Final Mission Year Newsletter

As you may have guessed, June and July have gone by in a whirl. We're sad that it will soon be time to depart Roseland, but excited to embark on lifes next journey. It's been a very busy month, so I'll do my best to summarize. June started off well with the completion of our justice project (see the last picture to view the finished memorial). Currently, the garden is looking quite lush and starting to bear fruit. It hasn't taken the kids long to figure out how to pull a radish. The tricky part now is getting them to eat the radishes they harvest. The housing ministry has been busy with summer work groups as well. It's been nice having all the extra help. The mission team from Holland, MI went above and beyond by providing food for a block party in the newly beautified vacant lot across from our house. It was an awesome night of praise and worship on the street that ended with Harold sharing the Gospel. Please pray the God continues to soften the hearts of our 102 nd Place family so that those who don't know Christ may. This first week in July has been spent planning for summer camp, which will start next week, and celebrating the 4 th with our neighbors. We are all living proof that you can set off copious amounts of fireworks in a highly urbanized area and not burn down the whole city (though I still don't recommend it). The last few weeks will be jam packed. We have a closing dinner for both ours and the west-side team, a final fundraiser (carwash time!!), and closing retreat in Wisconsin. Our team asks that you pray for us in the final moments we have here, so we may leave in a manner that glorifies our King. I'd like to use this last paragraph to tell you a bit of our future plans. Let's start with individual team members: Chelsea will be relocating to Berwick, PA to pursue future career paths from her home town, Chonte is staying here in Roseland where she'll continue ministering to and loving the community, Elsa is moving back to Dallas, TX and currently searching for jobs in that area, Ginny has been accepted to BIOLA University in Los Angeles and will start this fall, Harold will remain in our house on the block and continue as youth pastor of Roseland Christian Reformed Church, and I'll be starting school at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. It has been an awesome year. God already was and continues to work in Roseland. As with any major transition in life, things can seem a tad bittersweet, especially when loved ones are left behind. But God works all things to the good of those who love Him! We thank you all from the depths of our hearts for all the prayer and support you've provided us over the year. May we continue to be united as believers in Christ for all eternity, praise be to God!! In Love, Joshua B. Long