Yesterday was such a wonderful last day!! We hit the road a little bit earlier for our work site because our normal morning worship happens at night on the last day. So we began digging and painting around 9am this morning at Mr. Hughes's house. Over the past couple days the work gradually got more difficult as we hit more and more rocks the deeper we dug. There were even a couple boulders that ended up being impenetrable with our pick axes and so we had to leave them for a jackhammer to come break them up. After working hard in the morning and afternoon we finished our last day of digging and painting at 4pm. Our students showed true determination and hard work this entire week as they put all of their energy into each swing of the pick ax and each dig with a shovel.
Our supervisor, Rich, who is an expert in septic systems, said this was the hardest septic system he has ever had to dig and as a result there was a little work that we were unable to complete that a team of engineers without borders will comlete tomorrow. The great news is that Mr. Hughes will not lose his house! Even though we were unable to complete the entire project our students were extremely excited and joyful by the fact that we got to participate in essentially saving a man's life!
Another neighbor of Mr. Hughes drove by and stopped in amazement of what God was doing through our team. She was a good friend of Mr. Hughes and could not thank us enough for the work we were doing. Our students literally showed God and served an entire community of people down here in North Carolina!
After finishing our work project, our team headed back to home base for an evening of exciting and God-filled worship. First we had a fun and dance-filled worship time with Recreation Experiences followed by a moving talk by the Executive Director, Dave Torbett. Then our team headed to our final evening porch time for the week where Luke challenged the student's definition of love. He showed them that the true definition of love is found in 1 Corinthians 13 and the greatest picture of that love is found in the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Finally, we split into our final time of small group where we had our best small group of the week. We saw a group of middle school students come together in love, unity, and fellowship in a way that we have not seen in awhile. God truly was tugging at the hearts of our students and they responded by honestly sharing and opening up to one another.
It truly has been a blessed week and although we will miss being here we are excited to come share our experience with everyone back in Williamsburg! The estimated time of departure from our home base down here is 9am and our estimated time of arrival back at the Chapel is 5pm. Remember to check the hotline at 757-810-4021 for updated times of arrival back to the Chapel. Thank you so much for all of your prayers and we will see you tonight!!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
HS DC Trip Day #4 - Our Final Day of Service in DC
What a way to end our final day of service in Washington, DC! God has really shown up this week in the most amazing and tangible ways, and it has been a privilege to share these moments with you.
Today, it was Group 1's turn to receive the early wake-up call. Like Group 2 did yesterday, Group 1 rose at 5am to be at a local church serving breakfast and handing out clothing to people in need. After their time of service, the group was able to sit down with a man named Paul who runs the outreach operation there. Paul's story of transformation was both an encouragement and a challenge to all the students who served at this location. While Group 1 served at this location yesterday, the team noticed that the facility was running low on summer clothing, especially for men. As a result, our entire group made an impact at this facility by donating some of our own clothing to go to the men and women who visit there for help. It was a blessing to see how quickly our kids were able to apply the lessons they are learning by giving of themselves and their possessions. After serving breakfast and talking with Paul, Group 1 headed to a local library to help them label and bare-code books. It was a nice escape from the heat, and another tangible act of service. Their efforts made what could have been a daunting task for the librarians a very enjoyable end to the morning.
Group 3 also rose early today to serve breakfast at a site called S.O.M.E - So Others Might Eat. Group 3 had a great time serving the morning meal, and really learned a lot by the obvious joy on the faces of the men and women who worked there. After breakfast, the employees at S.O.M.E mentioned that there was no group scheduled to help them serve lunch, so our kids readily volunteered, and actually found even more joy in repeating the process of preparing and serving a meal. This extra time of service cut into their own lunch time, but not a complaint was heard among the group!
Group 2 got some much needed rest this morning, then reported to the same nursing home that another group had visited earlier this week. It was great to meet some of the same residents that the earlier group had talked about at porch time. The students pushed through several potentially awkward moments to give of their time and attention to these often-forgotten people, and Jesus really blessed these efforts by making His presence felt during and after the visit.
After these morning activities, all groups met up at a local outdoor skate park in Anacostia to eat lunch and relax before our final day of VBS. Once at the VBS sites, our students continued to pour out their hearts and love the kids we have been building relationships with all week. We tried to cement the message that "God always wins" into the students' hearts and minds by teaching them that, just like Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, God can bring the "dead" things in our own lives back to life when we put our faith in Him and let Him win over death. One of the most heart-breaking and challenging moments of the week came at the end of VBS. While our teams walked their young friends home, there were several questions such as "When are you coming back?" It was almost as if Jesus Himself were asking us, "Are you going to continue to love me by serving me, no matter where you are in the world?" After lots of hugs, we loaded up the vans and headed for our final adventure of the day.
Group 1 was able to spend the rest of the afternoon doing a little sight-seeing before eating their final DC dinner at Pollo Granjero. Groups 2 and 3 got to spend their early-evenings participating in the Urban Plunge activity that Group 1 had completed earlier in the week. Students and leaders were broken up into groups, and went to several different DC neighborhoods in order to serve homeless men and women by taking them out to a meal. Students were also challenged to ask questions of the men and women they ate to find out more about the issues of poverty and homelessness in urban areas, and these questions led to some very interesting encounters and responses. Overall, the groups really enjoyed "plunging" into one of the city's more difficult issues and seeing how God is working in the midst of it.
Finally, all groups met up at the Basilica for our final Porch Time of the trip. During worship, passersby could tell that we were tired and our voices were strained; nevertheless, we raised our tired voices into the night to praise and worship God for all He has done in us and through us this week. Travis gave a great talk, and asked us to think about the question: "Will you let yourself be used as a result of your experience in DC?" Will we continue to let God use us to carry His message and light into the world, including our own homes? We finished Porch Time with a service of communion, in which the students took the elements, and then served each other as a symbol of what it means to receive God's ultimate expression of love and then share that love with others. We had a short small group session after the closing song in hopes that the great lessons learned on this trip would really start to sink in as we process our experiences together. Praise God for who He is and what He has allowed us to do this week.
We expect to wake up around 8am tomorrow (Friday) and depart our housing site between 9am and 9:30am. We will send out a text when we depart, and then will continue to send texting updates as to our estimated arrival at the Chapel. If you are not on the texting list, please send a text to the number 41411 with the message DCPARENT (all one word). You should receive a confirmation text once you are added to this listserve. Please pray for safe travels and no traffic as we return tomorrow. Your kids can't wait to share with you in-person all that they have learned and experienced.
