Omaha Student Mission Trip

Hello everyone!

We hope you enjoy following along with our students as they serve with Christ For the Cities in Omaha, Nebraska.

We'll include an update, some prayer requests, and of course, photos!

Check back here to see more. We'll always include the most recent at the top and older posts down below. You'll never miss a moment!

Before our devotional this morning, our missions coordinator shared with us that she received feedback that we were the best group Open Door has worked with so far this summer.  We studied Mark 1:40-45. We talked about how Jesus is always willing to reach out a hand to us. We talked about how the gift of eternal life that Jesus provides us is so much greater than healing leprosy, so we should be even more excited to share that news with others than the man in this passage. We talked about how important it is to know where to go when you need healing. Unless we’re seeking Jesus, we won’t experience true healing.

Our first service project was at the Hope Center for Kids, a community activity program for kids where youth can take part in academic support, youth development, and faith-based learning opportunities. We learned that they serve about 200 kids in the summer at a cost of only $10 per year which means they rely on donations and ministries and volunteers to operate. They also have a commercial kitchen that they use to serve 3 meals a day to their kids and they also open dinners up to the public. Meals are prepared in house and they have gardens on the property so their kids get farm to table experience. Last year they produced 500# of food. Their unused food is given to their member families or donated to the community. Their 4 pillars are faith, employment, collaboration, and education. They have one of the last roller rinks in that area that doubles as a gym and serves as space for the community to gather; some group use for the activities, others use the space for Bible studies, a congregation meets there for church on Sundays, and endless other uses.

While we were at the center, we were able to connect and play with the attending kids ranging from elementary to high school ages. A group of us also cleared out a storage room to prepare space for other needs. We had a lot of fun while we were there, connecting with the kids and enjoying the space and activities ourselves. We were grateful to have served an organization that serves their community well.

We moved on from there to the Omaha Food Bank where we were able to package corn cobs to be distributed to food shelf locations. We worked in a cold room, battling freezing hands, under sanitary conditions that required us to be geared up with gloves and hair nets. It turned into a friendly competition which led to us doing 2 hours of work in only 1-1/2 hours. The staff were impressed with our group. They didn’t anticipate we would be able to get through all the corn they laid out for us, let alone get through it all in less time than allotted. They apologized for not having more work for us and explained that they didn’t know our group would be such efficient workers so it was rewarding work. In the short time we were there, we were able to package 5,560 pounds of corn which will feed almost 1,400 families so we were happy to hear the measurable impact our efforts made.

We enjoyed dinner at the Corvette Cafe restaurant, a favorite that only the locals know and moved on to our final service project at Victory Riding Academy, where we started out by helping to clear out weeds and overgrown trees in their yard. Then we moved on to the horse pens to help the staff clean up manure. This was an activity that was new for a lot of our students so the exposure to ranch life was a learning experience. The students really enjoyed being able to meet the horses, learn about them and learn how they are used in this organization. This center offers intentional interaction with the horses to promote personal growth, emotional awareness, communication, leadership, confidence, and stress management. They are an all inclusive program but have a heart for students and for supporting veterans as they transition back to civilian life so we were happy to be a part of helping them so they can continue their good work.

We returned to the place where we reflected on the day and the week. We had all been writing note cards for each other throughout the week so we took some personal time to read through our notes of encouragement to each other. We spent time laughing together, some crying together, and much prayer over each other as we closed the night and the week.

Much external impact was made this week, but we bring back with us the internal impact - grateful hearts with a fresh perspective to see all the ways God provides for us in our daily lives and an eagerness to find ways to connect and serve in our own community. We were blessed by our time in Omaha and we thank you for supporting this trip and for those of you following our activities and praying for us.

At our devotional this morning, we studied Luke 15:11-32. We talked about falling short like the prodigal son and managing life apart from the guidance and provision of his father. We talked about relying on God’s strength as we might be running short on energy at this point in the week or may be longing for our beds at home. We recognized that as we’re serving, we’re not going to fix all problems, only Jesus can do that. Jesus is the only Savior, our job is just to listen and remind people they have value and are made in God’s image and that His grace and forgiveness extends to everybody. We prayed for opportunities for conversations and for ourselves to be open to having those conversations.

