There continues to be strong interest in the monthly (3^rd Sat) Work Days. Even in the cold and unpredictable weather of January and February we have had the privilege of working with several groups from churches such as Ben Davis Christian Church, The Church at Mt. Gilead, Grace Community Church, and Smith Valley United Methodist Church. Groups have worked with the clothing ministry at Shephard Community and continued the rehab work at neighborhood Fellowship Church. For March, April, and May we have all the groups we can handle, so we're excited about meeting some more new people and perhaps getting the chance to work with them for a week in the summer.

Believe it or not, when teens use tools, they are not necessarily easy on them, and so Mission Indy has quite a collection of tools and equipemnt in need of repair. These are things that could be taken or delivered to your place, and worked on at your leisure over the winter and spring. If you have any skill or know of someone who does, please contact the Mission Indy office at 317-423-3505 or email us and we can discuss it in detail.

On January 20, Nick & Niccole Wilkes joined Ron on a visit to the I.U. Campus House in Bloomington. This was our first trip to the house, and we were excited to mingle with the students, especially Erin Sweeney from Fairfax Christian Church. We experienced technical difficulties, so we were not able to show the great DVD that Nick & Niccole had put together, but we did share the Summer Staff Program and then stayed around to talk with interested students after the worship time. Niccole & Ron also spent a day at Anderson University on January 25, and talked with a few interested students there, as well. In February our visits included a trip to One Accord, the college ministry of Mt. Pleasant CC and we spent a couple of days at Lincoln Christian College's week of Worldwide Witness, before visiting the Purdue Campus House on February 10^th. Time is running close, but we now have several applications in or on the way, so we are eagerly looking forward to the interview process. Then we simply have to pray and ask God to lead us to the right eight or nine people to fill our Summer Staff. Please pray with us, as we really believe this program might be the most important work we do.

Thanks to Common Ground Christian Church who gave a generous donation toward erasing the deficit. We praise God that we entered 2005 in the black!

We are also happy to report that Grace Missionary Church became a supporter in January.

Reminiscing back to the summer I served with Mission Indy, I realize how much that experience truly change and matured me. When I graduated from high school, I was convinced that a bible college was the next step in this spiritual journey, because that's what real children of the church do, of course. It was also an amazing opportunity to get real, professional, Biblical education with "my own kind." The teaching was amazing, the professors were phenomenal, and the student body was very uplifting. In the midst of this experience, I couldn't help this deep feeling that something was missing. Sadly, I think this is the story of too many college

students of the church. In this immaculate Bible college bubble, I wasn't talking to non-Christians. I decided that this environment was not where God was going to teach me what soon would be His individualized, personal lesson to me. Ron and Niccole came to my Bible college for college recruitment, and I can't tell you what made me approach the table, really. I just knew that God wanted me to be involved with service somewhere for more than just an emotional-filled week. He wanted me to get my hands dirty and take off my lovely rose-colored glasses. Words can't fully explain my 10-week experience with Mission Indy.

Every other week, I worked the actual service camps. The four, seven day camp weeks ere long-filled with Power-Up preparation, devotions, and hands-on service in the nitty-gritty of Indianapolis. I was able to familiarize myself with the various inner-city organizations and para-churches that run many of the ministries with which we served over the summer. We learned about the community aspect and the completely different culture that exists. At the work sites, I talked to gangsters who sincerely wondered why we were cleaning up the neighborhoods. At the VBS sites, I held babies who hadn't eaten in days, shoving down our sandwiches and candy until they were sick. Every other week I worked an inner-city Christian day camp as a teacher for under-privileged nine year olds. I held children who had been beaten the night before and even raped, the children who couldn't understand what real love is. I stared helplessness in the eyes, this numbness and overpowering hopelessness. God opened my eyes and let me feel. I cried a lot that summer, a complete mourning inside my heart. I couldn't believe that this environment was located just 20 minutes from my comfortable, suburban home.

I learned a lot that summer, and not just the street smarts. I came away with a new paradigm of thinking. I realized that not everything falls within the suburban, contemporary culture, and that God can work in an unstructured and blunt environment. The experience allows me to now look at my surroundings and the needs that present themselves in the most ordinary places. I don't have to go to Mexico or Africa to serve. There are needs all around me, all around everyone for that matter. The experience taught me that this is what God explicitly is about: Loving people. Serving People. Telling them about His love and grace. I realize that this is our purpose, the church's purpose. As much religious language and complicated church politics with which I, and I know may other Christians, become numbed and discouraged, the church is the body of Christ Change and service must start within the church as a unified body.

All in all, Mission Indy was amazing. I walked away with so many close friendships, memories and experiences I will forever cherish. I pray that these same experiences will continue to touch the lives of many more Mission Indy Summer Staff members and every individual who supports Mission Indy's mission and hard work.

Now, though I am not currently working full-time in inner-city ministry, helping move mountains as I once felt, I am learning to serve where God has placed me for the moment. I am a full-time college student in preparation for a doctoral program in graduate school and work part-time. I study very diverse believe structures and am questioned for my own Christian beliefs and actions. I pray that God will continue to use me as an effective tool wherever He guides me throughout my life.