Today, it was Group 1's turn to receive the early wake-up call. Like Group 2 did yesterday, Group 1 rose at 5am to be at a local church serving breakfast and handing out clothing to people in need. After their time of service, the group was able to sit down with a man named Paul who runs the outreach operation there. Paul's story of transformation was both an encouragement and a challenge to all the students who served at this location. While Group 1 served at this location yesterday, the team noticed that the facility was running low on summer clothing, especially for men. As a result, our entire group made an impact at this facility by donating some of our own clothing to go to the men and women who visit there for help. It was a blessing to see how quickly our kids were able to apply the lessons they are learning by giving of themselves and their possessions. After serving breakfast and talking with Paul, Group 1 headed to a local library to help them label and bare-code books. It was a nice escape from the heat, and another tangible act of service. Their efforts made what could have been a daunting task for the librarians a very enjoyable end to the morning.
Group 3 also rose early today to serve breakfast at a site called S.O.M.E - So Others Might Eat. Group 3 had a great time serving the morning meal, and really learned a lot by the obvious joy on the faces of the men and women who worked there. After breakfast, the employees at S.O.M.E mentioned that there was no group scheduled to help them serve lunch, so our kids readily volunteered, and actually found even more joy in repeating the process of preparing and serving a meal. This extra time of service cut into their own lunch time, but not a complaint was heard among the group!
Group 2 got some much needed rest this morning, then reported to the same nursing home that another group had visited earlier this week. It was great to meet some of the same residents that the earlier group had talked about at porch time. The students pushed through several potentially awkward moments to give of their time and attention to these often-forgotten people, and Jesus really blessed these efforts by making His presence felt during and after the visit.
After these morning activities, all groups met up at a local outdoor skate park in Anacostia to eat lunch and relax before our final day of VBS. Once at the VBS sites, our students continued to pour out their hearts and love the kids we have been building relationships with all week. We tried to cement the message that "God always wins" into the students' hearts and minds by teaching them that, just like Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, God can bring the "dead" things in our own lives back to life when we put our faith in Him and let Him win over death. One of the most heart-breaking and challenging moments of the week came at the end of VBS. While our teams walked their young friends home, there were several questions such as "When are you coming back?" It was almost as if Jesus Himself were asking us, "Are you going to continue to love me by serving me, no matter where you are in the world?" After lots of hugs, we loaded up the vans and headed for our final adventure of the day.
Group 1 was able to spend the rest of the afternoon doing a little sight-seeing before eating their final DC dinner at Pollo Granjero. Groups 2 and 3 got to spend their early-evenings participating in the Urban Plunge activity that Group 1 had completed earlier in the week. Students and leaders were broken up into groups, and went to several different DC neighborhoods in order to serve homeless men and women by taking them out to a meal. Students were also challenged to ask questions of the men and women they ate to find out more about the issues of poverty and homelessness in urban areas, and these questions led to some very interesting encounters and responses. Overall, the groups really enjoyed "plunging" into one of the city's more difficult issues and seeing how God is working in the midst of it.
Finally, all groups met up at the Basilica for our final Porch Time of the trip. During worship, passersby could tell that we were tired and our voices were strained; nevertheless, we raised our tired voices into the night to praise and worship God for all He has done in us and through us this week. Travis gave a great talk, and asked us to think about the question: "Will you let yourself be used as a result of your experience in DC?" Will we continue to let God use us to carry His message and light into the world, including our own homes? We finished Porch Time with a service of communion, in which the students took the elements, and then served each other as a symbol of what it means to receive God's ultimate expression of love and then share that love with others. We had a short small group session after the closing song in hopes that the great lessons learned on this trip would really start to sink in as we process our experiences together. Praise God for who He is and what He has allowed us to do this week.
We expect to wake up around 8am tomorrow (Friday) and depart our housing site between 9am and 9:30am. We will send out a text when we depart, and then will continue to send texting updates as to our estimated arrival at the Chapel. If you are not on the texting list, please send a text to the number 41411 with the message DCPARENT (all one word). You should receive a confirmation text once you are added to this listserve. Please pray for safe travels and no traffic as we return tomorrow. Your kids can't wait to share with you in-person all that they have learned and experienced.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
MS NC Trip Day #4
We went back to our normal schedule today by waking up at 6:30am for breakfast followed by morning worship to wake everyone up and give some more vision for the day. Afterwards we packed up the buses and headed back to our work site at Mr. Hughes's house where we continued to work on our septic system. It was exciting to see the actual septic tank arrive and be put in place as well as see our team essentially finish digging the two run-off ditches. One more hard day of work tomorrow should allow us to finish up the septic system, which will allow Mr. Hughes to keep his house!!
One really encouraging story from the day happened when one of Mr. Hughes's neighbors, Loretta, drove by and began talking to us. She told us that she has power of attorney for Mr. Hughes since he does not have any family and that she was so amazed by the work we were doing. She obviously cared for Mr. Hughes and it brought joy to her face to see a group of middle school students taking time out of their summer to serve a man that does not have enough money to have proper sanitation. Our students have been touching many lives and some we didn't even know, like Loretta.
We finished the evening with another porch time where Luke gave the second part of his talk from Luke 10. He looked at what happens when people make sacrifices in their life to meet the felt and real needs of people around them. Luke said that when this happens people "Get Electrocuted" and experience real joy from God's love passing through them, like a conductor, into the hurt of the world. After the talk we split into small groups, relaxed, and headed to bed. We have one more day to go, which means one more blog tomorrow night. Goodnight!
One really encouraging story from the day happened when one of Mr. Hughes's neighbors, Loretta, drove by and began talking to us. She told us that she has power of attorney for Mr. Hughes since he does not have any family and that she was so amazed by the work we were doing. She obviously cared for Mr. Hughes and it brought joy to her face to see a group of middle school students taking time out of their summer to serve a man that does not have enough money to have proper sanitation. Our students have been touching many lives and some we didn't even know, like Loretta.
We finished the evening with another porch time where Luke gave the second part of his talk from Luke 10. He looked at what happens when people make sacrifices in their life to meet the felt and real needs of people around them. Luke said that when this happens people "Get Electrocuted" and experience real joy from God's love passing through them, like a conductor, into the hurt of the world. After the talk we split into small groups, relaxed, and headed to bed. We have one more day to go, which means one more blog tomorrow night. Goodnight!
