More about MFUGE: Site

So, I'd like to talk a little more about MFUGE.  It's a FUGEcamp, so we also meet up with CentriFUGE and XFUGE kids over there. However, while CentriFUGE does camp activities and bible study, and XFUGE does something else (I actually still don't know what they do), MFUGE takes its campers to different sites around that community to do missionary work.  We get split up into different ministry tracks, like Childrens Ministry, Creative Ministry (music/drama/etc), Social Ministry (nursing homes/ shelters), PCY Ministry (Paint,Construction,Yardwork), and Games&Rec Ministry. 

My church group at MFUGE

I was put in the children's ministry site and my group went to a daycare center called Operation Upward.  This is a cool place because the daycare watches kids after school during the academic year and over summer vacation...  Well, that's not the cool part.  This is-Operation Upward's goal during these hours with the children is not merely to watch them, but to share the love and salvation of Jesus Christ.  So this summer, MFUGE partnered up with this site so that FUGERS could also share Christ's love to these children. 

My FUGE track group outside Operation Upward.  For the children's safety, no pictures were taken inside.

The week at site was nothing short of amazing.  On our first day there, the kids were so crazy! They were running around, screaming, throwing things, fighting, spilling things...being kids!  However, they were not opening up to us at all.  Although at the end of the day, it did not feel like a victory, Jesus had already begun to change their hearts with the patience and love we showed them that day.

The next day, the word awesome kicks in.  Before we left for site, Stone the worship leader prayed over us.  He prayed that the devil would be bound and kept out of Operation Upward and that we be showered in His blessings.  When we got to site, the kids were like new kids! They were calmer, nicer, and they sat on our laps to color and play games.  Whether it was parental discipline the night before or fear of the daycare owner, I care not.  This was the work of God.  So we began to build relationships with these kids in hopes of sharing the Gospel the next day.

So that next day arrives, and things keep getting better.  We were able to talk to them about Jesus and prayer.  One of our FUGE campers took a little girl aside to share her story with her.  Another FUGER read bible stories to another little girl.  I spent the day with this little boy (for security purposes, I'll call him Perry).  He was so nice and he always played games fairly, and he decided he liked sitting on my lap! So Perry and I spent the day together and I felt I was ready to share the Gospel.  However, the day ended and we had to return to campus (Mississippi College was generously hosting all 750+ of us).

So on the last day of site, I went with the bold intention to share the Gospel with Perry, as well as with some other kids I had become friends with that week.  However, when I got there, Perry was not there.  I was a little sad because I felt I missed my chance, but I was reminded that this was not FUGE's last week there and that Perry saw Christ through my love for him.  Then six little girls accepted Christ into their lives!

So I started sharing with other kids, and one little boy asked me to take him to the bathroom.  So I walked him to the bathroom, but before we got there, he tripped on a water valve that used to be a water fountain.  The valve broke and a continuous plume of water kept hitting the ceiling! Another FUGER and I dived toward the valve and covered the opening with our hands until other the water meter was turned off.  The whole gym building was flooded within 1 minute! I spent the rest of that day helping clean up.

So those were my days at site.  We definitely saw God moving in these kids and in ourselves.  Please pray for Operation Upward, for the kids there, and for FUGE.