After breakfast, we set out for our first ministry site this morning. Union Mission Ministries is a homeless shelter but we quickly found out that they are much more than just a place that provides a roof for those without one. They have a very extensive and well managed organization that seeks to meet real and felt needs of the homeless in Norfolk, VA. They provide meals, beds, job training, budget training, clothes, and strict guidelines that help move men, women, and families from the street into their own self-sustaining life. Along with that they understand people's real desire for a relationship with their Creator and so they seek to introduce everyone to Jesus and the power that can come from a relationship with Him.
Getting to take a tour was really eye-opening for everyone, but getting to partner with them by donating school supplies was a special way for everyone to feel connected to the work being done in Norfolk. The students were very impressed by the gratitude shown for the donations and excited to help kids that would not have otherwise even gotten new notebooks or pens for school.
After lunch and some competitive soccer at a local park, we headed to a nursing home named Consulate Health Care. It was nothing short of a miracle watching everyone step out of their comfort zone and engage with the residents that may or may not have been very responsive. Through games like wheelchair soccer and wii bowling as well as conversations around a table, God did a great work through everyone as they brought a smile to many residents at the Nursing home through the love they shared.
We ended the day with another porch time where Luke began to answer the question of where we can find God in our everyday lives and not only on a weekend long mission trip. During small group time everyone was able to wrestle with why it can be challenging to find God in Williamsburg and what we can do to reorient our lives toward Him. It has been a great day and we are looking forward to visiting Park Place Child Life Center tomorrow and then coming home.
See you tomorrow!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Day 1: The Norfolk Trip Begins
Our journey began around 5pm as we set out from the Chapel with 3 vehicles filled with excited kids! After getting a small taste of the traffic that always comes with a trip through the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, we arrived at Springbranch and enjoyed a wonderful pizza dinner.
After dinner we all gathered together for our first porch time, which is our nightly gathering where we share great moments from the day, sing songs, and have a talk from Luke or Emily to help process our experience on this mission trip. Tonight it was beautiful to watch 24 middle school students sing praises to God and listen intently to Emily as she gave an introductory talk about how to get the most out of this trip. She used Matthew 24 to show us how we are not only serving the people of Norfolk, but we are in fact serving Jesus himself. Along with that, she challenged everyone with the idea that even though we can see Jesus it does not mean we will see Him because we all have spiritual blind spots that can distract us.
Following porch time we split into small groups where everyone began to build relationships by sharing about experiences in their own life where God has shown up. Then we all discussed in our groups what our own personal spiritual blind spots might be and how we can battle against them so that we don't miss out on what Jesus has in store for us.
God has already begun a great work in the students on this trip and we are all very excited to dive right into serving tomorrow as we go to tour a homeless shelter in the morning and visit a nursing home in the afternoon. Thanks for entrusting us with your children for the weekend and check back tomorrow night for more on what God is doing in Norfolk, VA!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Norfolk Mission Trip Final Details
Everyone needs to meet at the chapel in the SM worship at 4pm on Thursday, July 28th, so that we can get everyone checked in, packed up, and ready to leave by 5:30pm. We are planning to return by 5:30pm on Saturday, July 30th.
Please sign-up for our text reminders by texting the word NORFOLKPARENT to the number 41411 if you have not already. I will send out travel updates as well as daily updates to keep everyone informed. Also, I will update this blog each night to inform you of what we did and where God showed up.
Below is a link to the packing list if you don't already have one. Please don't forget to purchase some school supplies for us to donate to the homeless shelter that we are touring.
Packing List
Contact Luke Kincaid if you have any further questions by phone at 757-941-1572 or by email at lkincaid@wcchapel.org.
Please sign-up for our text reminders by texting the word NORFOLKPARENT to the number 41411 if you have not already. I will send out travel updates as well as daily updates to keep everyone informed. Also, I will update this blog each night to inform you of what we did and where God showed up.
Below is a link to the packing list if you don't already have one. Please don't forget to purchase some school supplies for us to donate to the homeless shelter that we are touring.
Packing List
Contact Luke Kincaid if you have any further questions by phone at 757-941-1572 or by email at lkincaid@wcchapel.org.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
NYC Update - Serving Day 5 - July 15th
Today was an incredible way to end our time in NYC! Each serving group spent their morning either serving at a ministry site or engaging with a local neighborhood. Today it was group one's turn to participate in the Harlem Plunge. The guys in the group decided to buy a bunch of iced teas and walked around, handing the drinks out to men on the street, and asking if they could pray for those individuals. The ladies in the group had the same game plan, although their beverage of choice to distribute was coffee. Everyone really enjoyed the experience and felt that it capped off their serving time very well. Group two headed to the Yorkville Common Pantry in Harlem to start their day. The group served straight through for hours, handing out hundreds of bags of packaged food and vegetables to the clients. They were extremely impressed with the organizational skills of the Pantry's manager, who made the whole process run like clockwork. Group 3 went to Green Team this morning, a site previously visited by group 5. The group met a woman named Lisa at this site, and the students really enjoyed getting to know this lady and her story. Lisa had been incarcerated but was attempting to gain job skills to help turn her life around. While building their relationship with Lisa and encouraging her, the group also landscaped an area near Columbia University. CAMBA was the site for group 4 to serve this morning. This was the same organization that group 2 visited on Monday, a site that provides food and shelter to 11 homeless men. Today group 4 helped straighten up the housing site by folding sheets and towels for the guys to use. After speaking with one of the upperclassmen in the group, she said that volunteering there and seeing the kinds of linens and towels these guys used really made her appreciate all the luxuries that we so often take for granted back home. Group 5 spent their morning at the Russian Community Life Center, passing out bibles down on Coney Island. This team finished strong and really enjoyed interacting with the people in the area. The students also said that they just appreciated being able to enjoy God's creation on such a beautiful day while simultaneously serving God's Kingdom.
After finishing at all the morning sites, the team re-grouped at Central Park to hear a short devotional thought from Lex and have a final small group time with their leaders. Since our pre-trip training focused on Abraham and our final porch time centered on Abraham putting his trust in God through his near-sacrifice of Isaac, Lex decided to focus on James 2:21-22: "Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did." We were reminded that our faith can look complete not just on mission trips, but back at home too when we actually live the way God is calling us to live. After hearing that very brief message, we headed to individual small groups for an hour. Leaders said that they really enjoyed having this one final time to formally connect as a group before heading back to Williamsburg.
When all the groups had wrapped up, our entire team headed to a subway station to ride out to Citi Field for the Mets vs. Phillies baseball game. Despite a big loss for the Mets, our group had an incredible time! The atmosphere was wonderful, and it was just a lot of fun for us to all connect as one large team before heading home. One of the awesome highlights from the game was the wave that several of our students began from our seats in right field. Not only did their wave make it all the way around the stadium several times, but it was such an effective cheer that the players in BOTH dugouts joined in! The wave was just one more reminder of the fact that a few individuals working together really can make big things happen. After the game we stayed in our seats and enjoyed a highly entertaining fireworks display. God blessed us with a quicker-than-expected subway ride back to our housing site, and the kids are finally settles into bed after a great week of hard and fulfilling service.
Our plan for Saturday is to leave the housing site around 9am, stop for an hour for lunch, and return to the Chapel (God and traffic willing) around 6pm. (Please note: although we departed from Jamestown High School, we will return to the Northeast side of the Chapel, outside of the Student Ministries Worship Room.) We will keep you updated during our travel via the 41411 texting program. If you are not on the text list, simply text the word NYCPARENT to the number 41411. You should receive a confirmation text if it works.
Once again we want to thank you for covering this trip in prayer. We have truly felt the effects in the way that God has blessed our efforts this week. Please pray for safe travels and that the lessons we have all learner this week would be sealed into our hearts so that our faith and our actions can continue to work together when we get home. Can't wait to see everyone Saturday evening.
After finishing at all the morning sites, the team re-grouped at Central Park to hear a short devotional thought from Lex and have a final small group time with their leaders. Since our pre-trip training focused on Abraham and our final porch time centered on Abraham putting his trust in God through his near-sacrifice of Isaac, Lex decided to focus on James 2:21-22: "Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did." We were reminded that our faith can look complete not just on mission trips, but back at home too when we actually live the way God is calling us to live. After hearing that very brief message, we headed to individual small groups for an hour. Leaders said that they really enjoyed having this one final time to formally connect as a group before heading back to Williamsburg.
When all the groups had wrapped up, our entire team headed to a subway station to ride out to Citi Field for the Mets vs. Phillies baseball game. Despite a big loss for the Mets, our group had an incredible time! The atmosphere was wonderful, and it was just a lot of fun for us to all connect as one large team before heading home. One of the awesome highlights from the game was the wave that several of our students began from our seats in right field. Not only did their wave make it all the way around the stadium several times, but it was such an effective cheer that the players in BOTH dugouts joined in! The wave was just one more reminder of the fact that a few individuals working together really can make big things happen. After the game we stayed in our seats and enjoyed a highly entertaining fireworks display. God blessed us with a quicker-than-expected subway ride back to our housing site, and the kids are finally settles into bed after a great week of hard and fulfilling service.
Our plan for Saturday is to leave the housing site around 9am, stop for an hour for lunch, and return to the Chapel (God and traffic willing) around 6pm. (Please note: although we departed from Jamestown High School, we will return to the Northeast side of the Chapel, outside of the Student Ministries Worship Room.) We will keep you updated during our travel via the 41411 texting program. If you are not on the text list, simply text the word NYCPARENT to the number 41411. You should receive a confirmation text if it works.
Once again we want to thank you for covering this trip in prayer. We have truly felt the effects in the way that God has blessed our efforts this week. Please pray for safe travels and that the lessons we have all learner this week would be sealed into our hearts so that our faith and our actions can continue to work together when we get home. Can't wait to see everyone Saturday evening.
Friday, July 15, 2011
NC Update Day 6- July 15th
Final greetings from Weaverville!
We've spent our final day of serving here in NC and God was incredibly faithful in the work our students accomplished. We had breakfast at ReCreation this morning and then our team was on clean-up duty. They helped the staff clear the dishes, sweep all the floors, and cleaned up the kitchen. Afterwards we ventured out to Paint Rock for the last day in the ditches.
Our students completed the digging and leveling work at the site during the morning. All three trenches had to be completely level and as deep as a shovel head before pipes could be laid in. The lunch crew put our sandwiches together so we could enjoy our last day eating on site together. After lunch the pipe work started and miraculously got finished. The students laid in pipes through all the trenches and then filled back in the dirt. All that is left for the experts to finish is the connecting work between the lines and connecting in the supply line.
Our team was blessed and surprised by two acts of love and kindness from the Paint Rock Church today. When we arrived on site this morning our students found red felt ribbons on the shovels. We learned from our ReCreation staffer that during their service last night, the congregation at Paint Rock prayed over our mission team and the work we were doing. They prayed for safety as we worked and blessings to be present in our lives. After our lunch today, the pastor commuted the 59 mile drive from Knoxville to say 'thank you' to our team. A few church members came with him and our students were finally able to engage with the people they have spent the week serving. We shared many hugs and were so thankful for the vision of Christ they were to our team.
We had a final worship service with the ReCreation staff and other teams. The students were challenged to carry the lessons they learned and the experiences they've shared back to Williamsburg to their families and community. During our last porch time event tonight, the students heard the final message in our mission series on Abraham. Small groups ran long as students spent time engaging with their leaders processing the trip.
We've said it once, but a hundred times wouldn't be enough, so thank you for the opportunity to spend this week with your students. They have been shining Christ's light not only to us as leaders, but also to the ReCreation staff and the community here in Weaverville. It has been a blessed week indeed. We are so excited for our students to return home to you so that they can share their past week with you.
We'll be departing around 9am tomorrow. Our kids will have breakfast and then pack up to head out. Text updates will be sent as we complete the return journey. Sweet dreams!
Love in Christ,
SM Staff Team
NYC Update - Serving Day 4 - July 14th
We've been so excited to get back tonight to share with all of you about our incredible day. But first, thank you all so much for your participation in the time of corporate prayer this evening. The staff received a text from Travis right before we started Porch Time letting us know that so many of you joined him this evening to pray for us, and we truly felt God honor your prayers with His presence tonight. But, before I describe our awesome debrief time from this evening, here's a brief description of how we spent our time today.