HS DC Trip Day #3
The DC team had an extremely long, but wonderful day serving Jesus in our Nation's capital.
For Group 2 the day began with a wake up at 5:00am in order to leave at 5:30 to go make breakfast at a homeless shelter for men and women near downtown DC. The team was amazed to see how many people lined up for the meal they had prepared. They were also struck by the various reasons people become homeless. They learned that it is not simply a lack of will to work, but often times it has to do with mental illness or lack of education. Their interaction with these men and women forced them into action as they came back and reported to our team that the shelter's clothing closet desperately needed to be replenished. The team responded by giving some of their own clothes to provide for the homeless shelter. They truly lived out God's call in Isaiah 58 to "see the hungry and feed them and to see the naked and clothe them."
Group 1 also served at a homeless shelter. The listened to the testimonies of several of the homeless people who reside in the shelter and as a result came running up to me at our nightly Bible study desperate to share what they learned. The people's steadfast faith in God in the midst of difficult life circumstances impacted our students and challenged them to trust God with their lives.
Group 3 spent the morning cleaning the two the homes of two different elderly women. The women were amazed at how fast the kids went to work and how hard they were willing to work. At one of the houses we needed a step later to clean the tops of some kitchen cabinets. When we could not find a step ladder, one of the students immediately got down on all fours and volunteered to serve as a human ladder in order to get the job done. Our students really have been willing to do anything and everything to serve Jesus this week.
In the afternoon our three serving groups once again merged into two as we continued to serve at our two Vacation Bible School sites. We continued to teach on our theme verse of Luke 1:37 and our overall theme of "God always wins." Today's lesson was about Jonah and the idea that we must let God win over our desires and our emotions. Some of the students were impacted deeply by walking the kids back to their homes. When they saw the neighborhoods from which our VBS participants come, our team members were moved with compassion. Several were very emotional as they processed the eternally important question of why some people have so much and other people have so little.
At our porch time Bible study this evening, Alexis this touched on this idea of moving from why God? to What God and how God? Moving from why does this type of poverty exist, to what is God calling me to do in the midst of it and how is he asking me to change my life as a result of what I have seen.
All is well. We will be back in Williamsburg soon.
For Group 2 the day began with a wake up at 5:00am in order to leave at 5:30 to go make breakfast at a homeless shelter for men and women near downtown DC. The team was amazed to see how many people lined up for the meal they had prepared. They were also struck by the various reasons people become homeless. They learned that it is not simply a lack of will to work, but often times it has to do with mental illness or lack of education. Their interaction with these men and women forced them into action as they came back and reported to our team that the shelter's clothing closet desperately needed to be replenished. The team responded by giving some of their own clothes to provide for the homeless shelter. They truly lived out God's call in Isaiah 58 to "see the hungry and feed them and to see the naked and clothe them."
Group 1 also served at a homeless shelter. The listened to the testimonies of several of the homeless people who reside in the shelter and as a result came running up to me at our nightly Bible study desperate to share what they learned. The people's steadfast faith in God in the midst of difficult life circumstances impacted our students and challenged them to trust God with their lives.
Group 3 spent the morning cleaning the two the homes of two different elderly women. The women were amazed at how fast the kids went to work and how hard they were willing to work. At one of the houses we needed a step later to clean the tops of some kitchen cabinets. When we could not find a step ladder, one of the students immediately got down on all fours and volunteered to serve as a human ladder in order to get the job done. Our students really have been willing to do anything and everything to serve Jesus this week.
In the afternoon our three serving groups once again merged into two as we continued to serve at our two Vacation Bible School sites. We continued to teach on our theme verse of Luke 1:37 and our overall theme of "God always wins." Today's lesson was about Jonah and the idea that we must let God win over our desires and our emotions. Some of the students were impacted deeply by walking the kids back to their homes. When they saw the neighborhoods from which our VBS participants come, our team members were moved with compassion. Several were very emotional as they processed the eternally important question of why some people have so much and other people have so little.
At our porch time Bible study this evening, Alexis this touched on this idea of moving from why God? to What God and how God? Moving from why does this type of poverty exist, to what is God calling me to do in the midst of it and how is he asking me to change my life as a result of what I have seen.
All is well. We will be back in Williamsburg soon.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
MS NC Trip Day #3
Today was our team's day off from the work project and so we had the opportunity to experience a couple different parts of the area down here in North Carolina. First, we visited a local health and rehab center called the Brian Center where our students got the opportunity to meet and build relationships with elderly men and women that have injuries or diseases that require medical help. Everyone split into five groups and spread out around the center. Each group took a different wing of the building and spent time visiting each of the patients in the rooms. Some patients wanted to go outside in their wheelchairs, others wanted to hear our kids sing, and still others just wanted to sit and talk. A group of 8th graders got the opportunity to visit with alzheimers patients where many of the patients would forget your name five minutes after you told it to them. They took a guitar and sang lots of songs as well as just spent time being a friend and showing Christ's love to these sometimes forgotten and lonely people. Near the end of our time at the Brian Center we were able to participate in a mini church service with some of the residents. We began the service by joining together as a youth choir to sing three worship songs for the residents and then were followed by a sermon by Pastor Wes. Pastor Wes is a 90 year old man that has been serving in ministry for 65 years. He repeatedly said how much joy and inspiration he found from seeing a group of middle school students coming to serve! It was a really awesome and God-filled service to get to be a part of.
After eating lunch at the Brian Center, we left for an afternoon of experiencing the natural beauty of God's creation. Our first stop was sliding rock where we all got to slide down a 50ft. natural rock slide. Although the water was a little chilly, it was a fun time trying to make the longest chain down the rock slide. Next, we headed to Looking Glass Falls where everyone got to swim underneath the cascading water. We finished the afternoon by heading to a beautiful lookout area on the Blue Ridge Parkway where we ate our dinner and had our evening porch time.
Morgan gave a powerful testimony about a question that challenges all of us, "Are you really ready to see Jesus?" She talked about the discipline of having eyes to see and ears to hear Jesus in our daily lives as well as on this mission trip. She used examples from her own life about how she has seen God orchestrate experiences in her own life. Finally, we ended our porch time out on the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway and headed back to home base for some relaxation and a good night's sleep. We head back to our work site tomorrow so check back in tomorrow night for another update on our digging progress. Goodnight and God bless!
