The Awesomeness of Host Homes

CTI team 14:22 has been on the road for a little over a week now, and I’ve just been blown away by the love that God has shown us – specifically through our host families. To arrange meals, accommodations, and showers for a team of 8 musicians (plus our awesome CTI staff member, Paul) is quite a burden, yet every place we’ve stayed so far has done so with grace, kindness, and incredible generosity. One specific example that sticks with me is our time last week at the University of Minnesota in Morris, MN. Rachelle and I were hosted by some of the members of the Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) group – four awesome girls named Ellie, JoJo, Katie, and Chelsea, who lived in a tiny 2-bedroom campus apartment. Not only did they make dinner for our entire team (and then got up crazy early to cook everyone pancakes at 6:45am the next day!), they gave up their beds so we could have a good sleep, stayed up late getting to know us, and just blessed us with their enthusiasm and love. I felt like they gave us so much during our brief stay there…they just filled us up so that we could be sent out to continue to minister to others. And this is something that I never would have expected. I know that we are here with CTI to be God’s servants, but I didn’t realize that so many people would be serving us in return with sincere joy.

For the past couple of nights, we’ve been in host homes where there are musical instruments present. And I’m sure you realize, guitars + a piano + a group of musicians = SPONTANEOUS JAM SESSION! Totally unplanned, we’ve ended up leading these awesome acoustic worship sessions with our host families, with everyone singing along and praising God together. And this is what I love so much about CTI – it really isn’t about us being performers on a stage. The important stuff happens off the stage, in our host homes, with the people around is. It’s about the love, the community, and building relationships.

14:22 Singing Chris Tomlin's Unfailing Love in Edgerton, MN

To everyone who has hosted this group of musicians so far, and everyone in the next year who will host us – thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. We know we are here to serve, and not be served. So to have all this love pouring out on us and be so blessed by you…well, I don’t think there are words to express our gratitude.

With love, on behalf of 14:22,
Lesley.