've been given the gift of sharing.

One of our volunteers had the opportunity to share about God's invention of marriage and that it means waiting for that someone special. They also got to share that God designed marriage to be between one man and one woman. Because of a girl's questions, we were able to explain that we know these things because God's Word, the Bible tells us and His Word is completely true.

We were also given the gift of sharing about the upcoming election. Tuesday's primary sparked a conversation and questions among several of the children coming to The Compass. We had the opportunity to share what each presidential candidate stands for and why we did, or did not, agree with a particular candidate's viewpoint -- again, because of caring about what God has to say about the issues according to His Word, the Bible.

We asked you to pray for teachable moments and for the volunteers not to miss them. God is providing the opportunities and it's been a blessing to share -- thank you for your prayers! Most of the children aren't aware that God's Word "says that?" or "it talks about this too?" concerning current issues we face in our daily living. Please continue to pray that we will seize every teachable moment God gives us for the remainder of the year. Please also pray that the words/seeds of truth planted in these children will take root and blossom into deep living in Christ!

Continuing to Grow

We are winding down at The Compass, in a matter of speaking. With only a month left to go (The Compass follows the school year calendar), things will quickly be winding down for the children coming to The Compass. Things will continue to take up Jeff and Lisa's time, in regards to The Compass, as they share with others, recruit volunteers for next school year, search for devotionals for the children, create devotional lesson plans, coordinate volunteer schedules, etc. With all of that said, Jeff and Lisa, along with The Compass board, would appreciate your continued prayers during the summer months for The Compass. We ask you to join us in praying for further opportunities to share about the ministry of The Compass, for God's further provision of regular and committed volunteers (we are so thankful for the committed volunteers He has already provided). We are also asking God to provide direction and discernment for the words, from His Word, He desires to have shared with the children as we search and plan for next year's daily devotional time.

Although our time with the children is winding down, we continue to add new students almost weekly at The Compass. God continues to grace us with His presence as well as bring us new, appreciative families. We are thankful that the word continues to spread regarding The Compass and we have the opportunity and blessing to serve our community's families and their children. Please continue to pray for the children, and their families, of those who attend The Compass. We have a few families in difficult situations right now; please pray that they would daily encounter God's love and provision for them. Please pray that all of our volunteers would look for, and seize, "teachable moments" to share God's love, care and provision with the children. And finally, we ask that you would join us in praying that further opportunities would be provided to share of God's love, care and provision with the children's families -- whether it comes through a given word of encouragement, a smile or a hug, praying with a family, or a family's own question/curiosity as they experience God's presence in their daily lives. We continue to trust with expectancy God will answer prayers and continue to work in the lives of the children and their families -- we can't wait to see what He does with the time we have left! Thank you for your faithful prayers, they are appreciated more than words can say. We have been blessed with, and are grateful for, God's faithfulness and we continue to give Him the glory for all the great things He is doing at The Compass!

An Exciting First

Yesterday we had a new experience at The Compass. For the very first time, during our daily devotions, we had a younger student ask us to pray for someone before we went to our time of prayer together. It is very cool to see the children arriving at a place that they are aware we believe that prayer first, has purpose and meaning in our lives and secondly, that God hears, listens to, and answers prayer. Can you imagine introducing a person to prayer, and seeing their transformation to a decision that prayer is truly worthwhile? That is exactly what we witnessed yesterday, by a child! What a "God moment" it was.

What a God moment it is. God is alive. He is actively working at The Compass and we are so grateful. We pray, and invite you to join us in praying, that God would continue to "make Himself known" to the children at The Compass. We are asking Him to reveal His love to each child and for them to come to a place of recognition and acceptance of His love; for the children who have already accepted His love, through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we're praying their encounters of His love would further their relationship with Him. Thanks, and to God be the glory!

A Passing Grade

Things continue to go well at The Compass. We have a few new additions now coming to The Compass since I last wrote you. We have some new books, a library card, some new videos and some new computer learning games. A routine has been established as well, and that feels good to both the kids and the volunteers.

Volunteers are still needed at The Compass. Your continued prayers are appreciated as we try to broaden and continue to establish our volunteer base.

A base that is already being covered is the children's study time. We have some helpful tutors and the kids are already benefiting from one-on-one time while working on their homework. We received word from one of the schools that one of our students is now receiving a passing grade. We have also heard from one of the guidance counselors that several of the teachers are already noticing improvement in some of the students work. They have noticed improvement in AR (the Accelerated Reading program), their basic reading skills, and improved math skills. To God be the glory!

Check Us Out!!

Now that we're open, we took some pictures of the interior and some of the friends that join us here daily. As you watch the slideshow, remember to pray for all of us at Compass each day! Thanks for your support and your prayers!!