After eating lunch at the Brian Center, we left for an afternoon of experiencing the natural beauty of God's creation. Our first stop was sliding rock where we all got to slide down a 50ft. natural rock slide. Although the water was a little chilly, it was a fun time trying to make the longest chain down the rock slide. Next, we headed to Looking Glass Falls where everyone got to swim underneath the cascading water. We finished the afternoon by heading to a beautiful lookout area on the Blue Ridge Parkway where we ate our dinner and had our evening porch time.
Morgan gave a powerful testimony about a question that challenges all of us, "Are you really ready to see Jesus?" She talked about the discipline of having eyes to see and ears to hear Jesus in our daily lives as well as on this mission trip. She used examples from her own life about how she has seen God orchestrate experiences in her own life. Finally, we ended our porch time out on the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway and headed back to home base for some relaxation and a good night's sleep. We head back to our work site tomorrow so check back in tomorrow night for another update on our digging progress. Goodnight and God bless!
HS DC Trip Day #2
The DC mission team experienced another great day of learning and serving as they engaged in many different forms of mission work throughout the city.
Our team is broken down into three groups for our pre-lunch work. Group 1 went to Food and Friends to prepare and deliver meals to elderly people suffering from various illnesses. This site provides our team with a beautiful picture of the body of Christ at work. The hands of the body prepare and make the meals while the feet of the body carry those meals to those in need. It is an amazing sight to see our team working in concert like this to take care of those who can no longer leave their homes in order to purchase food for themselves.
Group 2 also served the elderly population of DC, but in a much different way than group 1. They worked for an organization which seeks to provide some basic assistance to elderly people who are trying to stay in their own homes as long as practically possible. In order to assist this ministry, group 2 did yard work for several people. To see HS students joyfully doing yard work was a testament to God's power to transform our desires and give us the great joy when we serve someone other than ourselves.
Group 3 went to a rehabilitation home to visit with people who are far away from family and friends and who rarely have an interested person asking them to share in conversation. Our group split up into several different groups and was able to walk down every hallway in the massive facility to offer a visit to anyone who wanted to take us up on the offer. We learned life lessons from many octogenarians and gained valuable perspective on how God can use difficult circumstances to draw us closer to Him.
In the afternoon our three serving groups merged into two and we put on a vacation Bible school for over 100 children. The Student Ministries Summer Interns put together a great program for us before we left for DC. Their hard work paid off as these kids were welcomed into community, loved and taught about the love of God available to them through Christ. Our theme for the week is, "God Always Wins," and our theme verse is Luke 1:37 which states that "nothing is impossible with God." This is the first year we have done the VBS program and I am optimistic that this new addition to our mission trip will give Chapel students a greater relational connection to the work and ministry being done in DC all year long. We will be doing VBS every afternoon on our trip.
Finally, I would like to share one story that really stood out from today's work. There was one woman at the rehabilitation center who upon seeing so many young people serving with such passion said, "I want to go to this Chapel Church Williamsburg Community. What is this place like? Where is it? I would like to be a part of a church that sends people out to serve the world like that Chapel place." It is a joy that many of us reading this blog entry don't have to wonder what a church like that is like. We have the privilege of experiencing it each and every week. Your children are doing amazing things!
Our team is broken down into three groups for our pre-lunch work. Group 1 went to Food and Friends to prepare and deliver meals to elderly people suffering from various illnesses. This site provides our team with a beautiful picture of the body of Christ at work. The hands of the body prepare and make the meals while the feet of the body carry those meals to those in need. It is an amazing sight to see our team working in concert like this to take care of those who can no longer leave their homes in order to purchase food for themselves.
Group 2 also served the elderly population of DC, but in a much different way than group 1. They worked for an organization which seeks to provide some basic assistance to elderly people who are trying to stay in their own homes as long as practically possible. In order to assist this ministry, group 2 did yard work for several people. To see HS students joyfully doing yard work was a testament to God's power to transform our desires and give us the great joy when we serve someone other than ourselves.
Group 3 went to a rehabilitation home to visit with people who are far away from family and friends and who rarely have an interested person asking them to share in conversation. Our group split up into several different groups and was able to walk down every hallway in the massive facility to offer a visit to anyone who wanted to take us up on the offer. We learned life lessons from many octogenarians and gained valuable perspective on how God can use difficult circumstances to draw us closer to Him.
In the afternoon our three serving groups merged into two and we put on a vacation Bible school for over 100 children. The Student Ministries Summer Interns put together a great program for us before we left for DC. Their hard work paid off as these kids were welcomed into community, loved and taught about the love of God available to them through Christ. Our theme for the week is, "God Always Wins," and our theme verse is Luke 1:37 which states that "nothing is impossible with God." This is the first year we have done the VBS program and I am optimistic that this new addition to our mission trip will give Chapel students a greater relational connection to the work and ministry being done in DC all year long. We will be doing VBS every afternoon on our trip.
Finally, I would like to share one story that really stood out from today's work. There was one woman at the rehabilitation center who upon seeing so many young people serving with such passion said, "I want to go to this Chapel Church Williamsburg Community. What is this place like? Where is it? I would like to be a part of a church that sends people out to serve the world like that Chapel place." It is a joy that many of us reading this blog entry don't have to wonder what a church like that is like. We have the privilege of experiencing it each and every week. Your children are doing amazing things!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
MS NC Trip Day #2
Day number two down in North Carolina began the same way as day number one with a tasty french toast sticks breakfast and some morning worship to wake us up and start the day off praising the God we came down here to serve. The weather was beautiful today with the highs being in the mid-80's and a party cloudy sky that gave us a lot of shade. With the sun came new energy for our students as they continued to dig the trenches in which the septic tank run-off pipes will be placed later in the week. We are digging two trenches with each of them being about 100 feet long, 3 ft wide, and 18 in. deep. Along with digging the trenches, our students began digging another smaller trench that will serve as the trench for the connector pipe between the actual tank and the run-off pipes. A small group of our students continued to paint the inside and outside of Mr. Hughes's house today as well.
The students were given a little more motivation today when we all found out that Mr. Hughes will actually be kicked out of his house if we are not able to finish the septic system for him. He has been living in violation of certain sanitation codes because he did not have proper drainage for his sewage. As a result, he stands to lose his house unless we are able finish it for him. We were continually reminded that God's plan to share himself with the world is through us and it was amazing to see our students get fired up to serve Mr. Hughes and God's kingdom by meeting tangible felt needs like a septic system and real needs like the love of Jesus.
