[posted by Sarabeth Jones] We got this email from someone who helped out at the Summertree Festival last Saturday; so great to hear about her experience!
Thank you so very much for your hard work on this weekend’s Summertree outreach. I was so lucky to get to be a part of it. My husband, who has never done an outreach….and nervous about doing something like that….came and ended up seeing “outreach” isn’t scary like he was envisioning. He ended up playing cards with [E., a Summertree resident] and made a connection with someone who works at his job from Fellowship. He didn’t go last night [to the celebration service], but said he wished he did and asked if E. was there. E. was there and enjoyed the spaghetti…[my daughter] came with a friend and they helped with the art and jump rope…..and they felt so so good about seeing themselves as “givers” and “lovers”. [My daughter] has done many things lately that give her that “I want to do more of that” response in helping others. What more of a blessing could I get… but it just kept coming and coming….. I also got to play cards with E. and got to hold a little 13 month old eating sausage and more sausage while her Daddy ate and her two brothers played….I got to meet S. who is the mother of 7…..and had to quit her job to take care of all of them….with a hard to handle boy who is causing her heartache, but the girls loved on her so much it was sweet to see. I met a 10 year old girl who was there taking care of her 3 or maybe 4 siblings…..a 6 year old girl, 3 year old twins….They were so cold and their teeth chattering toward the end and I so wanted to give them all coats.They have all been on my mind and heart since meeting them……and my problems today are put in perspective by remembering them.
I wish I had dug out a few more of my old coats for those babies.
Again……..what a wonderful job you did….thank you for blessing my family with all you did.