Serving group 1 had a VERY early morning today, waking up at 5am to head to St. Paul's House, which provides a morning meal and worship service to the homeless. The group helped prepare and serve breakfast for about 30 men and women before helping put on the service. Ryland Willis led the group in song, while Brad Turner shared a devotional thought that both encouraged and challenged everyone. After their time at St. Paul's House, group 1 explored Grand Central Station for a little while before participating in their own neighborhood immersion experience in Times Square.
Group 2 spent their morning at Church Alive in Brooklyn, passing out fliers and invitations to a huge, multi-church event happening in a local park next weekend. The group was surprised with how receptive the neighborhood was to receive us and the information. After lunch at the church, this team also participated in a neighborhood immersion around Rockefeller Center. Spending time in this area after our experience in Brooklyn really painted a picture of the huge disparity of resources and wealth that exists in this city.
Today it was group 3's turn to help out at the Love Kitchen, the soup kitchen run by our housing site. Team members handed out food to people in need, as well as organized the donations. After several hours of service time here, these team members got to experience the Harlem Plunge, an opportunity for the group to learn more about the neighborhood and bless someone in need in that area. This group talked to many people about Harlem, and they shared a significant amount of time with a homeless man named Ronnie. The group learned a lot about his life, and got to bless him by purchasing him a water bottle and several snacks.
Group 4 got to do their own version of the Harlem Plunge in the morning today. They spent time with a man named Rick. The group saw Jesus in Rick in the way he cared for the other homeless men and women who lived in the same park as he did. Rick challenged the group to really think about what it means to live on your own without a permanent roof over your head. After their time with Rick, these students served at a World Vision storehouse, fixing shelves and organizing boxes. The whole group really worked as a team this afternoon to accomplish the tasks at hand.
Last but not least, group 5 helped sort and bundle clothing deliveries at the NYC Clothing Bank, an organization that distributes new apparel, toys, and other goods to non-profits and government-based agencies in NYC. The group worked hard and was able to get a great visual in the stacks of clothing they packaged that would go to men, women, and children in need. After this activity, the group helped our at Green Team, a horticultural group that works with people who have been incarcerated and helps them transition into the workforce. The organization provides a 12 week course on landscape and gardening skills. Any individuals who pass the course are offered a job. Group 5 helped with a landscaping project in a local apartment complex, and the team really got to know a man named Mark who runs the program, along with several other staff members and volunteers for Green Team.
After their afternoon activities, all groups met up in Central Park for an incredible Porch Time. Since we will be attending the Mets vs. Phillies baseball game tomorrow (Friday) night, the staff decided to have our culminating debrief experience tonight to help the students process the trip and prepare them for another night of small groups. Our setting was great and, as I mentioned above, we could really feel your prayers being answered as the presence of the Holy Spirit filled the space. Students shared exciting places where they had seen and encountered Jesus, and everyone participated in our first worship set. Craig led us in our final full-length talk, reminding us about Abraham's story of faith and the importance of trusting in God. Weeks ago, on the missions overnight, students wrote down one thing or area of their life where they were trusting themselves instead of trusting God. The staff and leaders returned these cards to the kids, and they were each given the opportunity to burn (on portable grills) these cards, thereby signifying their desire to give that thing/area to God, to "sacrifice" that thing and to trust God, dying to themselves and experiencing the resurrecting power of Christ in their lives. It was an emotional moment for several students as Andrew played the Desert Song during the experience. Students responded with another short time of worship before we headed back to our housing site in silence. After a short subway ride back to Manhattan Bible Church, everyone broke up into their small groups to discuss the things we are learning and how we can bring these lessons with us back to Williamsburg.
The group is excited to have one more morning of service before a fun-filled evening at the baseball game. We look forward to returning on Saturday to share with all of you in-person our stories of transformation. Thanks again for your time of prayer this evening. Please pray that we really will finish strong in our service and that the group would continue to bond at the baseball game.
Serving group 1 had a VERY early morning today, waking up at 5am to head to St. Paul's House, which provides a morning meal and worship service to the homeless. The group helped prepare and serve breakfast for about 30 men and women before helping put on the service. Ryland Willis led the group in song, while Brad Turner shared a devotional thought that both encouraged and challenged everyone. After their time at St. Paul's House, group 1 explored Grand Central Station for a little while before participating in their own neighborhood immersion experience in Times Square.
Group 2 spent their morning at Church Alive in Brooklyn, passing out fliers and invitations to a huge, multi-church event happening in a local park next weekend. The group was surprised with how receptive the neighborhood was to receive us and the information. After lunch at the church, this team also participated in a neighborhood immersion around Rockefeller Center. Spending time in this area after our experience in Brooklyn really painted a picture of the huge disparity of resources and wealth that exists in this city.
Today it was group 3's turn to help out at the Love Kitchen, the soup kitchen run by our housing site. Team members handed out food to people in need, as well as organized the donations. After several hours of service time here, these team members got to experience the Harlem Plunge, an opportunity for the group to learn more about the neighborhood and bless someone in need in that area. This group talked to many people about Harlem, and they shared a significant amount of time with a homeless man named Ronnie. The group learned a lot about his life, and got to bless him by purchasing him a water bottle and several snacks.
Group 4 got to do their own version of the Harlem Plunge in the morning today. They spent time with a man named Rick. The group saw Jesus in Rick in the way he cared for the other homeless men and women who lived in the same park as he did. Rick challenged the group to really think about what it means to live on your own without a permanent roof over your head. After their time with Rick, these students served at a World Vision storehouse, fixing shelves and organizing boxes. The whole group really worked as a team this afternoon to accomplish the tasks at hand.
Last but not least, group 5 helped sort and bundle clothing deliveries at the NYC Clothing Bank, an organization that distributes new apparel, toys, and other goods to non-profits and government-based agencies in NYC. The group worked hard and was able to get a great visual in the stacks of clothing they packaged that would go to men, women, and children in need. After this activity, the group helped our at Green Team, a horticultural group that works with people who have been incarcerated and helps them transition into the workforce. The organization provides a 12 week course on landscape and gardening skills. Any individuals who pass the course are offered a job. Group 5 helped with a landscaping project in a local apartment complex, and the team really got to know a man named Mark who runs the program, along with several other staff members and volunteers for Green Team.
After their afternoon activities, all groups met up in Central Park for an incredible Porch Time. Since we will be attending the Mets vs. Phillies baseball game tomorrow (Friday) night, the staff decided to have our culminating debrief experience tonight to help the students process the trip and prepare them for another night of small groups. Our setting was great and, as I mentioned above, we could really feel your prayers being answered as the presence of the Holy Spirit filled the space. Students shared exciting places where they had seen and encountered Jesus, and everyone participated in our first worship set. Craig led us in our final full-length talk, reminding us about Abraham's story of faith and the importance of trusting in God. Weeks ago, on the missions overnight, students wrote down one thing or area of their life where they were trusting themselves instead of trusting God. The staff and leaders returned these cards to the kids, and they were each given the opportunity to burn (on portable grills) these cards, thereby signifying their desire to give that thing/area to God, to "sacrifice" that thing and to trust God, dying to themselves and experiencing the resurrecting power of Christ in their lives. It was an emotional moment for several students as Andrew played the Desert Song during the experience. Students responded with another short time of worship before we headed back to our housing site in silence. After a short subway ride back to Manhattan Bible Church, everyone broke up into their small groups to discuss the things we are learning and how we can bring these lessons with us back to Williamsburg.
The group is excited to have one more morning of service before a fun-filled evening at the baseball game. We look forward to returning on Saturday to share with all of you in-person our stories of transformation. Thanks again for your time of prayer this evening. Please pray that we really will finish strong in our service and that the group would continue to bond at the baseball game.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
NC Update Day 5- July 14th
Hey there, loyal blog followers!!
NC continues to be a blessing and a challenge for our students and leaders. We are thankful to see our students engaging with their work and each other everyday. After breakfast and our daily bus ride this morning, we got back to work on the septic system at Paint Rock. This was the third day for our students at the site and they are making great progress. All the trenches are done and have mostly gone through the refining process before pipes can be laid.
Even with a project that can easily become boring, we've seen these students fully give themselves over to God's work as they dig, dig, and dig some more. As a staff we are always so thankful for their positive attitudes and unfailing faithfulness in doing whatever is asked of them. The three trenches have reached their desired lengths and depths, and the last part of the day today was spent leveling them off and receiving inspection from the project master. Due to their diligent work, we'll begin laying in the pipes tomorrow. Lord willing, we may even see this septic system near its completion by quitting time tomorrow.
Our team was blessed to get a few visitors from the church today. We had a couple (a deacon) stop by the site today to visit our students and take pictures. He and his wife are so excited to share this work with their congregation on Sunday and we, of course, were thankful to meet a few of our brothers and sisters in Christ from Paint Rock. We also had some drive by visitors that stopped in to say 'hello' and 'thank you' to our kids.
We spent the last part of the day eating dinner and enjoying porch time and small groups. We are eagerly anticipating the students' final porch time tomorrow, which will be the culmination point on the trip for them. Please be praying over our last work day and teaching time tomorrow. We continue in our prayers of thanks to Christ for his faithfulness on this trip and all the ways we've seen him revealed in your children.
Sweet dreams from Weaverville!
Love in Christ,
SM Staff Team
NC continues to be a blessing and a challenge for our students and leaders. We are thankful to see our students engaging with their work and each other everyday. After breakfast and our daily bus ride this morning, we got back to work on the septic system at Paint Rock. This was the third day for our students at the site and they are making great progress. All the trenches are done and have mostly gone through the refining process before pipes can be laid.
Even with a project that can easily become boring, we've seen these students fully give themselves over to God's work as they dig, dig, and dig some more. As a staff we are always so thankful for their positive attitudes and unfailing faithfulness in doing whatever is asked of them. The three trenches have reached their desired lengths and depths, and the last part of the day today was spent leveling them off and receiving inspection from the project master. Due to their diligent work, we'll begin laying in the pipes tomorrow. Lord willing, we may even see this septic system near its completion by quitting time tomorrow.
Our team was blessed to get a few visitors from the church today. We had a couple (a deacon) stop by the site today to visit our students and take pictures. He and his wife are so excited to share this work with their congregation on Sunday and we, of course, were thankful to meet a few of our brothers and sisters in Christ from Paint Rock. We also had some drive by visitors that stopped in to say 'hello' and 'thank you' to our kids.
We spent the last part of the day eating dinner and enjoying porch time and small groups. We are eagerly anticipating the students' final porch time tomorrow, which will be the culmination point on the trip for them. Please be praying over our last work day and teaching time tomorrow. We continue in our prayers of thanks to Christ for his faithfulness on this trip and all the ways we've seen him revealed in your children.
Sweet dreams from Weaverville!
Love in Christ,
SM Staff Team
NYC Update - Serving Day 3 - July 13th
God continues to show up in many ways in New York City!
Serving group 1 began their day by staying right here at our housing site to serve the local church that has so graciously hosted us this week. The group swept, cleaned the area inside and out, and just generally served wherever needed in the building. In the afternoon, group 1 spent time at Operation Exodus, a local daycare and tutoring program that serves almost 60 kids. Our students were so encouraged by the genuine energy and excitement for learning about and worshiping Jesus that these kids had.
This morning it was now group 2's turn to serve at "God's Love We Deliver" (the site that group 1 helped at on Monday). The kids packaged and delivered food to people with serious illnesses, and it really touched our hearts to hear the thanks of the individuals served. After lunch in a park, the team got to continue painting/restoring a mural with City Arts. The students really enjoyed getting to literally leave a mark on the great city of New York.
