“Everyone has a story and we learned to listen.”

In our first year hosting Kaleo mission trips, this statement was made by one of our youth group leaders summarizing his team’s experience serving in the city.  As we began to think about what we would like to share with people concerning our ministry through this blog, this phrase kept popping back up in our minds.

We believe in the power of story to change lives because we ultimately believe that we are all part of one big story, the story of redemption we see in the Scriptures.  Sally Lloyd Jones, author of the Jesus Storybook Bible talks about Scripture this way:

“The Bible is most of all a Story. It’s an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne-everything-to rescues the ones he loves. It’s like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life!”

All of us are part of this story whether we recognize it or not.  All of us are the treasure that Christ came and died for.  And all of us who are believers in Christ are called to be part of God’s mission to rescue the treasure that he loved even to the point of death.

Our prayer is that you will be encouraged and challenged by hearing these stories of God at work.  In this blog, you will hear all kinds of stories.  You will get a chance to hear the passion of our ministry partners in loving the people God has given them to serve.  You will hear stories of how God has used Kaleo teams and staff to bless the ministries we partner with.  You will hear the stories of people whose lives have been changed by the power of the Gospel.  You will hear stories of Kaleo participants who develop a passion for serving other well after the trip ends.  And you will hear stories of broken people who are desperately in need of the hope of the Gospel.

In all of these stories, our prayer is that as we listen to them, each one of us will be conformed more to the image of our Redeemer and compelled to be a part of His mission to redeem our fallen world.