Sacrificial Service

by Drew Salada

With another week of the Leadership Institute wrapped up, it’s so encouraging to look back at what we have accomplished this week and see how our group has developed since we began just four short weeks ago! Yesterday, as eight different groups of interns left to serve at their ministry sites as usual, I had the opportunity to visit three of the locations and spend time with the different groups. I was blown away! I have truly witnessed the transformation of lives as the students serve diligently, no matter the circumstance. The junior interns are developing servant-heartedness, and that is so special to see. Whether playing sports with young kids at Trinity River Mission, or packing backpacks at HIS BridgeBuilders, or doing classroom projects with elementary schoolers through Voice of Hope, everywhere I went I saw students serving their community with grateful hearts. I am so excited to see where the rest of this summer takes the Leadership Institute, and I am confident that we will continue to grow in love and service as we do God’s work.

Mark 10:45 – “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The Future of West Dallas

by Taylor Hatfield

Week four with the junior interns is underway. While each week has a structured schedule that looks the same as the next, there is a constant change in pace, experiences and events that leaves us in anticipation of all that is to come.

Tuesday is field trip day. Thirty-five high school students are loaded up, van by van and set out take on the city of Dallas. So far, we’ve ventured to Bonton’s Urban Farms, Watermark Church and The DEC. We have had the opportunity to hear about the start up of a non-profit organization and the transformation that is taking place in the community and lives of those who live within city limits as well as steps to take in order to be a great leader.

Yesterday’s field trip to The DEC was especially encouraging. The Dallas Entrepreneur Center (The DEC) serves entrepreneurs in the Dallas area, providing a location where they can receive training, education, mentorship, promotion and access to capital in order to equip the entrepreneurial community to start, build and grow their business. As a recent Texas A&M business school graduate, it was neat to have a taste of “the real world” and make connections between some of what I have learned through the years and what Mr. Trey Bowles spoke on as he encouraged the future leaders of West Dallas in entrepreneurship.

I am constantly blown away by the minds and hearts of these young leaders. Each of the junior interns has aspirations beyond anything I ever knew of at their age. As Mr. Bowles asked if there was anyone who desired to be an entrepreneur, hands shot up around the room – “a motivational speaker,” “a writer,” “a computer software engineer,” “an accountant,” “the founder of Fat and Fit, a two-in-one restaurant and workout facility.”

To hear of some of the students’ backgrounds in which they come from can often times be disheartening. But to hear of their goals and life-long dreams, our hope is restored at the transformation taking place in their lives - a hope restored by the saving grace of Jesus Christ. This world has no limitations against the plans God has for each one of them. They are the future leaders of West Dallas. They are set out to change the world one writer, one engineer and one motivational speaker at a time.

Third Time's the Charm

by Laura Alcantar

Taking on the role of a senior intern I never thought it would get this challenging. I have had the honor to see, and experience both the junior and senior sides of the Leadership Institute. All three times I have learned and experienced things that go way beyond my imagination. My first year as a junior intern I learned how to develop and how important it is to have a relationship with Jesus. The second time around I learned how God reveals himself to us through creation in a hiking trip to Colorado. This year I have learned the importance of discipleship and I have built relationships with girls hungry for Jesus. Their desire gives me the motivation to push forward and increases my hunger

for Jesus.  As a junior intern I never knew all the hard work, dedication, prayer, and love that was put in from our leaders to make the internship so great and a learning experience.  This summer I have been stretched in ways that I have never even put thought into. This summer is about meeting the emotional and spiritual needs of our students and putting them first always.

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.”  Philippians 2:3

Incarnational Living

by Rachel Anderson

“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE.”

1 Corinthians 13:13

As I sat down to write this blog and began reminiscing over my first five weeks at Mercy Street, I soon realized that I could not even attempt to explain all the Lord has taught me about His character and missional living, so bear with me as I try to cram a lot of thoughts into one small blog.

Each week we have a fun packed schedule with our junior interns where we conduct many trainings, teachings and weekly serving programs, with the aim to challenge and build up our sweet junior interns. In addition to this we are also given a small group (huddle group) of young girls to disciple. My huddle group partner, Miss Chelsea Boyd (shout out!) and I would go through a different passage from Luke each day and then of course have a time of discussion. This is such a beneficial time to really build a relationship with the girls and to walk together each day as sisters in Christ.

But before I let my excitement get the best of me, I wanted this blog to be about the ministry that continues after the doors of Mercy Street are closed. As you all know, Mercy Street truly grasps the need of living within the community, and living here has opened up my eyes to the complete necessity of setting up home right in the midst of the neighborhood. The bible tells us that the Son “became flesh and DWELT among us” (John 1:14) and after a short five weeks I have witnessed the effectiveness of His followers doing the same thing.

For instance, I am living with an awesome family who are involved at Mercy Street and from the minute I got here, the doorbell has not stopped once. Every evening I come home to find a different group of young people hanging out in the living room, and even now as I write this blog Princess and Raymond (both junior interns) are downstairs with their feet up, chilling with a cup of tea. Not only does this create a comfortable environment for people to feel loved and wanted, but it serves as a constant reminder to make serving the Lord and others a lifestyle, however that might look.

