06/10/2020
Greetings and Blessings! Missing a summer serving the poor here at ReCreation? So are we. Many of you have reached out asking what happened and where we went..for that let me say we apologize, we should have been more open to the many changes taking place.. but, honestly, at the time, it was a bit painful. Our last summer here at Red Oak was 2018. The simplest way to share with you the closing of what was a 30 year beautiful expression of God's great work is to say "the cloud moved". In the Old Testament.. the Hebrew Children followed the cloud of God's leading and direction.. and we did as well. Starting in the mid 2000's we began to see the redirection of many youth groups and churches missions. Our numbers began to decline and when we asked the leaders of churches.. the overwhelming response was that leaders and groups loved what we were doing, but, were just looking for something else. We prayed about changing who we were..should we lighten the work or should we offer alternative mission opportunities? God continually reminded us that we were to share our faith through home repair mission..until we weren't. We reached a point in 2018 where our participant numbers would not support the mission any longer. We were blessed to have a Board and Staff that listened and knew that the cloud had moved. So, in pain, we said goodbye. It hurt. The desire to serve was still there and the desire to sing those songs and dance that dance was still alive, but, it was time. Dave Torbett took a piece of the ministry to the Florida PanHandle and is still there serving and leaning into finding ways for people to partner their faith with folks in need (no Dancing Generation or Who Is In The House though..) Jorge Herrera is still in Weaverville NC being ever faithful to the calling Christ laid upon his heart. We both find ourselves at this time every year longing for more time to hear the many voices shouting "OUR HEARTS CANNOT STAY SILENT"..I cannot watch that video without feeling my heart swell and eyes fill with tears, but we are trusting Gods timing to be perfect in all things. We miss those moments, but, trust they were all in Gods plan and timing for everyone. These are now stones of remembrance. Moments to remind us of a time when God was great in our midst. For those of you who were under that cloud over those 28 years..remember and be changed by God's presence daily.
Now that some time and healing has passed..you will see us here on this page..reminding you of Gods great love and compassion for all of us. "Our Hearts Cannot Stay Silent" right now..more than ever our world needs to know that.
Peace
Dave Torbett