Gifted Hands was the starting point today for group 3. Gifted Hands is an art therapy ministry that strives to "reach out to the lost, hurting, and forgotten of the city." The team helped the organization spruce up their building in preparation for a big art show they're hosting in the near future which will sell artwork and jewelry made by homeless men and women to raise money that will go back to the ministry. Bathrooms were cleaned and painted, areas were organized, and the team even made its own mural to be sold at the art show! The team loved learning about a ministry that is really committed to providing training and skills to disadvantaged men and women so that they can break the cycle of poverty. In the afternoon, this group participated in a Neighborhood Emersion experience, where they got to find a homeless man or woman in the West Village and bless that person by sharing a meal and their time with that individual. Although it took a while for the group to find someone to serve, once they finally encountered a woman down on her luck, they really saw Jesus in each other's willingness to reach out and meet a tangible need.
Group 4 got to see for themselves the thriving ministry at St. John's Bread & Life, the site that group 2 served at on our first day in the city. Like group 2, group 4 was so impressed with the professionalism of the organization, their commitment to their "clients," and the sheer volume of committed volunteers that it takes to make the operation run. After their time serving at Bread & Life, Group 4 also participated in a Neighborhood Emersion experience in the West Village and Chelsea. The team interviewed several locals from the area to learn more about the area before encountering Paul, a homeless man whom they purchased a meal for and shared some lively conversation with. Despite his challenging circumstances, the team really saw Jesus in Paul and his genuine interest in the lives of the individual group members. It was a blessing for this group to spend that time with him.
Group 5 began their day at Agape Social Services, a local soup kitchen connected to Beulah Church. The group unloaded a delivery truck of food into their pantry and sorted the new items before preparing the kitchen and hanging out with the organization's incredible staff. After getting to know the staff, half the group went to help with the church's Vacation Bible School, while the other half helped serve food in the soup kitchen. The group felt like this was one of their most relational days, and really enjoyed connecting with the staff and playing with the children. After lunch, Group 5 also enjoyed their Neighborhood Emersion experience in Times Square. They too interviewed some locals and tourists passing through the area about issues of homelessness and poverty in NYC before connecting with a homeless man named Samuel. While not the most talkative individual, the group could tell that Samuel truly appreciated their efforts to serve him.
After eating dinner in their individual groups, all teams returned to the housing site for an abbreviated Porch Time. The team enjoyed worship and a great talk from Craig that challenged us with application points from the book of James, then all students headed to small groups with their leaders to process more deeply the lessons we've learned so far. All leaders brought back positive reports from their small group time, and we look forward to continued small groups on our last two evenings in NYC.
It's hard to believe that the trip is more than half over! God has already shown up in amazing ways, and we look forward to how He will continue to reveal Himself in our last two serving days. Again, we hope that everyone will be able to make it to the time of corporate prayer on Thursday night, July 14th, from 7-8pm in the Student Ministries Worship Room led by Travis Simone. We are so thankful for your prayers!
Serving group 1 began their day by staying right here at our housing site to serve the local church that has so graciously hosted us this week. The group swept, cleaned the area inside and out, and just generally served wherever needed in the building. In the afternoon, group 1 spent time at Operation Exodus, a local daycare and tutoring program that serves almost 60 kids. Our students were so encouraged by the genuine energy and excitement for learning about and worshiping Jesus that these kids had.
This morning it was now group 2's turn to serve at "God's Love We Deliver" (the site that group 1 helped at on Monday). The kids packaged and delivered food to people with serious illnesses, and it really touched our hearts to hear the thanks of the individuals served. After lunch in a park, the team got to continue painting/restoring a mural with City Arts. The students really enjoyed getting to literally leave a mark on the great city of New York.
Gifted Hands was the starting point today for group 3. Gifted Hands is an art therapy ministry that strives to "reach out to the lost, hurting, and forgotten of the city." The team helped the organization spruce up their building in preparation for a big art show they're hosting in the near future which will sell artwork and jewelry made by homeless men and women to raise money that will go back to the ministry. Bathrooms were cleaned and painted, areas were organized, and the team even made its own mural to be sold at the art show! The team loved learning about a ministry that is really committed to providing training and skills to disadvantaged men and women so that they can break the cycle of poverty. In the afternoon, this group participated in a Neighborhood Emersion experience, where they got to find a homeless man or woman in the West Village and bless that person by sharing a meal and their time with that individual. Although it took a while for the group to find someone to serve, once they finally encountered a woman down on her luck, they really saw Jesus in each other's willingness to reach out and meet a tangible need.
Group 4 got to see for themselves the thriving ministry at St. John's Bread & Life, the site that group 2 served at on our first day in the city. Like group 2, group 4 was so impressed with the professionalism of the organization, their commitment to their "clients," and the sheer volume of committed volunteers that it takes to make the operation run. After their time serving at Bread & Life, Group 4 also participated in a Neighborhood Emersion experience in the West Village and Chelsea. The team interviewed several locals from the area to learn more about the area before encountering Paul, a homeless man whom they purchased a meal for and shared some lively conversation with. Despite his challenging circumstances, the team really saw Jesus in Paul and his genuine interest in the lives of the individual group members. It was a blessing for this group to spend that time with him.
Group 5 began their day at Agape Social Services, a local soup kitchen connected to Beulah Church. The group unloaded a delivery truck of food into their pantry and sorted the new items before preparing the kitchen and hanging out with the organization's incredible staff. After getting to know the staff, half the group went to help with the church's Vacation Bible School, while the other half helped serve food in the soup kitchen. The group felt like this was one of their most relational days, and really enjoyed connecting with the staff and playing with the children. After lunch, Group 5 also enjoyed their Neighborhood Emersion experience in Times Square. They too interviewed some locals and tourists passing through the area about issues of homelessness and poverty in NYC before connecting with a homeless man named Samuel. While not the most talkative individual, the group could tell that Samuel truly appreciated their efforts to serve him.
After eating dinner in their individual groups, all teams returned to the housing site for an abbreviated Porch Time. The team enjoyed worship and a great talk from Craig that challenged us with application points from the book of James, then all students headed to small groups with their leaders to process more deeply the lessons we've learned so far. All leaders brought back positive reports from their small group time, and we look forward to continued small groups on our last two evenings in NYC.
It's hard to believe that the trip is more than half over! God has already shown up in amazing ways, and we look forward to how He will continue to reveal Himself in our last two serving days. Again, we hope that everyone will be able to make it to the time of corporate prayer on Thursday night, July 14th, from 7-8pm in the Student Ministries Worship Room led by Travis Simone. We are so thankful for your prayers!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
NC Update Day 4- July 13th
Hey there, family!
We have thoroughly enjoyed our day off today! After two full days of hard work for our kids, we were thankful to simply spend time in fellowship with them at some local venues
After breakfast and a worship session with the ReCreation crew, we loaded up buses and headed out for the day. Our first stop was the Brian Center, which is a retirement community here in Weaverville. Our students split into groups and then spent the morning visiting with residents and joining in the days activities. Some of our eighth graders accompanied their leaders to the dementia wing getting to know a few new friends. Another group recruited a collection of residents to make hats with the Red Hat Society in the activity room. We also had some students that simply took the time to visit a few patients who may not otherwise get visitors. And last but certainly not least, we had a few boys who volunteered to help with some grounds work for the staff.
We were so proud of our students and their willingness to give themselves over to the work of the Lord. Despite being in what most middle schoolers consider awkward and uncomfortable situations, they handled themselves with true servant hearts as they engaged and shared with the new friends they found at Brian Center. Our team was also humbled and thankful for a cookout they received from the Brian Center staff before leaving the site.
The afternoon was spent at two different mountain swimming sites just outside of Asheville. Our seventh graders started out at the much celebrated Sliding Rock. It is part of a National Park where visitors can slide down a run of huge smooth rocks into a swimming hole. The eighth graders began the afternoon at Looking Glass Falls, where there is a large swimming area beneath a huge waterfall. After a while the groups switched locations to spend the rest of their afternoons.
We enjoyed dinner and porch time at a lookout site along the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was wonderful for us to see Christ not only in the beautiful landscape, but especially through hearing how much God showed up for our students in their day off. They'll get back to work at Paint Rock Baptist tomorrow as they continue their septic project.
The staff, leaders, and team truly appreciate your prayers. We wanted to take this opportunity to personally invite you to join the in corporate prayer meeting at Chapel tomorrow night from 7-8 in the SM worship room. This prayer service is for parents and friends of both the NC and NYC mission groups. Please consider joining our Associate Pastor, Travis Simone, for this event tomorrow.
Love in Christ,
SM Staff Team
We have thoroughly enjoyed our day off today! After two full days of hard work for our kids, we were thankful to simply spend time in fellowship with them at some local venues
After breakfast and a worship session with the ReCreation crew, we loaded up buses and headed out for the day. Our first stop was the Brian Center, which is a retirement community here in Weaverville. Our students split into groups and then spent the morning visiting with residents and joining in the days activities. Some of our eighth graders accompanied their leaders to the dementia wing getting to know a few new friends. Another group recruited a collection of residents to make hats with the Red Hat Society in the activity room. We also had some students that simply took the time to visit a few patients who may not otherwise get visitors. And last but certainly not least, we had a few boys who volunteered to help with some grounds work for the staff.
We were so proud of our students and their willingness to give themselves over to the work of the Lord. Despite being in what most middle schoolers consider awkward and uncomfortable situations, they handled themselves with true servant hearts as they engaged and shared with the new friends they found at Brian Center. Our team was also humbled and thankful for a cookout they received from the Brian Center staff before leaving the site.
The afternoon was spent at two different mountain swimming sites just outside of Asheville. Our seventh graders started out at the much celebrated Sliding Rock. It is part of a National Park where visitors can slide down a run of huge smooth rocks into a swimming hole. The eighth graders began the afternoon at Looking Glass Falls, where there is a large swimming area beneath a huge waterfall. After a while the groups switched locations to spend the rest of their afternoons.
We enjoyed dinner and porch time at a lookout site along the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was wonderful for us to see Christ not only in the beautiful landscape, but especially through hearing how much God showed up for our students in their day off. They'll get back to work at Paint Rock Baptist tomorrow as they continue their septic project.
The staff, leaders, and team truly appreciate your prayers. We wanted to take this opportunity to personally invite you to join the in corporate prayer meeting at Chapel tomorrow night from 7-8 in the SM worship room. This prayer service is for parents and friends of both the NC and NYC mission groups. Please consider joining our Associate Pastor, Travis Simone, for this event tomorrow.
Love in Christ,
SM Staff Team
Prayer Meeting for NC & NYC Mission Teams this Thursday
Thank you, parents, family, and friends, for your faithfulness to pray for our domestic mission teams.
The team values prayer so much that we want to invite you to an evening of prayer for both the high school and middle school teams. We hope that you will join Associate Pastor Travis Simone on Thursday night, July 14th, from 7pm-8pm in the Student Ministries Worship Room for a time of corporate prayer for the New York City and North Carolina Mission Teams.
Again, all are invited to come and pray for the teams, and we would like to extend a special invitation to parents with children on either (or both!) of the trips. This is a great opportunity for loved ones back at home to experience Jesus along with your children and participate in the work they are doing in NC and NYC. Thank you for covering us in prayer!
The team values prayer so much that we want to invite you to an evening of prayer for both the high school and middle school teams. We hope that you will join Associate Pastor Travis Simone on Thursday night, July 14th, from 7pm-8pm in the Student Ministries Worship Room for a time of corporate prayer for the New York City and North Carolina Mission Teams.
Again, all are invited to come and pray for the teams, and we would like to extend a special invitation to parents with children on either (or both!) of the trips. This is a great opportunity for loved ones back at home to experience Jesus along with your children and participate in the work they are doing in NC and NYC. Thank you for covering us in prayer!
NYC Update - Serving Day 2 - July 12th
Despite the consistently warm weather, our New York City mission team continued to focus on serving and loving the people of this incredible area by relying on His power and strength working within us.
