For You

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all his people – the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true word of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fuit and growing throughout the whole world – just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.

- Colossians 1:3-6

While these words are St. Paul’s, they resonate in tune for you and I as well.

I have one word to describe my experience last summer in Hartford, Connecticut: Challenging.  Living in the most distressed area of one of the most financially blessed states bought the stark contrast of wealth and poverty into my view.  I gained an appreciation and vision for the way God empowers people through Jesus Christ, a more passionate thirst for scripture, a rekindled understanding of what god’s will being done on earth can look like, and a release from cynicism – replaced with God’s promise to restore the world for better – and what my role in that is.

Along with three other interns, I worked and lived on the first floor of The Vine, Hartford City Mission’s ministry house.  We helped run Camp Noah, an after summer-school camp for elementary schoolers.  From the group of boys I had, I remember two of them especially well:  Jordan and Anthony.  Anthony brought energy and excitement to every activity at camp, and Jordan was just like me growing up – always trying to fit in, but really goofy at the same time.  I was thrilled at the end of the summer program when they both made decisions to follow Christ; I still pray for them on a regular basis.

This coming summer will be an extension of last summer.  While we will still be running Camp Noah during the afternoons, the time surrounding camp will be spent differently.  I will be living upstairs at The Vine with the regular community.  I’ll be partnering with Young Life, a Christian organization whose primary vision is to reach unchurched high school teens for Christ.  This connection with Young Life will enable me to work more closely with a few of the high school guys I established a relationship with last summer.  I’m especially excited to spend time with Willis, a recent high school graduate who lives in the ministry house.  He told my supervisor just the other day that he’s “excited to live with me so I can teach him more about God and the Bible.”

God is on the move in Hartford.  He has prepared an incredible harvest and I am blessed to have been called by Him to work the fields.  I am grateful that He has provided people like you to partner with in ministry, both through prayer and financial support.  Because Hartford City Mission requires that I raise partial support ($1,200), I thank you for prayerfully considering how God might be calling you to be a part of His work in inner-city Hartford this summer.

I leave for Hartford on Sunday, May 31st.  Please feel free to contact me via the comment section on this blog – I’d love to talk with you about all that I’ve seen God do so far, as well as after August 10th when I come home.

In God’s love,
Steve Carroll

If you are interested in giving financially, please send a check to Hartford City Mission – PO Box 320397 Hartford, CT 06132 with Steve Carroll in the memo line.  Thank you.