The experience has been an amazing roller coaster to say the least. God has taught me so much and I am eternally grateful for His grace in giving me opportunities to meet so many wonderful people who continue to inspire me with their desire to sacrificially serve the Lord in ALL they do.

All praise and Glory to the King of kings!

Challenging my Expectations

by Chelsea Boyd

It's the middle of the junior interns' week 3 here at Mercy Street, and our summer is in full swing! As I sit down to give you an update, it all feels a little bit like a blur. I'm excited to sift through things that I'm thinking and feeling through this post. So you might have just gotten aboard the crazy train as I spill my thoughts--welcome aboard!

As I've mentioned before, the leadership institute seeks to do two main things for the junior interns : #1. Pour into them #2. Give them chances/challenge them to pour into their community. So for a broad view of things, the mornings are spent on #1 and the afternoons on #2. Every day the morning program is relatively the same-the students arrive at Mercy Street tired and with very little energy. We will play a few games or do a dance to try (key word try) to get them pumped. We have a morning devotional time in our small groups, which has easily been my favorite part of the day. I lead a huddle group of 8th-9th grade girls with my wee little Irish friend Rachel (she is the best). Let me tell you, we have grown to love these girls so much! Three weeks is long enough to start to understand how they each work individually, what they wonder about, what they struggle with, and how much they really care about digging deeper into who God is. Huddle group time is designed to teach the junior inters a model for spending time with Jesus on their own, so we basically talk through their quiet times with them. It's awesome to witness them respond to scripture with questions and then understanding...I have come to love each of my girls on an individual level and I am excited to see what God teaches them and leads them to and challenges them with over the rest of the summer!

Each day of a week has a set activity for the afternoons. On Monday, the junior interns lead a program called "Super Monday" in 4 government-subsidized apartment complexes in West Dallas. Each site has around 8 junior interns and 2 or 3 senior interns, and we are expecting anywhere from 60-100 kids at the program. It consists of a game, song/dance, memory verse stomp, skit, and Bible story. I love seeing the junior interns taking ownership and loving on the kids while we are in the apartments. I find myself challenged as they exceed my expectations every week-when given the chance to work hard, serve, and love, they rise to the occasion. I wonder--in what other areas may I have too small of an expectation for these students? How can I further challenge them spiritually, socially, emotionally, relationally? I also ask you as you read this--do you underestimate young people based on where they come from or the "attitude" they portray? If so, give them an opportunity and see how they might surprise you, too.

Tuesdays are my personal favorite day. Mercy Street started a church and Pastor Jerry straight brings it with an hour and a half of theology every week. He knows his stuff and I feel so locked in when he's teaching because he is so passionate about it! If I step back for a second, though, and think about what's happening, my heart feels so excited. I’m in a room full of young people who, like all high school students, are having lies thrown at them from all sides in life. Here is a man in front of them telling them the truth. And he's doing it dynamically and interactively and no one is falling asleep! (Usually.) It’s a beautiful thing. I usually pray so hard in these moments that what Pastor Jerry is telling them will sink into their hearts and drown out the lies that they believe. I desperately want them to drink deeply of the truth and know that Jesus is better than the things that the world has to offer. I pray even now that God uses those teaching times to ground them in and excite them about the truth.

Tuesdays are also field trip days. We want to expose the students to areas of Dallas they might not have been before and tell them about ministries and opportunities that exist in the Dallas area. We're trying to build dreams-it's exciting stuff!

There are 13 non-profits in West Dallas. On Wednesdays we split into teams and serve all around the community. The students are at the same site every week. I take 3 of my girls to a ministry called Brother Bill's Helping Hand, and we LOVE it. Brother Bill's started as a food pantry in the 1940's (!!!!), and has developed into an incredible organization with a grocery store, clinic, and various classes to serve the people of West Dallas. My ladies are worker bees, let me tell ya. We have done a variety of tasks, and they work us pretty hard to be honest! My girls have not complained ONCE. They look forward to serving with the awesome people at Brother Bill's every week, and they serve with their whole hearts and a smile on their faces. Yet another time when my expectations have been surpassed by these amazing young people.

Thursdays we have electives at Mercy Street. The students could choose what elective they chose based on their interests, and they get to spend 2 hours learning more about something they are already interested in. The hope is to further their excitement and knowledge about their elective and equip them to further pursue their interest in the future. The electives are: bike shop, business technology, hip-hop, and dance. This is another program in place to help students dream and help them to look into the future of what God might have for them.

Well, there you have it! A layout of a week in Mercy Street's Leadership Institute and all of my thoughts about it. I LOVE what I'm doing this summer. Absolutely love it. I am being challenged spiritually and stretched farther than I've been stretched before. It's really exciting to me! I love the community of people on staff and getting the chance to step into that. I love West Dallas, and my whole heart wants these students to love and serve Jesus with their whole hearts and lead this community into a better future. I feel blessed to be one of the broken vessels that God's choosing to use to get his glory in this community.