So that every group had the opportunity to be exposed to the many boroughs and the diverse needs of the city, serving groups 1 and 2 got to experience their own prayer tours today. Despite hearing a little bit about the tours from their peers in groups 3, 4, and 5 who completed their prayer tours yesterday, groups 1 and 2 approached the day with open eyes and hearts, ready to learn about New York's people, to see where God is already moving in the City, and to see what needs exist in this place. It was interesting to see that while this northern city has many unique issues, there are also many struggles faced by the locals here that even our students from the suburban south could relate to. Towards the end of their tour time, group 1 shared an emotional moment at a church right outside Ground Zero that had a memorial honoring all the firefighters who died in 9/11. Over the course of their prayer tour, Group 2 enjoyed some challenging conversations with local residents on issues of homelessness in the City, and was challenged to think about our roles in the fight against poverty and the unequal distribution of resources. Groups 1 and 2 ate dinner together at an Indian restaurant before heading back to the housing site.
Group 3 began their day at the Russian Community Life Center, distributing bibles to the local Russian community in that area. The group enjoyed immersing themselves in a different culture while simultaneously helping share God's word with people in their own language. Many bible-recipients responded with extreme gratitude for the free gifts handed to them by your children. In the afternoon, the group served at a ministry happening at our own housing site called Operation Exodus, a tutoring program for young kids in the area. The group was truly touched when the teacher asked for a volunteer to pray, and every child's hand shot into the air! One young girl was chosen to pray, and she delivered a heart-felt, passionate prayer that left the entire group in awe. Hanging out with the kids for the afternoon gave us a peek at another small bright spot already at work in this city. Group 3 experienced some incredible Senegalese cuisine to finish out there afternoon.
In the morning, group 4 headed to Yorkville Common Pantry, where they organized and helped store new food deliveries that would go to feed hundreds of needy New Yorkers. During our evening porch time, several leaders commented how they really saw Jesus in the incredible work ethic of the group members. The staff at Yorkville was not expecting group 4 to complete their assigned task; however, not only did they finish the task, they also worked without complaint or quarrel the entire morning. In the afternoon, they participated in a type of neighborhood scavenger hunt at Grand Central Station, engaging with the New Yorkers in that area and getting an even better feel for the City. Leaders again commented that it was nice to have a slower afternoon to really sit down as a group to process the experience in a more intimate and focused setting. Group 4 ate dinner at a dominican restaurant, then returned to the housing site to get ready for porch time.
Group 5 started the morning at We Care Soup Kitchen, preparing food for the clients and helping with the daily set-up and running of the center. At different intervals throughout the morning, small groups of students were able to hang out in the dinning room, talking with residents and getting to put names and faces to the issue of urban poverty. Many of our kids commented on how much they loved interacting with people from the community in this setting. After serving at the Soup Kitchen, the group participated in the Harlem Plunge, an interactive activity where the team finds and attempts to "bless" a person without a house or job by sharing a meal together and purchasing small necessities for him/her, such as socks and toiletries. This experience turned out to be a huge blessing for the group, who encountered two really engaging people in need and were able to not only meet that small tangible need, but to also share some love and light into two dark situations. Group 5 met up with Group 4 for dinner and together returned to Manhattan Bible Church.
When all the groups had assembled back at the housing site, we circled up for an extremely exciting and encouraging porch time. We shared laughs and funny stories, as well as a very encouraging time of "I saw Jesus." Your children are seeing Jesus all over the place - in both the people we're serving and in each other. Lex gave a talk that continued to challenge the students to see Jesus in the faces of the people whom society considered "the least of these" (Matt. 25), and in each other (1 Cor. 3:16). We are really excited about all the great serving opportunities planned for tomorrow, and are so appreciating of your prayers and support.
So that every group had the opportunity to be exposed to the many boroughs and the diverse needs of the city, serving groups 1 and 2 got to experience their own prayer tours today. Despite hearing a little bit about the tours from their peers in groups 3, 4, and 5 who completed their prayer tours yesterday, groups 1 and 2 approached the day with open eyes and hearts, ready to learn about New York's people, to see where God is already moving in the City, and to see what needs exist in this place. It was interesting to see that while this northern city has many unique issues, there are also many struggles faced by the locals here that even our students from the suburban south could relate to. Towards the end of their tour time, group 1 shared an emotional moment at a church right outside Ground Zero that had a memorial honoring all the firefighters who died in 9/11. Over the course of their prayer tour, Group 2 enjoyed some challenging conversations with local residents on issues of homelessness in the City, and was challenged to think about our roles in the fight against poverty and the unequal distribution of resources. Groups 1 and 2 ate dinner together at an Indian restaurant before heading back to the housing site.
Group 3 began their day at the Russian Community Life Center, distributing bibles to the local Russian community in that area. The group enjoyed immersing themselves in a different culture while simultaneously helping share God's word with people in their own language. Many bible-recipients responded with extreme gratitude for the free gifts handed to them by your children. In the afternoon, the group served at a ministry happening at our own housing site called Operation Exodus, a tutoring program for young kids in the area. The group was truly touched when the teacher asked for a volunteer to pray, and every child's hand shot into the air! One young girl was chosen to pray, and she delivered a heart-felt, passionate prayer that left the entire group in awe. Hanging out with the kids for the afternoon gave us a peek at another small bright spot already at work in this city. Group 3 experienced some incredible Senegalese cuisine to finish out there afternoon.
In the morning, group 4 headed to Yorkville Common Pantry, where they organized and helped store new food deliveries that would go to feed hundreds of needy New Yorkers. During our evening porch time, several leaders commented how they really saw Jesus in the incredible work ethic of the group members. The staff at Yorkville was not expecting group 4 to complete their assigned task; however, not only did they finish the task, they also worked without complaint or quarrel the entire morning. In the afternoon, they participated in a type of neighborhood scavenger hunt at Grand Central Station, engaging with the New Yorkers in that area and getting an even better feel for the City. Leaders again commented that it was nice to have a slower afternoon to really sit down as a group to process the experience in a more intimate and focused setting. Group 4 ate dinner at a dominican restaurant, then returned to the housing site to get ready for porch time.
Group 5 started the morning at We Care Soup Kitchen, preparing food for the clients and helping with the daily set-up and running of the center. At different intervals throughout the morning, small groups of students were able to hang out in the dinning room, talking with residents and getting to put names and faces to the issue of urban poverty. Many of our kids commented on how much they loved interacting with people from the community in this setting. After serving at the Soup Kitchen, the group participated in the Harlem Plunge, an interactive activity where the team finds and attempts to "bless" a person without a house or job by sharing a meal together and purchasing small necessities for him/her, such as socks and toiletries. This experience turned out to be a huge blessing for the group, who encountered two really engaging people in need and were able to not only meet that small tangible need, but to also share some love and light into two dark situations. Group 5 met up with Group 4 for dinner and together returned to Manhattan Bible Church.
When all the groups had assembled back at the housing site, we circled up for an extremely exciting and encouraging porch time. We shared laughs and funny stories, as well as a very encouraging time of "I saw Jesus." Your children are seeing Jesus all over the place - in both the people we're serving and in each other. Lex gave a talk that continued to challenge the students to see Jesus in the faces of the people whom society considered "the least of these" (Matt. 25), and in each other (1 Cor. 3:16). We are really excited about all the great serving opportunities planned for tomorrow, and are so appreciating of your prayers and support.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
NC Update Day 3- July 12
Hello, family and friends!
God continues to show up here in North Carolina and we are so thankful. Our students have spent another day serving the local community here with servant hearts that always leave us so encouraged. Thank you for checking in on our team and for all the prayers we know you are covering us in.
Once again we rose early and joined in the morning routine of ReCreation. The students had breakfast and then spent some time in worship with the other teams that have gathered here this week. We continue to be amazed that despite the early hour these middle school students are so willing to jump right into the day. After breakfast we loaded up team supplies for the day and headed back out to our work site.
Back at Paint Rock Baptist Church the kids continued in their work project of digging out trenches for the drainage field of a septic system. The morning brought rain here in Weaverville, so there was plenty of mud to go around. The students didn't hesitate for a second, but rather grabbed shovels and headed straight up the mountain to work. Throughout the morning they moved dirt and cleared out roots and debris in the three different trenches. A few new girls jumped in and made lunch today to help serve their fellow team members.
After lunch most students returned to the hill for work and have now nearly completed all three trenches. Most are completely cleared and are on the final step of leveling the bottoms of the out so that pipes can be laid. They will be beginning that step of the project on Thursday. Following lunch we also had a few small groups that helped clean up our team buses. With everyone working so tirelessly in the mud all day it has been hard to keep them clean, but these groups were a great vision of Christ as they restored them to some semblance of order. :)
We returned to ReCreation to enjoy dinner and free time. Soccer was the game of choice today for a lot of the students and we were encouraged to see many of them use this time for personal devotionals. We had porch time a short while ago to wrap up the day. Two of our rituals at porch time is to let the students remember funny times from the day and also share all the ways they saw God as they worked together. It is always a beautiful moment of seeing Christ in the flesh to watch these middle school students seek out their Savior in each other. We finished tonight with small group time and will be heading to bed soon.
Tomorrow is our day off, so the students will be enjoying different activities. They'll spend the morning visiting with residents at a local retirement community. We'll have lunch there and then we'll take the students to two different swimming sites here in the NC mountains. They'll have porch time together at a park area on the Blue Ridge Parkway before returning to ReCreation tomorrow night.
Thank you again for all the prayers and for letting us share this week of service with your students. We feel so blessed to experience this with them as they grow in their faith. God bless!
Love in Christ,
SM Staff Team
HAPPY 25th BIRTHDAY, LUKE KINCAID!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!
God continues to show up here in North Carolina and we are so thankful. Our students have spent another day serving the local community here with servant hearts that always leave us so encouraged. Thank you for checking in on our team and for all the prayers we know you are covering us in.
Once again we rose early and joined in the morning routine of ReCreation. The students had breakfast and then spent some time in worship with the other teams that have gathered here this week. We continue to be amazed that despite the early hour these middle school students are so willing to jump right into the day. After breakfast we loaded up team supplies for the day and headed back out to our work site.
Back at Paint Rock Baptist Church the kids continued in their work project of digging out trenches for the drainage field of a septic system. The morning brought rain here in Weaverville, so there was plenty of mud to go around. The students didn't hesitate for a second, but rather grabbed shovels and headed straight up the mountain to work. Throughout the morning they moved dirt and cleared out roots and debris in the three different trenches. A few new girls jumped in and made lunch today to help serve their fellow team members.
After lunch most students returned to the hill for work and have now nearly completed all three trenches. Most are completely cleared and are on the final step of leveling the bottoms of the out so that pipes can be laid. They will be beginning that step of the project on Thursday. Following lunch we also had a few small groups that helped clean up our team buses. With everyone working so tirelessly in the mud all day it has been hard to keep them clean, but these groups were a great vision of Christ as they restored them to some semblance of order. :)
We returned to ReCreation to enjoy dinner and free time. Soccer was the game of choice today for a lot of the students and we were encouraged to see many of them use this time for personal devotionals. We had porch time a short while ago to wrap up the day. Two of our rituals at porch time is to let the students remember funny times from the day and also share all the ways they saw God as they worked together. It is always a beautiful moment of seeing Christ in the flesh to watch these middle school students seek out their Savior in each other. We finished tonight with small group time and will be heading to bed soon.
Tomorrow is our day off, so the students will be enjoying different activities. They'll spend the morning visiting with residents at a local retirement community. We'll have lunch there and then we'll take the students to two different swimming sites here in the NC mountains. They'll have porch time together at a park area on the Blue Ridge Parkway before returning to ReCreation tomorrow night.
Thank you again for all the prayers and for letting us share this week of service with your students. We feel so blessed to experience this with them as they grow in their faith. God bless!
Love in Christ,
SM Staff Team
HAPPY 25th BIRTHDAY, LUKE KINCAID!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!
NYC Mission Team Update - Serving Day #1
It's been an incredible day in New York City! Before we begin with some highlights from the day, we'd like to give a little background information on how our groups are organized. Our partner organization, CSM, does a great job of providing small group experiences in a big city. In order to do that, our group of 48 students and 10 staff/leaders has been divided into 5 separate "serving groups," each consisting of 9-10 students and 2 leaders, plus one CSM host. By dividing into these smaller groups, each individual student is able to really engage at the specific ministry sites and connect with the people we are serving. Whenever possible, separate serving groups will try to connect at meal times to share dinner and stories from the day.
