an unexpected gift

Early this year, I made the transition to lead the Capernaum team after leading at Skyline High School for two years. What was at first a disheartening change in direction, leaving Skyline quickly turned into a gift I didn’t see coming: helping the Gospel reach people living with disabilities in Greater Ann Arbor.

Over the last five months, I’ve seen God show his face within Capernaum and answer our prayers of deeper friendships with young adults that have disabilities. One memory I have from this semester is the joy of playing Jenga with a friend at Club, later getting to talk with him as he processed the club talk on prayer and what that means for life with Jesus. With more leaders on the team and more capacity for events, we’ve also gotten to host informal “hangouts” at Culvers, which has given us more time in relationship with our friends and has led to fruitful contact work. My favorite so far was getting to take another leader and make basketball silly trick shot videos with one of our friends. Later that week, at our End of Year Picnic, I got to share the video with his mom, sharing a meal at a table with her and other parents. That full circle moment brought to mind the gift of ministry to parents, not just their children.

Looking to this summer and next fall, the team and I are excited to partner with the Lord in what he has for our friends. In all this, I personally feel a sense of purpose in Capernaum. The opportunity to lead the team has been an answered prayer that God would use me in the lives of his people in the time I have in Ann Arbor as a student.

— Alex Kaminski, Capernaum Volunteer Team Leader