Members of the Kentucky Baptist Convention’s 1:8 Leadership Experience West team play a parachute game with a group of children at a housing complex in inner-city Denver. Now in its third year, the 1:8 Leadership Experience has expanded to two teams in order to accommodate the demand. Thirty-three students from Kentucky colleges are participating this summer. (Photo by Evelyn Fuson)

The Kentucky Baptist Convention is receiving great reports this summer in response to the work of some of our Baptist Campus Ministry students who are actively working to learn about and carry out the Great Commission through the 1:8 Leadership Experience.

Click here to read details about what these young people are doing in this story in the Western Recorder but I wanted to share here some of the feedback from those with whom our western team has been working. It comes from an e-mail to KBC Assistant Executive Director Steve Thompson and shared with permission:

Hello Steve,
from Jim Walters, Senior Pastor at Bear Valley Church in Lakewood, CO.

Your team of 16 college students (organized by Keith Inman) just departed our city after three weeks of serving our church through its Multihousing Ministry. Over the years, I have been on many mission trips and have hosted many teams. This team, of KY college students, was the most outstanding group of young adults doing ministry that I have ever witnessed. They were an absolute delight and encouragement to our church, our multihousing workers, and scores of residents who are lost and lonely.

We cannot say enough good about them, but below is the report from our Multihousing Coordinator, sent to me this morning.

For now, I wanted to make your day as you read through the report below, and thank you for sending these workers to us.

Jim Walters
Senior Pastor
Bear Valley Church

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From: Luann Turner
Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 2010 6:35 PM
To: Jim Walters
Subject: Kentucky

Today was the last day of a remarkable month in our multi-housing outreaches. This was the day the 16 college students were to be “off” – packing, cleaning, and seeing sights in Denver. Instead, a group of them were back at one of our apartment communities playing with the kids they have been teaching, playing with and loving on for the past 3 weeks. These college kids fell in love with our folks, and our folks fell in love with them.

The Kentucky Baptist Convention sent us kind-hearted, responsible, loving servants. It was a group of young adults willing to work hard and do whatever needed to be done with whoever needed it at the moment. All were willing, eager, pleasant – to everyone. As one of our volunteers said, “Only God could have put together a group like this.”

In 3 weeks, they worked with us to feed over 600 meals, host 4 carnivals, 4 Vacation Bible schools, and 3 field trips. They gave swim lessons, led worship, taught both teens and adults, shared their testimonies, visited folks in assisted living, delivered welcome baskets and flyered apartments. They moved bricks, ran a jack hammer, and helped out two church planters painting, gardening and doing all sorts of manual labor for them. They prayed with and for folks, and prayed with 5 to receive Christ, following up with them with Bibles and basic discipleship. They took photos and made a DVD presentation for us to use in recruiting volunteers.

Our seniors in assisted living and our children were especially touched by the love these college kids rained down on them. The kids wait at the church door for them to come and play with them.

In the midst of this, they served and loved our other volunteers and leadership team equally well.

Two stories especially touch my heart:

• One young man floated another young man, P.J., who suffers from cerebral palsey, in the pool, giving him an incredible afternoon.
• Another young man asked the elderly woman he was visiting if he could walk her to her room. Of course she was honored, and took him in to show him her family pictures.

But the stories are endless. One young woman essentially baby-sat a little boy day after day so his sister could play and be a little girl instead of a “mom”. Others cooked, cleaned, led another mission team, did crafts, swam, played basketball – on and on – all with loving hearts that touched one and all in ways beyond what I can put in words. Only in eternity will we know all the fruit that this trip has produced.

A few of our leaders wrote these words in gratitude:

“It’s been a pleasure to meet you and witness the fellowship you have shared with the GG kids.  YOU made each day special for these kids and I know they will not forget your visit.  You have inspired and opened new doors for many of them in thier walk with Christ.  God bless you and your ministry.” –  Scott

“I just wanted to express our appreciation to Jeremiah and Chris for their help on Thursday, June 17th.  They arrived that afternoon with a willingness to help and ended up moving brick, mortar, landscape ties (old creosote railroad ties) and trash for us.  Their appearance worked out well as we just happened to be demolishing a chimney and needed to jackhammer out an old sidewalk.  Both Jeremiah and Chris jumped right in and worked very hard to help us with this heavy work.  What great attitudes they showed as they helped us out.  Their assistence was a real blessing for us and resulted in much more work being done than planned.  It saved some of us ‘old guys’ from overdoing it too…! Please express our gratitude to Jeremiah and Chris for their work that day!” — Keith & Tammy

“Thank you so much for your wonderful ministry to the children in my new neighborhood. NEVER would I have tried to do such an outreach at my house with everything so “unready” & “undone”, but God’s ways are not my ways and your work with the kids was every bit as much of a blessing to me as it was to all the kids.  You provided the “jump start” we needed to begin to minister to the Multi-Housing communities all around our home!  May God bless you richly and continue to advance His Kingdom through you as He already is!  I can’t think of a better “House Warming” for me & Keith than what you brought during these hot summer days!  Wish you didn’t have to leave!  All my love and sincerest appreciation.” — Tammy

“The students were just amazing! Such a gift to us, and as I am sure you know by now, fantastic examples of what it means to follow in the way of Jesus.” — Karl

“Thank you for the ways you supported our team.  You not only loved our kids well but us as well.  You were always willing to do whatever we needed with such a teachable spirit.  I have no doubts that only God could put a team together so perfectly.  God bless you as you move on.  Our hearts go with you.” — Brenda

“Hebrews 6:10 talks about what you have done for the children of Green Gables.  You have shown God’s love by the love you have given to each of the children.  God will truly bless each of you! We love you all!” — Tom and Barb

So, Kentucky, we cannot thank you enough!

–Robert Reeves