Now that our terminology is clear, we'd like to report on each serving group's activities for the day.
To begin the experience, serving groups 3, 4, and 5 all started their week with a prayer tour of the city. The prayer tour is not just a great way to center our hearts and minds on Jesus, but also gives our groups some wonderful exposure to the entire city and many of the ministry sites we'll be partnering with throughout the week. Several students commented about the incredible diversity they noticed throughout NYC: economic, racial, cultural, and spiritual. The children and leaders in these groups are excited to really engage in these neighborhoods, at these ministry sites, and with these people that they prayed for all day.
Meanwhile, serving group 1 started the day at a site called "God's Love We Deliver," an organization that delivers meals to terminally-ill and disabled individuals. The students spent the morning brining blessings, in the form of food and smiles, to over 15 different people. The group found the experience extremely rewarding to be able to meet this very real and tangible need. After eating lunch in Central Park, the group headed to City Arts, a ministry that seeks to empower youth and foster community involvement by restoring parks and other projects. Your children got to touch up a mural that was in great need of a fresh coat of paint, so that their artistic touches will encourage the youth in that community long after we leave the city. After painting, the group ate dinner at a wonderful Polish restaurant before heading back to the housing site.
Serving group 2 left the earliest this morning to serve at St. John's Bread of Life, a high-tech food pantry and soup kitchen that seeks to "bring food to the poor as they accompany them on their journey to wholeness by providing necessary services." The group was awed by the dedication of a core group of year-round volunteers who really make the organization run. We prepared meals, sorted food, and helped clean dishes and the dining area, while also engaging with the "clients" and learning more about their joys and their struggles. After helping with both breakfast and lunch, the group had a little bit of down time to process their experience before heading to CAMBA, a ministry at Mt. Paran Baptism church that provides a shelter for 11 men. Our group prepared a delicious home-cooked meal for the men, and got to sit down and enjoy it with them, sharing stories and our loves of sports and movies. It was great for group 2 to connect so much with the people we're serving as it helped us remember that we are really not very different at all. Because group 2 was out fairly late, they had a short debrief time on the subway ride back to the housing site.
Groups 1, 3, 4, and 5 all met together this evening for an incredible first Porch Time. ("Porch Time" is our term for our end-of-day team debrief, which consists of four parts: first, "Remember That Time...", an opportunity for students and leaders to share funny or interesting things that happened throughout the day; second, "I Saw Jesus...", a time for the team to discuss where they saw Jesus in the flesh during their serving experiences; third, a time of worship, to give us an opportunity to praise Jesus for all that He's doing in us and through us; fourth, a short talk where the staff gives some more biblical context to what we're doing on this mission trip.) Craig led an awesome Porch Time where many students shared incredible things about our first day out in the field.
We thank you all for your prayers and ask that you would continue to lift us up throughout the day. Tomorrow (Tuesday), groups 1 and 2 will be participating in a prayer tour, while groups 3, 4, and 5 all begin serving at individual ministry sites. Please pray for safety, energy, and focus as we begin day two of serving in New York City.
Now that our terminology is clear, we'd like to report on each serving group's activities for the day.
To begin the experience, serving groups 3, 4, and 5 all started their week with a prayer tour of the city. The prayer tour is not just a great way to center our hearts and minds on Jesus, but also gives our groups some wonderful exposure to the entire city and many of the ministry sites we'll be partnering with throughout the week. Several students commented about the incredible diversity they noticed throughout NYC: economic, racial, cultural, and spiritual. The children and leaders in these groups are excited to really engage in these neighborhoods, at these ministry sites, and with these people that they prayed for all day.
Meanwhile, serving group 1 started the day at a site called "God's Love We Deliver," an organization that delivers meals to terminally-ill and disabled individuals. The students spent the morning brining blessings, in the form of food and smiles, to over 15 different people. The group found the experience extremely rewarding to be able to meet this very real and tangible need. After eating lunch in Central Park, the group headed to City Arts, a ministry that seeks to empower youth and foster community involvement by restoring parks and other projects. Your children got to touch up a mural that was in great need of a fresh coat of paint, so that their artistic touches will encourage the youth in that community long after we leave the city. After painting, the group ate dinner at a wonderful Polish restaurant before heading back to the housing site.
Serving group 2 left the earliest this morning to serve at St. John's Bread of Life, a high-tech food pantry and soup kitchen that seeks to "bring food to the poor as they accompany them on their journey to wholeness by providing necessary services." The group was awed by the dedication of a core group of year-round volunteers who really make the organization run. We prepared meals, sorted food, and helped clean dishes and the dining area, while also engaging with the "clients" and learning more about their joys and their struggles. After helping with both breakfast and lunch, the group had a little bit of down time to process their experience before heading to CAMBA, a ministry at Mt. Paran Baptism church that provides a shelter for 11 men. Our group prepared a delicious home-cooked meal for the men, and got to sit down and enjoy it with them, sharing stories and our loves of sports and movies. It was great for group 2 to connect so much with the people we're serving as it helped us remember that we are really not very different at all. Because group 2 was out fairly late, they had a short debrief time on the subway ride back to the housing site.
Groups 1, 3, 4, and 5 all met together this evening for an incredible first Porch Time. ("Porch Time" is our term for our end-of-day team debrief, which consists of four parts: first, "Remember That Time...", an opportunity for students and leaders to share funny or interesting things that happened throughout the day; second, "I Saw Jesus...", a time for the team to discuss where they saw Jesus in the flesh during their serving experiences; third, a time of worship, to give us an opportunity to praise Jesus for all that He's doing in us and through us; fourth, a short talk where the staff gives some more biblical context to what we're doing on this mission trip.) Craig led an awesome Porch Time where many students shared incredible things about our first day out in the field.
We thank you all for your prayers and ask that you would continue to lift us up throughout the day. Tomorrow (Tuesday), groups 1 and 2 will be participating in a prayer tour, while groups 3, 4, and 5 all begin serving at individual ministry sites. Please pray for safety, energy, and focus as we begin day two of serving in New York City.
Monday, July 11, 2011
NC Update Day 2- July 11
Hey, y'all!
Hooray for our first complete day in NC! We've been blessed to spend the day in fellowship with each other and with Christ as we worked at Paint Rock Baptist Church. Our students were a great vision of Christ to our leaders in the way they devoted themselves so fully to the work before them.
Wake up calls start at 6:15am here in Weaverville, so our first day started early for both students and leaders. We ate breakfast among the other mission teams serving with ReCreation this week before joining in a huge worship service to kick off the day. We sang together and heard a great message on serving Christ fully through our work projects this week. The buses pulled out around 8:30 and we headed for our work site.
Our students spent the day starting a large septic line project at a small church in the mountains of North Carolina called Paint Rock. Currently, the church's only restroom facilities are two small outhouses just up a rustic path from the church building. The project we are helping them to realize this week is to finally provide indoor plumbing. Our students worked tirelessly both this morning and this afternoon to dig a supply line and begin work on the septic drainage field. They cleared and dug trenches like pros and we were so proud to see their willingness to serve the church family at Paint Rock. One of our 8th grade girls small groups prepared sandwiches for lunch, so our students gathered on the hillside to enjoy lunch and break time together. They worked for a few more hours this afternoon on the septic trenches before we headed out for showers.
After getting showered, we had dinner with the other teams and then the kids had free time for about an hour and a half. As you can imagine our students loved having some time to just enjoy fellowship together. They played sports, games together, and time together talking. We gathered after the break for porch time. It was neat to see our students come together and share the experiences they'd had during the day and all the moments they'd seen Christ. We did worship and listened to a talk by Luke before breaking up for small group time.
The kids did great today! We're really proud of them and are thankful for the opportunity God has given us to walk alongside these students as they encounter him this week. We ask that you continue to pray for servant hearts in our students as they face another day of work in the trenches tomorrow. Our prayer is that through this time of service they would grow in their faith and really encounter Christ through fellowship. Thank you for checking in with us and all the prayers you're covering our team in.
Love in Christ,
SM Staff Team
Hooray for our first complete day in NC! We've been blessed to spend the day in fellowship with each other and with Christ as we worked at Paint Rock Baptist Church. Our students were a great vision of Christ to our leaders in the way they devoted themselves so fully to the work before them.
Wake up calls start at 6:15am here in Weaverville, so our first day started early for both students and leaders. We ate breakfast among the other mission teams serving with ReCreation this week before joining in a huge worship service to kick off the day. We sang together and heard a great message on serving Christ fully through our work projects this week. The buses pulled out around 8:30 and we headed for our work site.
Our students spent the day starting a large septic line project at a small church in the mountains of North Carolina called Paint Rock. Currently, the church's only restroom facilities are two small outhouses just up a rustic path from the church building. The project we are helping them to realize this week is to finally provide indoor plumbing. Our students worked tirelessly both this morning and this afternoon to dig a supply line and begin work on the septic drainage field. They cleared and dug trenches like pros and we were so proud to see their willingness to serve the church family at Paint Rock. One of our 8th grade girls small groups prepared sandwiches for lunch, so our students gathered on the hillside to enjoy lunch and break time together. They worked for a few more hours this afternoon on the septic trenches before we headed out for showers.
After getting showered, we had dinner with the other teams and then the kids had free time for about an hour and a half. As you can imagine our students loved having some time to just enjoy fellowship together. They played sports, games together, and time together talking. We gathered after the break for porch time. It was neat to see our students come together and share the experiences they'd had during the day and all the moments they'd seen Christ. We did worship and listened to a talk by Luke before breaking up for small group time.
The kids did great today! We're really proud of them and are thankful for the opportunity God has given us to walk alongside these students as they encounter him this week. We ask that you continue to pray for servant hearts in our students as they face another day of work in the trenches tomorrow. Our prayer is that through this time of service they would grow in their faith and really encounter Christ through fellowship. Thank you for checking in with us and all the prayers you're covering our team in.
Love in Christ,
SM Staff Team
Sunday, July 10, 2011
NC Travel Update
Hey there, family and friends tracking our progress to Weaverville, NC!
We arrived safely at our housing site here in the mountains of NC after a long bus ride and short stop for dinner. The students had a short orientation session with our ReCreation leader and then settled into their rooms. They are currently preparing for bed and we'll be turning lights out at 11.
We'll all be getting up with the sun tomorrow for an early breakfast and a worship session before heading out to our work site. The students will be working this week on digging a septic tank for a local church. After work we will be back here for dinner, hang out time, and porch time.
We are already thankful for the safety God provided today and the fellowship time he provided our students and leaders on the bus. We ask for your prayer as we prepare for our first workday tomorrow- that our students will have a good night's rest and a safe and productive workday tomorrow. Thank you for all the prayer you've already poured into this trip and your commitment to follow our journey as we serve Christ here in NC.
Love in Christ,
SM Staff Team
We arrived safely at our housing site here in the mountains of NC after a long bus ride and short stop for dinner. The students had a short orientation session with our ReCreation leader and then settled into their rooms. They are currently preparing for bed and we'll be turning lights out at 11.
We'll all be getting up with the sun tomorrow for an early breakfast and a worship session before heading out to our work site. The students will be working this week on digging a septic tank for a local church. After work we will be back here for dinner, hang out time, and porch time.
We are already thankful for the safety God provided today and the fellowship time he provided our students and leaders on the bus. We ask for your prayer as we prepare for our first workday tomorrow- that our students will have a good night's rest and a safe and productive workday tomorrow. Thank you for all the prayer you've already poured into this trip and your commitment to follow our journey as we serve Christ here in NC.
Love in Christ,
SM Staff Team
NYC Mission Team is Settled in
After a long bus ride up the eastern seaboard we arrived safe and sound at the Manhattan Bible Church. After settling into our accommodations for the week we headed off to dinner with half of the group going to a Dominican restaurant and the other half at a Senegalese restaurant. We are getting ready for a great day serving Jesus in the Big Apple tomorrow! Thanks for your continued prayers and allowing us to partner with you in ministering to your children!
God bless, and good night.
God bless, and good night.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
NYC Mission Trip Final Details
*NEW UPDATES*
Here are the details for leaving, final checklist, and emergency contact information for the New York City mission trip.