After a day of work we headed back to home base where we took some much needed showers, ate dinner, relaxed and headed to our evening Porch Time. Luke taught from the gospel of Luke, chapter 10, where Jesus sends a group of 72 out on their own mission trip. He talked about how we can use their mission trip as a model for our own and one of the key principles being that we get the chance to leave behind our possessions, people, and the place of Williamsburg. We can get so distracted from God's work in our lives back in Williamsburg that this mission trip is a great opportunity to "Leave it all Behind" for a week and focus on serving, listening to, and learning about God. We finished the evening having some small group time and relaxing! Overall it was a great day and Jesus really is looking great in your kids this week! Goodnight and check back tomorrow night for the update about our day-off from the work site tomorrow.
The students were given a little more motivation today when we all found out that Mr. Hughes will actually be kicked out of his house if we are not able to finish the septic system for him. He has been living in violation of certain sanitation codes because he did not have proper drainage for his sewage. As a result, he stands to lose his house unless we are able finish it for him. We were continually reminded that God's plan to share himself with the world is through us and it was amazing to see our students get fired up to serve Mr. Hughes and God's kingdom by meeting tangible felt needs like a septic system and real needs like the love of Jesus.
After a day of work we headed back to home base where we took some much needed showers, ate dinner, relaxed and headed to our evening Porch Time. Luke taught from the gospel of Luke, chapter 10, where Jesus sends a group of 72 out on their own mission trip. He talked about how we can use their mission trip as a model for our own and one of the key principles being that we get the chance to leave behind our possessions, people, and the place of Williamsburg. We can get so distracted from God's work in our lives back in Williamsburg that this mission trip is a great opportunity to "Leave it all Behind" for a week and focus on serving, listening to, and learning about God. We finished the evening having some small group time and relaxing! Overall it was a great day and Jesus really is looking great in your kids this week! Goodnight and check back tomorrow night for the update about our day-off from the work site tomorrow.
HS DC Trip Day #1
The motto the organization the high school team works with in DC is, "Simply Serve." That phrase perfectly describes our first day working in DC, simply put, we served. We served elderly people who can no longer leave their homes through food deliveries, we served teachers in underprivileged schools by building desks for them and their students, we served homeless men and women by eating dinner with them and we prepared to serve over 100 children with the vacation Bible school we will put on for children in the local neighborhood around the Church. Yes all that happened in one day!!! I continue to be amazed by the scope and magnitude of what our God is accomplishing through students at the Chapel.
In the afternoon, our team enjoyed some down time roller skating at a local park while we ate our lunch. We then headed off to our Vacation Bible school orientation. The VBS is coordinated with a group called Kids Connection and the woman who runs kids connection was a real inspiration for our students. She challenged us to forgive our enemies and use our own life experience to understand what God is up to in the world today. We took advantage of the extra time after we ran through our VBS program to engage in some team Bible Study to help the students more fully understand what God is asking them to do with this experience.
This evening the entire team was together for our Porch Time Bible study. I concluded my talk with a challenge from 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 where Paul talks about the type of people God calls to be agents of change in this world. I really believe God has called each and every child and leader on this trip to experience him in a real way. I can already see God changing lives. Keep us in your prayers.
In the afternoon, our team enjoyed some down time roller skating at a local park while we ate our lunch. We then headed off to our Vacation Bible school orientation. The VBS is coordinated with a group called Kids Connection and the woman who runs kids connection was a real inspiration for our students. She challenged us to forgive our enemies and use our own life experience to understand what God is up to in the world today. We took advantage of the extra time after we ran through our VBS program to engage in some team Bible Study to help the students more fully understand what God is asking them to do with this experience.
This evening the entire team was together for our Porch Time Bible study. I concluded my talk with a challenge from 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 where Paul talks about the type of people God calls to be agents of change in this world. I really believe God has called each and every child and leader on this trip to experience him in a real way. I can already see God changing lives. Keep us in your prayers.
Monday, July 12, 2010
MS NC Trip Day #1
Our day began with an early but tasty breakfast followed by some worship through singing and a short talk given by one of the Recreation Experience Directors. Each morning starts with worship in order to get everyone awake, energized, and focused for the work project that we head to each day. After worship, we loaded up the buses and drove to our worksite where we were introduced to Mr. Hughes and his home. Due to throat cancer Mr. Hughes no longer can speak on his own. He has to have a mechanical device that picks up the vibrations in his throat and turns them into audible sounds. Mr. Hughes lives by himself and may seem to have a rough life, but many of the kids talked about how they saw God in the simple fact that amidst all his crazy circumstances Mr. Hughes still smiled at them.
After the introduction, we hiked up a hill in his backyard to the site where we began digging trenches to put a septic system in place for Mr. Hughes. After an hour or so it began to rain which brought a nice cool breeze and cooled us off. However the rain continued on after our lunch break which made the digging a little more difficult, but it was so impressive to see your children pushing through the minor difficulty caused by the rain because they really wanted to serve Mr. Hughes by giving him a septic system. Along with the digging a small team went and began painting the inside of Mr. Hughes kitchen. We ended up leaving the work site early because of the rain and came back to our home base to take warm showers and relax.
After dinner we had our first evening porch time where we gather together as a group to remember the day, listen to a talk, and praise God through music. It was great to hear where students have already begun to see Jesus in each other, Mr. Hughes, and others we work with. Luke gave a talk looking at Matthew 24:31-42 and Colossians 1:27 and challenged the kids to not just see our work project as a simple act of kindness, but rather as a way to literally live out Scripture by being Jesus with skin on to each other and Mr. Hughes. Finally, we split up into small groups and finished the night relaxing in fellowship with each other. It has been an exciting and God-filled first day and we really do appreciate all the prayer and support from back home. Goodnight and check back into tomorrow night!
After the introduction, we hiked up a hill in his backyard to the site where we began digging trenches to put a septic system in place for Mr. Hughes. After an hour or so it began to rain which brought a nice cool breeze and cooled us off. However the rain continued on after our lunch break which made the digging a little more difficult, but it was so impressive to see your children pushing through the minor difficulty caused by the rain because they really wanted to serve Mr. Hughes by giving him a septic system. Along with the digging a small team went and began painting the inside of Mr. Hughes kitchen. We ended up leaving the work site early because of the rain and came back to our home base to take warm showers and relax.
