Effective.

Amazing is our God, amen? It’s been such an incredible week thus far, full of excitement for the last two weeks of this crazy ride I’ve been on. Every school I liken to one of Paul’s churches in the epistles, each with it’s own needs and challenges, fears and victories. Yesterday we were at Rossenberg and it stood out to me, however I find whenever I really invest into a school with prayer before I arrive, the fruits are always more memorable. After the 2nd show I sat at the end of the show Angel, a beautiful slender blonde, in an olive green pull over, little glasses, and her hair loosly pulled into a low ponytail, came up to me with moist eyes she said, “That show really affected me a lot. That’s my life. I have really low self esteem, I get picked on and made fun of all the time, because of how I look, and how I act. I hate it I am tired of always feeling wrong about myself…” I interrupted her, “What’s your name?” “Angel,” she said, “Well, Angel you are an Angel. That’s ridiculous! There is nothing wrong with you. You are so beautiful, do you know that? I’m so sorry people have lied to you about who you are.” She was struggling to keep her composure, “And I always break down if someone tries to hurt me or even when they compliment me, but today I’ve decided I am going to change, I’m not going to let others tell me how I need to be, I’m going to be like the guy talked about in the video, and not let other people tell me who I am. I’m going to be myself.” I was amazed that after seeing a one hour presentation, she was prepared to change not only how she responds to others, but also how she views herself on the inside. And I got to talk to her! After I finished my conversation, I went out of the auditorium into the green room to meet a large stack of spiral notebooks from the middle school group, the choir teacher had set them there for us to read, and tears welled up in my eyes as I began to read the responses of the kids to our show. Journal after journal things they would never say out loud, “I relate to this character because, I am bullied, I have problems with my dad and mom at home. I relate to the pressure this character felt, the pain this one experienced…I’m ignored, rejected, left out, hopeless, hurting…” Literal descriptions of what they felt and experienced, “My mom is in jail so I get picked on about that all the time, and I have no friends…” Then the thing that really surprised me was what else they wrote. “What the Janitor [our “Jesus” character in the show, who sees everything they go through, and gives “God advice”] said was really good advice, I want to just be myself and not let other people tell me how I need to be…I want to try harder but not get pressured by other people and situations to do well, like the jock. I want to be more careful about what I say to other people and not hurt them anymore. I realized when I was watching the guy at the end, that I can make a difference…” It blew my mind! It was like everything we hope would come out of the show, how we would want the kids to respond was there on paper. They asked questions of themselves and why things had evolved in there lives the way they had. What a gift for me to get to peer into their inner hearts. I love what I do folks, and it’s making a powerful impact on this generation!! Last week alone four school shootings occurred in the United States in Northern Illinois, Southern California, Memphis Tennessee, and Baton Rouge Louisiana. The effect it had on our team is somewhat different than the general public, because this is why we do what we do. I grieve and am still in mourning for the ones who lost their lives and even more the families who are missing pieces of their hearts. Being in this show and part of this ministry causes you to totally return to sensitivity about these issues, where so often we are numb to the violent and Godless events of our day. Yet, we scream with our lives, you can not ignore these terrible atrocities, right on our public schools!!! I used to think I was the only one who really sobbed at night for these people, the only young girl still in early teens, who was desperate when I saw the papers and the news as shootings became more and more common place. Ever since Columbine happened I knew I would do something to stop it, someday. I had no idea it would involve the arts, or New York, but ever since that awful day, I followed the school shooting stats, and longed to see a change, and now I am the change with my team and yesterday we were invited to the National Bullying Convention to be held in Indianapolis Indiana in November!! This is a big deal!!! I am so excited to be part of this!! 
 
Last night we had an incredible and tearful time of thanksgiving prayer reading scripture, praising the Lord, and recognizing all He fulfilled and surprised us with, for all His grace and abundant blessings on our team and in our family style relationships, I am so Blessed by all I have gained from these 40 people who have become part of my life forever whether I see them again or not, their names will always be written on my heart!! 
 
We now have only 4 more school days until we drive back to NY for a week of debriefing, and then off to Kansas city and Seattle!! I am sooo looking forward to seeing each of you and sharing more of what God has been up to over here!! And I can’t wait to catch up with you guys!! To all of you who have responded to my updates with encouragement and prayer requests thanks so much for keeping me in the loop, and valuing our relationship to the point of communication!!! Even in the midst of busy lives I am honored to be counted your friend and prayer support!! I love you all!! 
 
Phillipians 1 
3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 
 
 7It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. 
 
 9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. 
 
Because He is worthy, 
 
Breanna Noel Wilson