“My life has been forever changed.”

Thompson Station UMC prepares to wash the feet of our unhoused friends.

On our recent life-changing mission trip to urban Nashville with Open Table Nashville as our ministry partner, we had the privilege of washing the feet of the homeless and marginalized, hosting meals for the hungry and transitional brothers and sisters, meeting new friends at Hobson House, and delivering survival supplies to the homeless camps throughout the Nashville area.

The children on our team (ages 9 to 15) were the first in line to volunteer to wash the tired and injured feet that God would bring before us, as Jesus washed His disciples’ feet the night before he died for our sins. Our children begged to have the chance to also wash any children’s feet who might be there. They laid out all the supplies and eagerly asked those at Loaves & Fishes to come forward and have their feet washed.

Every ounce of apprehension that our adults had melted into tears of joy as we saw our children’s eager faces and smiles working at the feet of those who were hungry, tired and hurting, then placing brand new socks on their clean, restored feet. We witnessed the most beautiful act of humble service we had even seen, as God used our children to show us how to truly be His hands and feet in our broken world that day. Jesus knelt on the floor and washed feet with us that day, and it was nothing short of awesome.
Here are some of the comments from our team after serving:
“As I knelt to wash his feet and tell him Jesus loved him, he quietly looked into our eyes and said, ‘No one has ever shown me love like this.’”

“Wow! I’ve never experienced anything like this…being totally anxious because of the unknown with the foot wash. Then what a great close…what a bright light. This trip was amazing.”
 
“What an awesome experience. I was able to do things I didn’t think I would ever get the opportunity to do. It was more of a blessing for me than for who we were called to bless.”

Thank you, Open Table Nashville servants Kylie, Ingrid, Lauren, Erin, Tiffany and Dawn for taking the time to allow us to live out Jesus’ command to love on another and serve those in need. You taught us how to live out Matthew 25, and we are forever changed. God bless you for your committment to be Jesus’ hands and feet in Nashville!
Blessed to serve,
Elizabeth Baldwin

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