After dinner we had our first evening porch time where we gather together as a group to remember the day, listen to a talk, and praise God through music. It was great to hear where students have already begun to see Jesus in each other, Mr. Hughes, and others we work with. Luke gave a talk looking at Matthew 24:31-42 and Colossians 1:27 and challenged the kids to not just see our work project as a simple act of kindness, but rather as a way to literally live out Scripture by being Jesus with skin on to each other and Mr. Hughes. Finally, we split up into small groups and finished the night relaxing in fellowship with each other. It has been an exciting and God-filled first day and we really do appreciate all the prayer and support from back home. Goodnight and check back into tomorrow night!
HS DC Trip Night #1
Today was a great day! Everything has gone smoothly. We had lots of great fellowship on the bus ride up. This evening we began to broaden our horizons and experience all that the city has to offer in terms of ethnic diversity by eating dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant. Ethiopian food is eaten with the hands and our students enjoyed the hands on dinning experience immensely. Following dinner we went on a "prayer tour" as we began to prepare our hearts to serve on Monday morning. We were all over the city praying for the people we will be encounter throughout the week. The experience helped to expose our group to the poverty that exists in DC first hand before we begin to engage in the lives of people who live in that poverty this week. We can be confident that God heard the prayers of our team and has already begun to prepare our hearts to encounter Him this week.
We will update the blog each evening, but the update will often take place after many people have gone to bed. Please check each morning to read about how God is working in the hearts and minds of our Washington DC Mission Team.
We will update the blog each evening, but the update will often take place after many people have gone to bed. Please check each morning to read about how God is working in the hearts and minds of our Washington DC Mission Team.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
MS NC Trip Night #1
After seven hours of driving and team bonding on our wonderful buses and vans, we made it safely to our home base of operation here at Recreation Experiences. We stay at an old school building that has been turned into a housing location for all the groups that come to work with Recreation Experiences. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the gym has been newly renovated and all of the floors in the guy's rooms have been re-done (the girls rooms were already nice last year). All of the students were so excited to finally get here and check out our surroundings and they were quick to find the basketball courts and soccer fields.
Lights out is at 11pm tonight and then we are off to our first day at the worksite tomorrow morning. Check back tomorrow night for a recap of our day tomorrow. Goodnight and thanks for all your prayers and support!
Lights out is at 11pm tonight and then we are off to our first day at the worksite tomorrow morning. Check back tomorrow night for a recap of our day tomorrow. Goodnight and thanks for all your prayers and support!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
MS North Carolina Final Pre-Trip Update
We are only three days away from our trip and here are some final details you need to know:
Departure Time: Sunday July 11th, at 1pm
Return Time: Saturday July 17th, at 5pm
Emergency Contact Number: 757-570-0292
Hotline Number for updated arrival time on July 17th: 757-810-4021
Remember to pack your son or daughter a lunch to eat on the bus on the way down as well as money to stop for dinner on the way down and lunch on the way back.
Please feel free to contact us at 941-1571 if you have questions about your remaining balance or anything else concerning the trip. Below is the final packing list.
Packing List
Work Site
□ Shoes/Boots – Sandals cannot be worn at the worksites
□ Socks
□ Hat
□ Sunglasses
□ T-Shirts
□ Shorts – Not too short
□ Work Pants
□ Water Bottle
□ Work Gloves
□ Rain Jacket
□ Last Name A-J à Hammer and Nail Apron
□ Last Name J-Z à Paint Brush and Plastic Paint Bucket
□ Sunscreen
Housing Facility
□ Comfortable Clothing
□ Sleeping Bag
□ Pillow
□ Sandals (for shower)
□ Athletic shoes
□ Bible and Journal
□ Tooth brush
□ Tooth paste
□ Soap
□ Deodorant
□ Other Toiletries you need
□ Wash Cloth
□ Towel
□ Light Jacket if there is a cool night
□ Swimsuit
□ Flashlight
□ $ for one fast food meal on the way down and one on the way back
□ $ for Concessions (optional)
□ Packed lunch for the trip down
HS Washington DC Team - Final Reminders and Packing List
Hi DC Team!
Our group departs in 3 days! We hope you are all feeling prepared and excited. I've copied below the packing list as a final reminder. Remember, the luggage space in the vans is pretty tight, so try not to overpack! Important things not to forget are: sleeping bag and/or twin sheets, toiletries, towel, and long pants.
We will depart from the Chapel after the 11am service (estimated departure time is 1pm). Please bring a bagged lunch for the ride up, as we will NOT be stopping for dinner! Please bring this with you to church, as the parking lot gets very full, and you may not be able to run to Subway or McDonald's after our service and make it back in time for our departure! You will also need money for fast food on the ride home.
If you have any questions before the trip, feel free to contact Alexis on her cell phone at 919-260-0719. We will send text updates on the way home to update you on our estimated arrival at the Chapel. If you have not done so already, please subscribe to these text updates by sending a text to the number "41411" with the word "dcparent" in the message section. You will receive a confirmation text back if you submit your text successfully.
In case of emergency while we are on the trip, please contact Alexis or Travis Simone (757-650-9120).
We can't wait to see what God has in store for us in DC!
~the SM Staff
Washington DC Packing List:
[ ] Sleeping Bag and/or
[ ] Single Bed Sheets (fitted and top sheet)
[ ] Pillow
[ ] Bath Towel
[ ] Hand Towel
[ ] Wash Cloth
[ ] Personal Toiletries (Toothbrush, toothpaste, contact stuff, deodorant, face wash, hand sanitizer, shampoo, conditioner, soap, feminine products, sunscreen, & bug spray)
[ ] Bible
[ ] Journal
[ ] Pens
[ ] 2-3 Pairs long pants or jeans
[ ] 5-7 T-shirts (No shirts that expose your shoulders (aka. No tank tops! Make sure your shirts are long enough to cover your midriff when you raise your arms)
[ ] 3-5 pairs of Knee length or longer shorts
[ ] 1 pair closed toe athletic shoes
[ ] 1 pair flip flops/sandals
[ ] Bathing suit (modest one-piece for girls)
[ ] Water bottle
[ ] Hat
[ ] Flash light
[ ] Sunglasses
[ ] Money for fast food on the drive home
Do not bring:
Cell phones
Ipods/MP3 players
Video games
Hair dryers, straighteners, or curling irons
Our group departs in 3 days! We hope you are all feeling prepared and excited. I've copied below the packing list as a final reminder. Remember, the luggage space in the vans is pretty tight, so try not to overpack! Important things not to forget are: sleeping bag and/or twin sheets, toiletries, towel, and long pants.