Our service project today started at the Sozo Coffee Shop in downtown Omaha. We got to hear about how the ministry started and hear the testimony of a teenage gal who was hugely impacted by the owner and now works at the coffee shop. Sozo started as an at home Bible study that grew beyond homes. The owner was inspired to reach 18-35 year olds due to people in that age group leaving the faith. With a college nearby, there was an abundant population to reach. The building they occupy used to be a bar but is now home to a coffee shop, lounge area, event center, and rental spaces that can be used for Bible studies or otherwise. “Sozo” means safe place and salvation. They strive to be a safe place for all in the heart of downtown, amidst a heavy bar community. We were grateful to hear about the impact they’re making and we were able to enjoy a coffee beverage with our packed lunches before moving on to our afternoon activity.

Our next service project was at the Open Door Mission Timberlake Outreach Center, that distributes thrift store items and food pantry items for free to needy families. We performed many various tasks, such as sorting clothes by size and type, organizing hangers to be reused, distributing items to shelves, matching shoes, folding bedding, assembling food bundles, and distributing food pantry items. We were told we accomplished at least two weeks of work in the short time that we were there so it felt good to know we made a lasting impact.

We moved on from there to the homeless shelter, Open Door Hospitality Center, where we were able to hear a powerful testimony of one of the men who had successfully graduated but continues to mentor others who have found themselves in similar situations to his. Our group got a tour of the facility and it was amazing to see all the growth that’s happened since we were here two years ago. The brand new facility was built from donated funds and is known as the nicest facility in the area to the people who feel grateful to even stay there. We learned that the facility has a goal of having 50-60% of their paid staff be made up of graduates of the program. The fact they are able to accomplish this is a testament to the success and impact this facility makes.

We had a short break so we took a quick trip to grab ice cream. Then we headed back to the homeless shelter where we ate and served dinner. Our group had opportunities to sit with the homeless people to share a meal and conversation. God moved in such a big way today. I can’t even begin to detail out all the amazing interactions we had talking with the staff and homeless people during our time there. Hopefully you’ll get a chance to hear some of the stories when we come home and share but simply put, it’s so evident that God is present in this ministry and changing lives. We were so humbled by the positive attitudes many of these people display despite all the struggles and afflictions that landed them in this facility. It was truly inspirational to see God working in these people’s lives, giving them a hope for their futures. We’re so proud of all these students for stepping outside of their comfort zones to have intentional conversations, pray for people, listen to their stories, be a beacon of God’s light, and demonstrate God’s love through simple interactions. I think the group consensus was that we left feeling we received more impact than we delivered though and it was truly a blessing.

We went back to “The Place” to debrief - exchange success stories, share challenging moments, and spend time in prayer for the people we came into contact with today.

Tomorrow is our last service day so please pray for renewed strength and energy after an emotional day today so we can experience continued growth and have more opportunity for impact to finish this week out strong.

We focused on Matthew 19:16-26 today. Through this passage we recognized our need for Christ. We talked about how God wants us to give Him everything we are, including any fears we have to grow or move outside our comfort zone. Our reliance is on God, not our own efforts. So we left for our service project trusting God to work through us and in us.

Our service project today was with Hope Net Ministries. We worked with Sue, who is the working board member in charge of their Sequels thrift stores. The location we worked at was an old gas/car wash station joined with a Dairy Queen.

The tasks we did today seemed somewhat menial but we’re trusting the Lord to use our efforts for His good. As people drop off donations and those donations are sold, it leaves behind empty totes. So we sorted through more totes and lids than any of us have ever seen in a small space before and searched and searched to match lids to totes. We even worked together and formed an assembly line to expedite the process. Having ready totes helps the staff be able to grab and go rather than wasting their time searching. It served us right away as some of our group helped sort through boxes that were water damaged from a leak in their roof. They were able to transfer the salvageable items to waterproof totes (with lids) so items are safe if roof leaks happen to occur again. Some of our group sorted through hangers, which similarly helps the staff be able to grab what they need with little effort. We also helped organize and transition seasonal items so that the current season items are more accessible and they helped assemble shelving units to have more storage space. We were blessed by the DQ next door with water from their fountain machine and a cool place to eat our packed lunches.

