Greetings!
Last month I wanted to share about an amazing opportunity where I was involved in helping in the Ignite Dunn event in Dunn, NC. The event provided a 24 hour worship and prayer under a field tent in the downtown area. Their mission was to spread the love of God in the city, work with the lower income neighborhoods, feed and clothe the homeless, and also help unify the church in Dunn as a whole. My experience in Dunn was life-changing because I had the ability to use my talents to help bless the community. My passion has always been to do missions in cities as well as bridging the gap in using creative arts to help give a voice to the voiceless.
Preparing and training the teams before we go evangelize.
We went door-to-door offering goody bags of hygiene products, sharing the gospel and listening to testimonies from those in the neighborhood.
The first day that I was there I was able to take part in the mission trip outreach in the lower income areas of Dunn. We went door-to-door meeting with people, inviting them to the tent for free food, and passing out bags filled with toiletries. I got the opportunity to meet some of the older community and learning the history of the city. Our goal was to find the “person of peace,” who pointed us in the direction of the house that needed the gospel. One team found a lady who drove up to them and told them which house to go to. When they arrived at the house, there were plenty of people outside. They found the one that God was leading them to and were able to share the gospel with her. She accepted Christ into her life and came back to the tent.
That night I was able to use creative arts to minister to the people at the tent. I painted an image based off of John 9 and the testimony of the blind man. During my day in Dunn I realized that God is reawakening the city and giving the people new vision to see God truly. So I made an image of a boy cleaning off the mud from his eyes with a veil that is now opened (see image above). The symbolism of the boy cleaning the mud off of his eyes refers to the testimony and the veil is a symbol of the relationship we have with God. Also when I was finished with the painting I was told that a healing had taken place the night before. A woman, on the first day of the event, was healed of her blindness. Since I didn’t know that, most of the people were amazed at how God was using people’s talents to bring Him glory.
This man accepted Christ the first day the tent was opened and was baptized later that week.
The second day that I was there, someone had already been healed from their wheelchair before we had the chance to park the car. The Community Center (see image below) came in the morning with a load of people waiting for the food that was still being cooked. One of the organizers for the tent, Mike Thornton, was able to share his testimony about living on the streets and having a drug addiction and several of the people gave their life to Christ. The best moments for me were during those times were when people accepted Christ into their lives and I was able to pray with them and encourage them in making a change. A woman I prayed with told me her testimony. I was able to pray over her and prophesy over her and some of the other women that were there.
The tent served as a shelter, a food truck, a clothing center, a place for worship, and a place for prayer. The best part of the tent was that everything was free or donated, even the tent was given to them for free. All the food each day was donated and we were able to be a huge blessing to the community. They had a clothes drive specifically for those who were in need. We had prayer teams ready for those who accepted Christ and local pastors were there to serve for discipleship purposes.
The tent was an amazing experience in which I had so much fun being a part of. I love how just by pitching a tent and just sharing the love of God with people, that you can bring so much joy to many hearts.
Thank you so much for making this all possible! With your donations, you are not only helping to change lives not only in Greenville, but across Eastern North Carolina.
Blessings,
Lauren Smith
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Prayer Requests
I have been planning on going on another mission trip this year and God has really placed Brazil on my heart. There is going to be a Brazil Mission Trip through Global Awakening. The trip is scheduled for December 5-13th. We will be traveling around to different areas, sharing the love of God to Brazilian people. The cost of the $3,299 all inclusive. Would you prayerfully consider sponsoring me to share the love of God to the nations at the end of the year? I will have more details in an upcoming newsletter.
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Looking Ahead
Alabaster Burn
The Boiler Room
220 East 5th Street
A woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.” But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. Matthew 26:7-10
Alabaster is a 24-hour offering of extravagant worship to Jesus. Join the local and regional family for a life-changing weekend of worship and celebration!