We will be meeting at Jamestown High School at 8am. We will check in, load and leave from there.
The packing list has everything that you will need but here are some of the important items (I am assuming clothes, ect. are a given):
401 West 205th Street, New York, NY 10034
Craig Blocher and Alexis Kincaid will be the staff members on the trip. Craig's cell phone number is 614.425.5142, Alexis' cell is 919.260.0719.
Please call if you ave any questions!
- Bring some spending money for our fun Friday night activity
- The showers are group showers, so bring a bathing suit for showering
Here are the details for leaving, final checklist, and emergency contact information for the New York City mission trip.
We will be meeting at Jamestown High School at 8am. We will check in, load and leave from there.
The packing list has everything that you will need but here are some of the important items (I am assuming clothes, ect. are a given):
- Packed lunch for the drive up to NYC
- Money for lunch on the drive back
- An Air mattress
- No Electronics
401 West 205th Street, New York, NY 10034
Craig Blocher and Alexis Kincaid will be the staff members on the trip. Craig's cell phone number is 614.425.5142, Alexis' cell is 919.260.0719.
Please call if you ave any questions!
Friday, July 8, 2011
MS NC Final Details
Departure Information: We will leave the Chapel right after our 11am worship service around 12:30pm. However, I am asking that everyone get to the Chapel by 10:30am so that we can get everyone checked-in before the 11am service so that we can head out immediately after the service.
Packing List Change: We will now be stopping for one meal on the way down to NC, so each student will need to pack a lunch and have some money for fast food on the way down as well as money for one fast food meal on the way back ($15 plus packed lunch should be plenty).
Packing List
Please call Luke on his cell phone at 757-570-0292 if you have any further questions.
Packing List Change: We will now be stopping for one meal on the way down to NC, so each student will need to pack a lunch and have some money for fast food on the way down as well as money for one fast food meal on the way back ($15 plus packed lunch should be plenty).
Packing List
Please call Luke on his cell phone at 757-570-0292 if you have any further questions.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
NYC MIssion Trip Final Details
Here are the details for leaving, final checklist, and emergency contact information for the New York City mission trip.
We will be meeting at Jamestown High School at 8am. We will check in, load and leave from there.
The packing list has everything that you will need but here are some of the important items (I am assuming clothes, ect. are a given):
401 West 205th Street, New York, NY 10034
Craig Blocher and Alexis Kincaid will be the staff members on the trip. Craig's cell phone number is 614.425.5142, Alexis' cell is 919.260.0719.
Please call if you ave any questions!
We will be meeting at Jamestown High School at 8am. We will check in, load and leave from there.
The packing list has everything that you will need but here are some of the important items (I am assuming clothes, ect. are a given):
- Packed lunch for the drive up to NYC
- Money for lunch on the drive back
- An Air mattress
- No Electronics
401 West 205th Street, New York, NY 10034
Craig Blocher and Alexis Kincaid will be the staff members on the trip. Craig's cell phone number is 614.425.5142, Alexis' cell is 919.260.0719.
Please call if you ave any questions!
Friday, July 1, 2011
Travel Update #5
Flight #2 has landed in DC! The team will head through customs and board their charter bus for Williamsburg. Our current estimated time of arrival is between 10:30 and 11am. However, the staff on the bus with the team will send a text message out around Fredricksburg to confirm or update the arrival time.
I have talked with several staff and they say that the team is doing well in spite of their long journey. God taught us a great deal in Nicaragua and this long day of travel gave us the chance to practice some of the lessons we learned during our trip. We are grateful for God's grace and provision throughout our journey from Nicaragua to the US today.
This will serve as the final travel update and blog post for the Nicaragua 2011 mission trip. Any updates as the team approaches Williamsburg will be sent out via text (text the word nicaparent to the number 41411 if you would like those updates). We cannot thank you enough for your prayers, support and patience throughout our incredible experience in Nicaragua and on our trip home.
God Bless,
SM Staff Team
I have talked with several staff and they say that the team is doing well in spite of their long journey. God taught us a great deal in Nicaragua and this long day of travel gave us the chance to practice some of the lessons we learned during our trip. We are grateful for God's grace and provision throughout our journey from Nicaragua to the US today.
This will serve as the final travel update and blog post for the Nicaragua 2011 mission trip. Any updates as the team approaches Williamsburg will be sent out via text (text the word nicaparent to the number 41411 if you would like those updates). We cannot thank you enough for your prayers, support and patience throughout our incredible experience in Nicaragua and on our trip home.
God Bless,
SM Staff Team
Travel Update #4
We are still tracking flight #2's progress from El Salvador to Washington DC. As of 6am EST the flight was around Columbia, South Carolina. The flight is now estimated to land at 7am and our updated estimated time of arrival at the Chapel in Williamsburg is between 10:30 and 11am.
Again, we thank you for your continued patience. We are tracking this flight very closely and will do our best to keep you up to date with information regarding your child's arrival in Williamsburg.
Again, we thank you for your continued patience. We are tracking this flight very closely and will do our best to keep you up to date with information regarding your child's arrival in Williamsburg.
Travel Update #3
Flight #1 has returned to Williamsburg.
Flight #2 is currently in the air from San Salvador en route to Washington DC. We still expect their arrival in DC at 5:40am and their arrival at the Chapel between 9:30 and 10:00am. The staff on this flight will text out an updated estimated time of arrival when they are on the bus and headed toward Williamsburg.
We will continue to keep you posted on the team's progress home.
Flight #2 is currently in the air from San Salvador en route to Washington DC. We still expect their arrival in DC at 5:40am and their arrival at the Chapel between 9:30 and 10:00am. The staff on this flight will text out an updated estimated time of arrival when they are on the bus and headed toward Williamsburg.
We will continue to keep you posted on the team's progress home.
Travel Update #2
Flight 1 (sophomore girls, all juniors and Abbey and Mary Carter’s senior girls small group) has landed in DC. We are currently collecting our luggage and heading for our charter bus to head back to Williamsburg. Our estimated time of arrival at the Chapel is right around 3:30am. We will text you from the road if anything changes. Everyone is doing well and is continuing to enjoy the fellowship being on a missions team provides.
Flight 2 (sophomore boys, senior boys and Paige and Sarah Graham’s senior girls small group) is about to leave Nicaragua and is expected to reach DC at 5:40am, approximately 3.5 hours past the original scheduled time. They did not check any luggage and therefore should have a quick transition from the plane to the charter bus to head back to Williamsburg. Our current estimated time of arrival is between 9am and 10am at the Chapel. We will text you from the road to give you a more accurate picture once the bus is on the highway in DC.
Despite the delay the team members on flight 2 have been able to remain positive and also continue to enjoy the deepened friendships within our mission team.
We have been blessed beyond what we could have asked for or even imagined on this trip. Everyone is looking forward to sharing (once they have had a little rest) with you what God accomplished on this trip. Thank you for your support through your prayers and we look forward to our safe arrival in Williamsburg.
God Bless,
SM Staff Team
God Bless,
SM Staff Team
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Travel Update #1
Flight #1 from Miami is at the gate, ready to board the plane. There have been a few weather challenges in the area, but everything is currently on time and it looks like we should get out without a problem.
Due to the weather problems in Miami, flight #2's plane has not yet arrived in Nicaragua to pick up the second half of the team. We are monitoring the situation very closely with the staff on the ground, and will keep you updated with details as they become available. In spite of this delay, everyone is safe and healthy, and we look forward to returning home as soon as possible.
Due to the weather problems in Miami, flight #2's plane has not yet arrived in Nicaragua to pick up the second half of the team. We are monitoring the situation very closely with the staff on the ground, and will keep you updated with details as they become available. In spite of this delay, everyone is safe and healthy, and we look forward to returning home as soon as possible.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Nica Update- Day 8- June 28
Friends,
We are currently in the midst of finishing up our work with orphaned and abandoned children around Managua. All grades are hosting good bye parties for the children with whom they have been working all week. The relationships that were built were meaningful and deep. The impact students from the Chapel have had in the lives of these children is beautiful, but it should be duely noted that our team has been impacted deeply through their engagement here. The stories being told and the laughter that is heard around our dinner tables is something that makes me pause and just thank God for the investment He is making in the Chapel students this week.
We now transition our thinking toward helping the students seal the lessons into their hearts and minds, and to helping them apply the lessons back home. We will be leaving for our Debrief site around 4pm this afternoon (6pm in Williamsburg). At the debrief students will spend intentional time in small groups, alone and all together processing all they heard and saw this week. Paul Borthwick (professor of missions at Gordon College) once said, "the short term mission trip that is not examined is the short term mission trip not worth taking." We are committed to helping all our students process their experince in the hope that they will be able carry it with them and apply it to many aspects of their lives back home.
Due to limited internet access at the debrief site, this will be our final blog post before we begin the travel update blog posts on Thursday as we make our way home. The most up to date travel info will be available via text message alert. The blog will also be updated as much as possible. Please text the word nicaparent to the number 41411 to recieve the most up to date travel info for our return trip.
Finally, please consider joining Deacon of Student Ministries, Wrenn Holland, in the SM Worship Room tonight from 7-8pm to pray for the Nicaragua Mission Team. We love that parents and church members are participating with us on this trip through prayer and we wanted to offer an opportunity for even more participation as we request your prayers for the lessons of this trip to sink deeply into the heart of our kids at the Chapel.
It has truly been a wonderful trip everything has been very smooth. We are excited to get home and share with you all that God has done in Nicaragua this week.
God Bless,
SM Staff Team
We are currently in the midst of finishing up our work with orphaned and abandoned children around Managua. All grades are hosting good bye parties for the children with whom they have been working all week. The relationships that were built were meaningful and deep. The impact students from the Chapel have had in the lives of these children is beautiful, but it should be duely noted that our team has been impacted deeply through their engagement here. The stories being told and the laughter that is heard around our dinner tables is something that makes me pause and just thank God for the investment He is making in the Chapel students this week.
We now transition our thinking toward helping the students seal the lessons into their hearts and minds, and to helping them apply the lessons back home. We will be leaving for our Debrief site around 4pm this afternoon (6pm in Williamsburg). At the debrief students will spend intentional time in small groups, alone and all together processing all they heard and saw this week. Paul Borthwick (professor of missions at Gordon College) once said, "the short term mission trip that is not examined is the short term mission trip not worth taking." We are committed to helping all our students process their experince in the hope that they will be able carry it with them and apply it to many aspects of their lives back home.
Due to limited internet access at the debrief site, this will be our final blog post before we begin the travel update blog posts on Thursday as we make our way home. The most up to date travel info will be available via text message alert. The blog will also be updated as much as possible. Please text the word nicaparent to the number 41411 to recieve the most up to date travel info for our return trip.
Finally, please consider joining Deacon of Student Ministries, Wrenn Holland, in the SM Worship Room tonight from 7-8pm to pray for the Nicaragua Mission Team. We love that parents and church members are participating with us on this trip through prayer and we wanted to offer an opportunity for even more participation as we request your prayers for the lessons of this trip to sink deeply into the heart of our kids at the Chapel.
It has truly been a wonderful trip everything has been very smooth. We are excited to get home and share with you all that God has done in Nicaragua this week.
God Bless,
SM Staff Team
Nica Update- Day 7- June 27
Hey y'all!
What an amazing day that we've spent here with our friends and family in Nica! It has been another day of grace and joy as we've served and been served by these beloved people! Our team is loving life and as we close another day here, we remain so very thankful for our time in Nicaragua.
The Seniors had a big day today as they ventured off for their Senior Experience. After breakfast at Casa today, they loaded up in a bus with lots of our donations and headed for Posoltega just outside of Leon. The team spent the day serving at the community feeding center and then hosting a Midweek for the children at the local church. After Midweek they were blessed to serve the people of Posoltega by setting up a 'thrift store' for them to get clothes and supplies from the donations our team brought down. They remarked that it was like watching Jesus at work right before their eyes as over a hundred children and their families received much needed supplies. They'll be spending the night in Leon and will be returning to Casa tomorrow around lunch time to meet back up with the team.