After that we headed out to spend some time at the Omaha zoo. I don’t think any of us was able to see all 17,000 species that the zoo has to offer but it sure was cool to observe just a fraction of God’s creations, especially after listening to Pastor Rick’s latest sermon series on God’s Design in Genesis. Even seeing giraffes reminded us of the fun facts Corrick shared at church last Sunday and helped us reflect on how God doesn’t do anything by accident. Everything has intentional design, purpose, and reflects back to our Creator.

We enjoyed dinner at Spaghetti Works restaurant at the Old Market and took an impromptu walk over to the Gene Leahy Mall to explore and enjoy some free time. We’re back at “The Place” where we sang to Caleb for his 18th birthday and debriefed from the day’s happenings. We’re sure grateful for air conditioning and showers after the long, hot day in the sun.

We’re excited for tomorrow’s service projects and how God will use us. Please pray that we continue to represent His Kingdom well and that God will give our work purpose even if we don’t always get to see the immediate impact it makes.

We’re learning the rhythm for this week…how early we need to wake up to be able have time to get ready for the day, eat breakfast, and pack our lunches before we head out for our service projects.

We completed a group devotional this morning where we talked about how important it is to be connected to the Vine if we want to be branches that produce fruit. We reflected on Pastor Rick’s message on Sunday that talked about abiding in Christ, how Jesus is the one who does the work, we are just the willing vessels, longing for Christ to do His work through us. And that was exactly our hope as we left for our first service project.

This morning we served at a Siena Francis House, one of the homeless shelters that provides meals and other needs for the homeless. Some of our group worked behind the scenes in the kitchen to prepare their Tuesday lunch and a handful of us got to be a part of serving the Monday lunch. Others helped organize items in the refrigerator and pantry shelves to dispose of expired food and relocate food items to help the kitchen staff function more efficiently and be able to focus on primary needs. Others endured the heat outside to power wash garbage cans and carts. The rest of the group worked in their thrift store area, swapping seasonal items, loading items to be donated elsewhere, making bedding packages to be distributed, sorting through incoming donations, and adding clothing items to an organized closet where people are allowed to come shop for free.

We took a break for lunch and then headed to Solomon’s Porch, previously The Beautiful Gate, where nonprofit owner Heidi is passionate for street evangelism and meeting the needs of the homeless population around her. We started with worship in an effort to align our hearts to God and give Him the glory and we wasted no time diving in to help at Heidi’s establishment, inside and out. We were able to make a big impact in a short amount of time to ultimately keep her worship area welcoming, readied with water and snacks, keep her kitchen area sanitary, and provide ease of access to the items at her thrift store. We organized cabinets, washed windows and lights, revamped whiteboard signs, pulled weeds, cleaned the kitchen, prepared snacks, sorted thrift store items, vacuumed, wiped out refrigerators, and other various tasks.

We ended the service project with Heidi guiding us on a prayer walk around her block. The students took turns praying for the safety of the people in that area and for the afflictions they experience through addictions, mental health, and violence. We prayed for Jesus to remain the focus of this ministry and for people to commit themselves to the Lord through their contact with it. We prayed for the fruit of this ministry to multiply so it can continue bearing more fruit. And we prayed over the finances and transition this ministry has experienced recently.

Many hands made light work today. The organizations we worked with were so happy to receive our helpful hands. It was a great introduction to the week and the group was eager to jump in and get our hands dirty, some literally.  

We’re back at “The Place” to rest, fill our stomachs, and enjoy some fellowship. The students are taking turns caring for each other through the preparation and clean up of meals.

It was a good, but busy day so please pray our group is being intentional to take time to reflect on what God showed them today, what He revealed about Himself and what He taught them about themselves today.

Last night, the team landed, set up our beds, gained familiarity with our surroundings and the staff leading us this week. We went to bed somewhat early to conserve our energy for service projects today.