We will depart from the Chapel after the 11am service (estimated departure time is 1pm). Please bring a bagged lunch for the ride up, as we will NOT be stopping for dinner! Please bring this with you to church, as the parking lot gets very full, and you may not be able to run to Subway or McDonald's after our service and make it back in time for our departure! You will also need money for fast food on the ride home.
If you have any questions before the trip, feel free to contact Alexis on her cell phone at 919-260-0719. We will send text updates on the way home to update you on our estimated arrival at the Chapel. If you have not done so already, please subscribe to these text updates by sending a text to the number "41411" with the word "dcparent" in the message section. You will receive a confirmation text back if you submit your text successfully.
In case of emergency while we are on the trip, please contact Alexis or Travis Simone (757-650-9120).
We can't wait to see what God has in store for us in DC!
~the SM Staff
Washington DC Packing List:
[ ] Sleeping Bag and/or
[ ] Single Bed Sheets (fitted and top sheet)
[ ] Pillow
[ ] Bath Towel
[ ] Hand Towel
[ ] Wash Cloth
[ ] Personal Toiletries (Toothbrush, toothpaste, contact stuff, deodorant, face wash, hand sanitizer, shampoo, conditioner, soap, feminine products, sunscreen, & bug spray)
[ ] Bible
[ ] Journal
[ ] Pens
[ ] 2-3 Pairs long pants or jeans
[ ] 5-7 T-shirts (No shirts that expose your shoulders (aka. No tank tops! Make sure your shirts are long enough to cover your midriff when you raise your arms)
[ ] 3-5 pairs of Knee length or longer shorts
[ ] 1 pair closed toe athletic shoes
[ ] 1 pair flip flops/sandals
[ ] Bathing suit (modest one-piece for girls)
[ ] Water bottle
[ ] Hat
[ ] Flash light
[ ] Sunglasses
[ ] Money for fast food on the drive home
Do not bring:
Cell phones
Ipods/MP3 players
Video games
Hair dryers, straighteners, or curling irons
Friday, July 2, 2010
Travel Update 5
The entire team has arrived safely in Williamsburg. Our journey lasted only 10 days, but it will take much longer than that to unpack the lessons God taught us this year in Nicaragua.
Thank you for your support and your prayers. The Chapel Family can be very proud of what their kids accomplished by letting God work through them this past week in Nicaragua.
We have two more mission teams leaving on July 11th. Stay close to the blog to follow their journey and hear more stories of transformation.
You are all invited to our the Student Ministries Missions Experience, which is part of the Chapel Summer Nights series on August 8th at 6:30 in the Main Worship Room. Students from all three of our trips will share what God did to transform them when they decided to step up and begin to exercise their faith and engage in Jesus' mission to make disciples.
What a ride,
Travis
Thank you for your support and your prayers. The Chapel Family can be very proud of what their kids accomplished by letting God work through them this past week in Nicaragua.
We have two more mission teams leaving on July 11th. Stay close to the blog to follow their journey and hear more stories of transformation.
You are all invited to our the Student Ministries Missions Experience, which is part of the Chapel Summer Nights series on August 8th at 6:30 in the Main Worship Room. Students from all three of our trips will share what God did to transform them when they decided to step up and begin to exercise their faith and engage in Jesus' mission to make disciples.
What a ride,
Travis
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Travel Update 4
The seniors are boarding their plane for DC now. Everything is on time and we should arrive in DC at 12:25am.
The sophomores and juniors are still in the air, but should be landing soon. Look for a text from them when they have landed in DC.
-Travis
The sophomores and juniors are still in the air, but should be landing soon. Look for a text from them when they have landed in DC.
-Travis
Travel Update 3
The sophomores and juniors are on the plane and headed to DC. Everything is on time and they should land in DC at 10:25pm.
The seniors are enjoying each others company at the gate for their flight. Everyone is on time as of now.
Estimated times of arrival for both groups will be sent via text message when each group is on the road from DC to Williamsburg. Text "nicaparent" to 41411 to subscribe and receive the updates.
-Travis
The seniors are enjoying each others company at the gate for their flight. Everyone is on time as of now.
Estimated times of arrival for both groups will be sent via text message when each group is on the road from DC to Williamsburg. Text "nicaparent" to 41411 to subscribe and receive the updates.
-Travis
Travel Update 2
The team is back in the USA! Everyone is through customs and waiting for their flights at their respective gates.
The sophomores and juniors depart for DC at 8 and the seniors depart at 10.
The team is currently eating dinner and waiting to board their flights to DC.
-Travis
The sophomores and juniors depart for DC at 8 and the seniors depart at 10.
The team is currently eating dinner and waiting to board their flights to DC.
-Travis
Travel Update 1
The entire team is through the check in process. As with everything on this trip, the Lord was with us and it went faster than I have ever seen before. The team is eating lunch and will then head through security for our 1pm (Nica time) flight to Miami. The entire team is together for this first leg of the trip.
I will update the blog when we get to Miami, but if you would like to receive information throughout the day, the best way to get info from our team is through our text message updates. Simply text the word, "nicaparent" to the number 41411 and you will be signed up.
The sophomores and juniors are expected to arrive at the Chapel at 1:30am. It could be earlier, but that is my best guess as of now.
The seniors are expected to arrive at the Chapel at 3:30am. Again, my hope is that is will be a little earlier, but that is my estimate right now.
We will send out text messages with updated arrival times as we drive from DC to the Chapel.
God was truly gracious to our team throughout this trip. We can't wait to see you all tonight and share with you all of the things God has done in us and through us. To God be the glory. Great things He hath done!
-Travis
I will update the blog when we get to Miami, but if you would like to receive information throughout the day, the best way to get info from our team is through our text message updates. Simply text the word, "nicaparent" to the number 41411 and you will be signed up.
The sophomores and juniors are expected to arrive at the Chapel at 1:30am. It could be earlier, but that is my best guess as of now.
The seniors are expected to arrive at the Chapel at 3:30am. Again, my hope is that is will be a little earlier, but that is my estimate right now.
We will send out text messages with updated arrival times as we drive from DC to the Chapel.
God was truly gracious to our team throughout this trip. We can't wait to see you all tonight and share with you all of the things God has done in us and through us. To God be the glory. Great things He hath done!
-Travis
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Day 8: Goodbye
The Lord had a lot more in store for us today, even though it was our last day at Casa before our debriefing session. It was a day that focused on last night's porch-time message; compassion. We had such a joy-filled day and our team truly finished the missions portion of the trip on a high note.
