Executive Director’s Report, Spring 2017
Most of our kids’ informative years were spent running the hallways of UBC. Sometimes they were a little too comfortable and there are lots of Mobley kid stories to go around. Staci celebrated her birthday on multiple Sundays until Chris Haynes let her know that wasn’t how birthdays worked. Josh and another of the preschoolers faced off on a regular basis over territorial toy concerns. Stephen was terrified of one of the girls in his preschool class. He would ask with fear in his voice if she was going to be there on that Saturday. And the one we get reminded of often is Fausto calling us while we were riding the bus back to the remote parking at the school to see if we forgot something……Josh. We understand how Joseph and Mary felt.
Several of our stories would have caused great concern for visitors or even members who are loosely connected. But for Diann and me, there was never a thought that we would leave the church. Looking back, I can see it is because we were family. We did life together. And when you do life together, it gets messy at times. You don’t always get along. You don’t always agree. Sometimes you wish you didn’t love them so much. We were and continue to be blessed.
Our kids did more than survive at UBC, they thrived. They had their issues like any other kid raised in this century (or the last century, in their case), but people who were gifted by the Holy Spirit to work with kids and their parents poured their time and resources into our family. They prepared lessons every week, led in worship, taught RA’s, drove vans to camps, herded kids through Bible Drill. And we tried to do the same with their families. We were blessed.
God’s economy works. It doesn’t guarantee the outcome, but it certainly increases the odds. The perfect environment with the perfect father wasn’t enough for Adam and Eve. So stop listening to those voices that say you aren’t prepared to teach, prepared to serve, or too tired to try. Continue to invest in the Kingdom. Your rate of return will always beat the stock market. And in the process, we will raise another generation of Christ followers who will, in turn, invest in the Kingdom with a group of people they will consider family. And on occasion, Fausto will get to call them to see if they forgot something or someone. And they will be blessed.