Author: Kira, on staff in Portland, Oregon

I wasn’t sure what to expect when embarking on a trip to a new place, I only expected adventure. And an adventure it has been thus far. When I was presented with the opportunity to join the Kaleo staff I was so excited, yet with my excitement came a tinge of uncertainty. I wasn’t sure I could make it work with where I was in my life and career. Although I had felt in my heart the desire for travel I wanted to be sure it wasn’t for selfish reasons, so after debating with myself about it I realized I was thinking too much. The passage, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me”(Matthew 16:24), kept running through my mind and I still questioned myself, so I just continued to pray. Finally I asked God to be blunt with me and He definitely took it from there. Within a few weeks of being invited to join the team I moved the belongings I decided to keep into a storage unit, left my evolving career and friends, and followed Jesus to Portland. I am so glad that I opened my ears and gave God control. “My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.”(John 10:27)

I do my best to take everyday as an opportunity to help or learn and this experience has undoubtedly given me plenty of opportunities for both. We are partnered with so many great ministry sights who serve the homeless, the youth, and those who are recovering from various hardships. I have been serving on staff for about three weeks now, but this last week has been the most influential. All of the youth groups that God has blessed us with the opportunity to serve alongside have been so amazing. We had a group from Gateway in Austin, Texas that had incredible leadership and one from Green Valley Presbyterian Las Vegas, Nevada that warmed my heart, but this week the youngsters and their leaders really moved my soul. The group included about seventeen middle schoolers and six leaders from Westside Church in Yakima, Washington. Although they were younger than most of the groups we have had come through they were definitely not lacking in maturity.

The first day of serving at Open House ministries, a family shelter in Vancouver, Washington, the kinds hosted a VBS. They flourished when integrating into the existing environment of children and really took great interest in every single kiddo who attended. I was extremely impressed with the lesson and the level of creativity and spiritual maturity in which they delivered it. The youth of Westside participated in a culture walk through downtown Portland and also spent some time eating lunch with some of the homeless, who were either passing through or have made Portland their home. They were open eyed, open eared, and open hearted to everyone they encountered. We also served at the Union Gospel Mission thrift store where we had the opportunity to work alongside some people who were going through the UGM recovery program. Everyone worked hard and had fun as they assisted in the various needs throughout the shop, ranging from organization to heavy lifting as a group. Night Strike, a community gathering giving people the opportunity to love people, was a great experience for everyone to get to know some of the community as we “walked about” handing out sandwiches, socks, and juice. It gave us a chance to spread God’s love to some who didn’t even know they wanted it. The leaders of Westside Church have been amazing shepherds to each of their youth on the trip.

Everyone from Westside Church overflowed with wisdom, kindness, and a lighthearted fun filled nature. Watching Westside interact with the children of Open House was truly inspiring to me as an adult. I was even more uplifted by the interactions of the leaders from Westside and their youth. I am so thankful for the conversations we had, the services we were able to provide, and each individual I had the pleasure of engaging with. My life will forever be brighter because of my time here at Kaleo as I hope theirs will be as well. Thank you to our team here in Portland you are all incredible people, Ronnie and Jenny for providing this program for people like me who want to serve, the organizations it partners with so that we are able to, and the people we have the great honor of building relationships with. Hannah Erickson our amazing site director and incredibly inspiring leader you are outstanding at what you do and how you do it. I am so blessed to have been given an opportunity to have spent even a short time among the groups who have passed through as well as the rest of the Kaleo staff.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will have the light of life.”(John 8:12)