Team Juniors enjoyed such a wonderful day today! They stuck around Casa after breakfast this morning to finish up a few work projects they had started a couple days ago. All the tables and chairs for Casa's dining area are completed and will be helping to feed children for many years to come. As tables were finished, a group of our juniors served a group of Casa women that are used to being the ones serving. It was a neat experience for their leaders to watch girls and guys alike jump in with the cleaning staff to complete their daily tasks at the team center. Just before lunch they headed out for Nueva Vida to serve at two different feeding centers. They helped feed the kids and then hosted a VBS lesson on joy. Their afternoon was spent taking about forty children from Nueva Vida to see Kung Fu Panda 2 at a local mall in Managua. As a group of leaders sat in the back of the theater Christ's love was almost tangible as our students really engaged with those kids by joining in their laughter over the simple act of being a kid.
Our Sophomores went through probably their biggest day in Nica today. Their morning was spent visiting La Chureca (the Dump) and then volunteering at two of their feeding centers. Many of our students have commented on how much they saw Jesus in the hope and courage of the children in Chureca. As leaders we are thankful to be able to take these steps alongside them as they are really challenged in their faith by their experiences here in Nica. After lunch they returned to El Canyon to throw a goodbye party with the kids. Our sophomores have formed many friendships with the children there as they've worked this week and it meant a lot to those children and our students to share one last afternoon in fellowship together.
Tonight the juniors and sophomores rallied together since the seniors were off on their adventure and enjoyed dinner together and then porch time at Casa. The talk they heard tonight focused on taking these experiences in Nicaragua back into their lives at home and as we head into their final day of service tomorrow we really challenged them to give Nica all they have got! Our students will be doing a few more work projects tomorrow and then throwing some goodbye parties before we all head out for debrief tomorrow night.
We thank you so much for your support and prayers as we've been on this journey in Nicaragua. Our staff and leaders really want you to know that we couldn't do any of this without your help in lifting this trip up to Christ. He's doing amazing things here in Nica and in our students and we can't wait to be back to share it with you in a few days!
Love in Christ,
SM Staff Team
Monday, June 27, 2011
Prayer Meeting Reminder
Thank you for your faithfulness to pray and please continue to pray that we might experience Jesus as we serve and that those whom we serve would experience Jesus through our team for the remainder of our time down here.
The team values your prayers so much we want to invite you to a time of corporate prayer for the Nicaragua mission team lead by Deacon of Student Ministries, Wrenn Holland, on Tuesday June 28th from 7pm-8pm in the Student Ministries Worship Room. Please use door East 3 to enter the building.
All are invited to come and pray for the mission trip, and we want to extend a special invitation to parents with children on the trip. This is a great opportunity to participate with your child in the work they are doing in Nicaragua.
The team values your prayers so much we want to invite you to a time of corporate prayer for the Nicaragua mission team lead by Deacon of Student Ministries, Wrenn Holland, on Tuesday June 28th from 7pm-8pm in the Student Ministries Worship Room. Please use door East 3 to enter the building.
All are invited to come and pray for the mission trip, and we want to extend a special invitation to parents with children on the trip. This is a great opportunity to participate with your child in the work they are doing in Nicaragua.
Nica Update Day 6 - June 26th
Hola from Nicaragua, friends and family!
What a blessed day we’ve shared in Nica with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Sunday in Nica is always such a beautiful experience for our students to share in life alongside the people they are serving, and God proved faithful in that today.
After breakfast at Casa, our seniors and juniors split up to enjoy worship at two different churches. The seniors picked up the children from Casa and accompanied them to their church home of Verbo in Managua. They shared in worship and heard a message through a translator right there with the kids. After the service they returned for lunch at Casa with the juniors before heading out for our afternoon activity.
Team Juniors had the blessing of attending church in the community they have been serving during their time in Nicaragua. The community church in Verbo Sur opened their doors and their hearts to our team as they joined in a worship service and a message from their pastor. After a brief hang out time with the families from Verbo Sur, the juniors returned to Casa for lunch.
The sophomore team attended several different church sites throughout the community of Nueva Vida where our team has been enjoying fellowship through service this week. Some attended main worship services, while others participated in Sunday school classes with the younger kids. They had lunch at their housing site and then headed out to meet the juniors and seniors for our afternoon activity.
Today our team was all back together again with children from Nueva Vida and Casa Bernabe at a local sports complex/park in Managua for the afternoon. They played soccer, enjoyed the playground, and threw a Midweek game session for the kids. It was great to see them so engaged with the children they have been building community with this past week. It was easy to see how God has allowed his grace to form bonds and share joy between the children of Nicaragua and our students.
With only two serving days left before our debrief experience, we ask for your prayers that God would continue to give us strength to finish well and to "leave it all on the field." All the students are excited about the remaining service opportunities, but they're also eager to get back to share their individual stories of transformation with all of you!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Nica Update Day 5- June 25th
Hola amigos!
First things first, all students are healthy and well. We praise God for this provision of health and safety.
Nicaragua always seems to stretch our capacity to learn and grow through the unique circumstances it presents and the abundance of opportunities to serve it provides. Today God provided us with many opportunities to stretch our hearts and minds to see what He is doing in the world more clearly.
Today ALL the students on our team met up this afternoon at Hertylandia, a water park about an hour outside of Managua, to grow in their relationships with these precious children Christ has blessed us with.
The Seniors departed Casa this morning to do VBS with kids from El Faro just outside of the dump in Managua. They were able to play some games, sing songs with the kids, and teach them a lesson on joy. We've been delighted during our time here to see students step up and be willing to lead these small teaching times for the kids in Nicaragua-- some with the help of translators, and other stepping out in faith and giving their Spanish class knowledge a try. They loaded up about forty kids from El Faro and headed to Hertylandia to meet up with the juniors and sophomores. After enjoying boxed lunches together with the kids, everyone suited up and headed to the pool for an afternoon of swim lessons and good times. They departed the pool along with the juniors to return to Casa for dinner and a movie night with the kids from Casa.
Our Juniors left Casa this morning after breakfast to teach a VBS lesson to the kids at Verbo Sur. After being on the bus for about 45 minutes they realized that the bus driver was already taking them to Hertylandia... without the kids from Verbo Sur. They turned around and headed back to Managua to pick up the kids and their lunches from the church. The children were eagerly awaiting the team's arrival. The team made up for the missed VBS by singing their hearts out en route to Hertylandia, where they ate lunch together before joining the seniors and sophomores in the pool for the afternoon.
Team Sophomore had breakfast at their housing sites and then went to Nueva Vida to spend some time with the kids before heading out for Hertylandia. They filled a few buses and arrived a little before lunch to enjoy some pool time before the other groups arrived. They enjoyed a lunch of pizza with the Nueva Vida kids, which for some of our pickier eaters was a pleasant surprise. :) After their lunch they rejoined the seniors, juniors, El Faro kids, and Verbo Sur kids for a few more hours in the pool...complete with a few Nicaraguan down pours.
Days like today remind our students that life doesn't always look so similar across the world, but with God's perspective, some things begin to come into focus. For 112 students and leaders from Williamsburg that see the flair and glamour of places like Busch Gardens and WaterCountry on a simple drive down Route 60, their eyes were opened today to children who only dream of the pool. They spent their afternoon engrossed in laughter and games with precious kids that couldn't have wanted of anything bigger in the world. God was everywhere as leaders surveyed the pool to see our students covered in Nicaraguan kids as they enjoyed the slides, played games in the water, and taught some of the children how to swim.
Nicaragua sometimes wins in moments of longer than expected bus rides and rain that comes down in buckets, but thankfully through God's grace it also wins in the moments where a hug and a hand to hold can cure all the pain in the world. Our students are learning...our students are growing...and we couldn't be more thankful.
This evening we set aside time for small groups. All students are currently processing the trip alongside their leaders and friends. They are getting into God's Word by answering questions posed in our porch time Bible studies from the previous 3 nights.
Please continue to be in prayer for our team as we enter into the last half of our trip. Pray that God would continue to seal in the lessons of this trip and give them perspective on how to apply those lessons back in Williamsburg. Also, please consider attending the prayer night for the Nicaragua mission team Tuesday at 7 in the Student Ministries Worship Room (see earlier blog post for details).
We are now look forward to Sunday when we will be attending church at three different Verbo churches (Verbo is our primary ministry partner) around Managua then heading out for a big soccer game day and hang out time with kids from Casa and Nueva Vida at a local sports complex. Dios bendigas! (God bless!)
Love in Christ,
SM Staff Team
First things first, all students are healthy and well. We praise God for this provision of health and safety.
Nicaragua always seems to stretch our capacity to learn and grow through the unique circumstances it presents and the abundance of opportunities to serve it provides. Today God provided us with many opportunities to stretch our hearts and minds to see what He is doing in the world more clearly.
Today ALL the students on our team met up this afternoon at Hertylandia, a water park about an hour outside of Managua, to grow in their relationships with these precious children Christ has blessed us with.
The Seniors departed Casa this morning to do VBS with kids from El Faro just outside of the dump in Managua. They were able to play some games, sing songs with the kids, and teach them a lesson on joy. We've been delighted during our time here to see students step up and be willing to lead these small teaching times for the kids in Nicaragua-- some with the help of translators, and other stepping out in faith and giving their Spanish class knowledge a try. They loaded up about forty kids from El Faro and headed to Hertylandia to meet up with the juniors and sophomores. After enjoying boxed lunches together with the kids, everyone suited up and headed to the pool for an afternoon of swim lessons and good times. They departed the pool along with the juniors to return to Casa for dinner and a movie night with the kids from Casa.
Our Juniors left Casa this morning after breakfast to teach a VBS lesson to the kids at Verbo Sur. After being on the bus for about 45 minutes they realized that the bus driver was already taking them to Hertylandia... without the kids from Verbo Sur. They turned around and headed back to Managua to pick up the kids and their lunches from the church. The children were eagerly awaiting the team's arrival. The team made up for the missed VBS by singing their hearts out en route to Hertylandia, where they ate lunch together before joining the seniors and sophomores in the pool for the afternoon.
Team Sophomore had breakfast at their housing sites and then went to Nueva Vida to spend some time with the kids before heading out for Hertylandia. They filled a few buses and arrived a little before lunch to enjoy some pool time before the other groups arrived. They enjoyed a lunch of pizza with the Nueva Vida kids, which for some of our pickier eaters was a pleasant surprise. :) After their lunch they rejoined the seniors, juniors, El Faro kids, and Verbo Sur kids for a few more hours in the pool...complete with a few Nicaraguan down pours.
Days like today remind our students that life doesn't always look so similar across the world, but with God's perspective, some things begin to come into focus. For 112 students and leaders from Williamsburg that see the flair and glamour of places like Busch Gardens and WaterCountry on a simple drive down Route 60, their eyes were opened today to children who only dream of the pool. They spent their afternoon engrossed in laughter and games with precious kids that couldn't have wanted of anything bigger in the world. God was everywhere as leaders surveyed the pool to see our students covered in Nicaraguan kids as they enjoyed the slides, played games in the water, and taught some of the children how to swim.
Nicaragua sometimes wins in moments of longer than expected bus rides and rain that comes down in buckets, but thankfully through God's grace it also wins in the moments where a hug and a hand to hold can cure all the pain in the world. Our students are learning...our students are growing...and we couldn't be more thankful.
This evening we set aside time for small groups. All students are currently processing the trip alongside their leaders and friends. They are getting into God's Word by answering questions posed in our porch time Bible studies from the previous 3 nights.
Please continue to be in prayer for our team as we enter into the last half of our trip. Pray that God would continue to seal in the lessons of this trip and give them perspective on how to apply those lessons back in Williamsburg. Also, please consider attending the prayer night for the Nicaragua mission team Tuesday at 7 in the Student Ministries Worship Room (see earlier blog post for details).
We are now look forward to Sunday when we will be attending church at three different Verbo churches (Verbo is our primary ministry partner) around Managua then heading out for a big soccer game day and hang out time with kids from Casa and Nueva Vida at a local sports complex. Dios bendigas! (God bless!)
Love in Christ,
SM Staff Team
Nica Update Day 4- June 24th
Hola friends and family!
We've spent another day being covered in the love and blessings of Christ as we've lived here in Nicaragua. Hearts continue to be changed and lives continue to be filled with hope as we encounter Christ among the people of Nicaragua. Our team is still enjoying good health and we're thankful for all that we've been able to be a part of the past few days.
This morning the Senior Team stayed at Casa Bernabe Orphanage where we are staying to complete work projects started by the juniors yesterday. They painted ceiling tiles, then repainted and repaired the benches and tables from the dining facility. These facilities serve all 65 children that live at Casa and our students were excited to be a part of something that will remain here with them after we leave Nica. They enjoyed lunch at Casa and then continued work projects during the afternoon, as well as teaching English classes alongside Professor Regan. Their leaders have commented to us that today was a great day to see these kids' servant hearts for Christ and their friends here in Nicaragua.
Our Juniors continue to build relationships and serve the children and families of Verbo Sur, a church plant in Managua that houses a feeding center. During the morning the boys completed a work project to build a wall that will protect the church from Nicaragua's legendary downpours during the wet season. The girls enjoyed time teaching the kids songs in English and playing lots and lots of duck-duck-goose as the rains came down outside. They all served lunch at the feeding center before hosting a VBS service for forty of Verbo Sur's children. After VBS they loaded the kids up in buses and they spent the afternoon teaching swim lessons and playing with the kids at a local pool in Managua. The Juniors returned to Casa for dinner and time with the seniors.
The Sophomore Team had a long day of work projects and service at both El Canyon Orphanage and the Nueva Vida community. During the morning half the team served at El Canyon by finished the work projects started yesterday before spending the afternoon teaching English lessons, hosting a VBS, and playing games with the children. The second half of the team served at the feeding centers in Nueva Vida after completing a work project during the morning. For the afternoon they hosted VBS for the Nueva Vida church and then spent their last bit of the afternoon playing games with the kids.
Our Seniors and Juniors enjoyed a special treat tonight as they joined the Casa Bernabe kids for their weekly Friday worship service under the rancho. Older students from Casa lead a time of song worship before an orphanage caretaker gave a message on living out our dreams by serving Christ. This is always such a remarkable opportunity for our team to slow down and simply worship their Lord and Savior right alongside these precious kids that Christ is allowing us to serve. The barriers of language, wealth, and culture kind of fall away as we sing songs of praise to our God.
The Sophomores took another trip to Casa tonight to share porch time with the juniors and seniors after Casa's worship service. Our students continue to have life altering moments of encountering Christ both amongst themselves and through the people of Nicaragua. It is always so encouraging to hear them share all the places they saw God as they worked throughout the day and spent such precious time in fellowship with one another.
Thank you so much for all the prayers that you are covering our team with. We couldn't make a journey like this with any hope if we did not have people like you offering our time up to Christ everyday. We'd ask that you continue to pray for the people of Nicaragua to feel Christ's love through our team, that our students would have hearts of service as we spend another day here in Nica tomorrow, and for our health that we might continue on our journey of meeting Christ in Nica. Blessing to you all!
Love in Christ,
SM Staff Team
We've spent another day being covered in the love and blessings of Christ as we've lived here in Nicaragua. Hearts continue to be changed and lives continue to be filled with hope as we encounter Christ among the people of Nicaragua. Our team is still enjoying good health and we're thankful for all that we've been able to be a part of the past few days.
This morning the Senior Team stayed at Casa Bernabe Orphanage where we are staying to complete work projects started by the juniors yesterday. They painted ceiling tiles, then repainted and repaired the benches and tables from the dining facility. These facilities serve all 65 children that live at Casa and our students were excited to be a part of something that will remain here with them after we leave Nica. They enjoyed lunch at Casa and then continued work projects during the afternoon, as well as teaching English classes alongside Professor Regan. Their leaders have commented to us that today was a great day to see these kids' servant hearts for Christ and their friends here in Nicaragua.
Our Juniors continue to build relationships and serve the children and families of Verbo Sur, a church plant in Managua that houses a feeding center. During the morning the boys completed a work project to build a wall that will protect the church from Nicaragua's legendary downpours during the wet season. The girls enjoyed time teaching the kids songs in English and playing lots and lots of duck-duck-goose as the rains came down outside. They all served lunch at the feeding center before hosting a VBS service for forty of Verbo Sur's children. After VBS they loaded the kids up in buses and they spent the afternoon teaching swim lessons and playing with the kids at a local pool in Managua. The Juniors returned to Casa for dinner and time with the seniors.
The Sophomore Team had a long day of work projects and service at both El Canyon Orphanage and the Nueva Vida community. During the morning half the team served at El Canyon by finished the work projects started yesterday before spending the afternoon teaching English lessons, hosting a VBS, and playing games with the children. The second half of the team served at the feeding centers in Nueva Vida after completing a work project during the morning. For the afternoon they hosted VBS for the Nueva Vida church and then spent their last bit of the afternoon playing games with the kids.
Our Seniors and Juniors enjoyed a special treat tonight as they joined the Casa Bernabe kids for their weekly Friday worship service under the rancho. Older students from Casa lead a time of song worship before an orphanage caretaker gave a message on living out our dreams by serving Christ. This is always such a remarkable opportunity for our team to slow down and simply worship their Lord and Savior right alongside these precious kids that Christ is allowing us to serve. The barriers of language, wealth, and culture kind of fall away as we sing songs of praise to our God.
The Sophomores took another trip to Casa tonight to share porch time with the juniors and seniors after Casa's worship service. Our students continue to have life altering moments of encountering Christ both amongst themselves and through the people of Nicaragua. It is always so encouraging to hear them share all the places they saw God as they worked throughout the day and spent such precious time in fellowship with one another.
Thank you so much for all the prayers that you are covering our team with. We couldn't make a journey like this with any hope if we did not have people like you offering our time up to Christ everyday. We'd ask that you continue to pray for the people of Nicaragua to feel Christ's love through our team, that our students would have hearts of service as we spend another day here in Nica tomorrow, and for our health that we might continue on our journey of meeting Christ in Nica. Blessing to you all!
Love in Christ,
SM Staff Team
Friday, June 24, 2011
Nicaragua Update - Day 3 (June 23rd)
We've only been down here for three days and already it's incredible to see the many ways in which God has shown up.
Today the sophomore group served in two different locations. Half the 10th grade team (Steven, Andrew, and Mark's guys plus Christine's girls) spent the day at the El Canyon Orphanage. In the morning, the ladies began painting the inside of the boys' dormitory, while the guys moved furniture and assembled several bunk beds in the facility's brand new dorm. After getting the new rooms in order, some of the guys assisted in completing the painting project, while others played basketball with a few kids from the orphanage. After lunch at the site, the group took a tour of the local village, and returned to the orphanage to play with some of the kids after they got out of school. Meanwhile, the second half of the sophomores (Quinn and John Mark's guys and Lindsey's girls) returned to a church in the refugee community of Nueva Vida to assist with a feeding center, complete a few work projects (such as sanding rust off of bed frames), and host a VBS for tons of kids. Today's VBS topic was about kindness and giving, and the team (along with the Nicaraguan children) made bracelets to give to others to illustrate the concept. After serving all day, the sophomores all returned to their housing sites to clean up, before coming together again for a delicious meal at Pastor Ricardo's house.
The junior class had another exciting day (without even stepping foot outside the Casa Bernabe Orphanage walls!). In the morning, the juniors completed several work projects around the orphanage grounds, including deep cleaning the entire kitchen area. After morning projects, the juniors taught English classes for the students at Casa Bernabe. Knowing English is a huge indicator of success for people in Nicaragua, so we are praying that their efforts to help these kids grow in their language skills will help give them a bright future. In the early evening, the juniors also led a devotional for the kids at Casa.
The senior class's day was filled with adventure. They began the day at Nueva Vida, helping at a local church and preparing to serve food at the lunch-time feeding center. After serving all the children and grabbing a quick bite to eat, the seniors got to take a group of kids from that community on an incredible field trip to the zoo! Amazing animals were seen and, more importantly, loving relationships were developed between our team members and the kids from Nueva Vida. The seniors returned to Casa to have dinner with the junior class.
To end the evening, the sophomore class joined the juniors and seniors at Casa Bernabe for a joint porch time. It was an incredible sight to see more than 120 people joined in a circle under the rancho, preparing to worship God and hear a message from his Word. After some funny memories from our "remember that time . . ." portion of the evening (a way for us to share all the comical moments that might have occurred during the day at the various locations), and a great round of "I saw Jesus . . ." (a more serious time for us to share moments from our days where we encountered the risen Savior), we had a meaningful time of worship, singing praises to God for all He's already done and will continue to do. Finally, Craig brought us a message from the book of James, and urged us to already be thinking about how we can apply some of the lessons we're learning down here to our lives back home. After some fun hang out time all together, the sophomores headed back to their housing sites, and everyone prepared to get some rest in preparation for another full day of serving tomorrow. Even with such a large team, logistics continue to run smoothly. We thank you all for your prayer support, and continue to solicit your prayers for sustained health, safety, and relationship building (with each other, with the Nicaraguan kids/people, and with Jesus Christ).
Today the sophomore group served in two different locations. Half the 10th grade team (Steven, Andrew, and Mark's guys plus Christine's girls) spent the day at the El Canyon Orphanage. In the morning, the ladies began painting the inside of the boys' dormitory, while the guys moved furniture and assembled several bunk beds in the facility's brand new dorm. After getting the new rooms in order, some of the guys assisted in completing the painting project, while others played basketball with a few kids from the orphanage. After lunch at the site, the group took a tour of the local village, and returned to the orphanage to play with some of the kids after they got out of school. Meanwhile, the second half of the sophomores (Quinn and John Mark's guys and Lindsey's girls) returned to a church in the refugee community of Nueva Vida to assist with a feeding center, complete a few work projects (such as sanding rust off of bed frames), and host a VBS for tons of kids. Today's VBS topic was about kindness and giving, and the team (along with the Nicaraguan children) made bracelets to give to others to illustrate the concept. After serving all day, the sophomores all returned to their housing sites to clean up, before coming together again for a delicious meal at Pastor Ricardo's house.
The junior class had another exciting day (without even stepping foot outside the Casa Bernabe Orphanage walls!). In the morning, the juniors completed several work projects around the orphanage grounds, including deep cleaning the entire kitchen area. After morning projects, the juniors taught English classes for the students at Casa Bernabe. Knowing English is a huge indicator of success for people in Nicaragua, so we are praying that their efforts to help these kids grow in their language skills will help give them a bright future. In the early evening, the juniors also led a devotional for the kids at Casa.
The senior class's day was filled with adventure. They began the day at Nueva Vida, helping at a local church and preparing to serve food at the lunch-time feeding center. After serving all the children and grabbing a quick bite to eat, the seniors got to take a group of kids from that community on an incredible field trip to the zoo! Amazing animals were seen and, more importantly, loving relationships were developed between our team members and the kids from Nueva Vida. The seniors returned to Casa to have dinner with the junior class.
To end the evening, the sophomore class joined the juniors and seniors at Casa Bernabe for a joint porch time. It was an incredible sight to see more than 120 people joined in a circle under the rancho, preparing to worship God and hear a message from his Word. After some funny memories from our "remember that time . . ." portion of the evening (a way for us to share all the comical moments that might have occurred during the day at the various locations), and a great round of "I saw Jesus . . ." (a more serious time for us to share moments from our days where we encountered the risen Savior), we had a meaningful time of worship, singing praises to God for all He's already done and will continue to do. Finally, Craig brought us a message from the book of James, and urged us to already be thinking about how we can apply some of the lessons we're learning down here to our lives back home. After some fun hang out time all together, the sophomores headed back to their housing sites, and everyone prepared to get some rest in preparation for another full day of serving tomorrow. Even with such a large team, logistics continue to run smoothly. We thank you all for your prayer support, and continue to solicit your prayers for sustained health, safety, and relationship building (with each other, with the Nicaraguan kids/people, and with Jesus Christ).
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