In the morning our team split into returners to Nicaragua and Nicaragua first-timers. The returners went on a prayer tour, visiting all the places that the Lord has impacted through our trip here. We prayed at Casa Bernabe, our gracious hosts for the last 8 days. We also prayed in VeraCruz, the neighboring town that we have really grown such a strong connection to. The team finished the tour by traveling to La Chureca, the city dump, and Nueva Vida, which is the hurricane refugee camp. It was such a strong time of reflection and prayer and there is no doubt that you could feel the presence of Jesus in everything that we did today.
The Nicaragua first-times had the unique experience of participating in the "dia de compasion" or "day of compassion." This is a day in which you take on the life of a Nicaraguan family and put yourself firsthand into their daily activities. As part of the day, we traveled to the marketplace and completed tasks that were set in front of us. These tasks included being given a certain amount of money and buying what was needed for your family. It is such an eye-opening experience to be a part of, and one that I know our kids enjoyed.
After enjoying lunch, we traveled to a local sports park and spent a few hours playing with the children of the El Canyon and Casa Bernabe orphanages before saying our goodbyes. It was a day filled with joy as we had several stations set up around the park including jump rope, soccer, and hula-hoops. The children enjoyed the day and our team loved the opportunity to continue building the relationships they have developed with these kids. To finish the time off, a mariachi band showed up and entertained us for well over 30 minutes. It was such a fun time, and aside from saying our final goodbyes to the children, was a day that everyone enjoyed.
After leaving the park we returned to Casa and packed up to head off to our debrief site; the beautiful El Narome resort. We arrived shortly after 630 and are all checked in and ready for a great day and a half of reflection of this wonderful opportunity that God has placed in front of us. We will be leaving here Thursday morning to head back to the States. There will not be a blog update tomorrow, so expect the next communication to be a text sent once we have arrived and gotten through security at Managua airport on Thursday. Please pray for us these next two days as our kids reflect on the wonderful things God has had them do. It has been my pleasure keeping you updated throughout the duration of this trip. I thank you for following us and praying for us along the way. Your children have done amazing things and everyone should be so proud of what they have accomplished these last 8 days. Again, your continued prayers are encouraged. God bless!
-Daniel Pulley, Student Ministries Summer Intern
In the morning our team split into returners to Nicaragua and Nicaragua first-timers. The returners went on a prayer tour, visiting all the places that the Lord has impacted through our trip here. We prayed at Casa Bernabe, our gracious hosts for the last 8 days. We also prayed in VeraCruz, the neighboring town that we have really grown such a strong connection to. The team finished the tour by traveling to La Chureca, the city dump, and Nueva Vida, which is the hurricane refugee camp. It was such a strong time of reflection and prayer and there is no doubt that you could feel the presence of Jesus in everything that we did today.
The Nicaragua first-times had the unique experience of participating in the "dia de compasion" or "day of compassion." This is a day in which you take on the life of a Nicaraguan family and put yourself firsthand into their daily activities. As part of the day, we traveled to the marketplace and completed tasks that were set in front of us. These tasks included being given a certain amount of money and buying what was needed for your family. It is such an eye-opening experience to be a part of, and one that I know our kids enjoyed.
After enjoying lunch, we traveled to a local sports park and spent a few hours playing with the children of the El Canyon and Casa Bernabe orphanages before saying our goodbyes. It was a day filled with joy as we had several stations set up around the park including jump rope, soccer, and hula-hoops. The children enjoyed the day and our team loved the opportunity to continue building the relationships they have developed with these kids. To finish the time off, a mariachi band showed up and entertained us for well over 30 minutes. It was such a fun time, and aside from saying our final goodbyes to the children, was a day that everyone enjoyed.
After leaving the park we returned to Casa and packed up to head off to our debrief site; the beautiful El Narome resort. We arrived shortly after 630 and are all checked in and ready for a great day and a half of reflection of this wonderful opportunity that God has placed in front of us. We will be leaving here Thursday morning to head back to the States. There will not be a blog update tomorrow, so expect the next communication to be a text sent once we have arrived and gotten through security at Managua airport on Thursday. Please pray for us these next two days as our kids reflect on the wonderful things God has had them do. It has been my pleasure keeping you updated throughout the duration of this trip. I thank you for following us and praying for us along the way. Your children have done amazing things and everyone should be so proud of what they have accomplished these last 8 days. Again, your continued prayers are encouraged. God bless!
-Daniel Pulley, Student Ministries Summer Intern
Day 7: Blessed are the Poor
Today was another fantastic day full of God's love. Our groups did many wonderful things today before the seniors rejoined the team after a fun-filled two days in Matagulpa. God has truly continued to bless us.
This morning, the juniors were afforded the wonderful opportunity to go to the school in La Chureca, which is the Managua city dump. While there, we participated in the book buddies program where we got to read to the children at the school. To see our team dive headfirst into this was great. After finishing that and a great time of playing with the kids, we had the unique experience of watching the kids put on a presentation they had been working on in appreciation for their teachers. There was several different dance routines performed by the students, some in flamingo skirts. It was truly a sight to behold.
While the juniors were doing their project, the sophomores got to take part in the daycare program that is in place to take care of the young children of La Chureca, which keeps them from having to dig through the trash with their parents. Our team was so excited to play with the kids, and to bring them joy in the smallest was something I know our team took great pride in. It was so hard to say goodbye to these small children, but the experience of sharing time with them and taking care of them is something that I know our group will never forget.
In the afternoon, our groups met back up at the local movie theatre where we had the phenomenal experience of watching "Toy Story 3" with 100 select kids from throughout Nueva Vida, the hurricane refugee site that we have spent much time at over the past week. For some of these children, it was most likely their first time going to a movie, and it was very special for our team to be able to share in that experience with them. More importantly, it was just another great opportunity to share God's love with these wonderful children who have had such an impact on us during the short time we have been here.
The seniors continued their journey in Matagulpa. The Lord did some truly amazing things while our team was there, and this is something that we hope to continue doing in the future. Today, our team spent a lot of time in the neighborhoods throughout Matagulpa developing relationships with the people there, and hopefully laying the groundwork for future trips into this part of Nicaragua. The main point of the trip though was to continue distributing the "School Pax" that we brought down. It was such a joy to see the kids faces light up when they received their packs, fully equipped with a voucher for a school uniform. To give these children the opportunity to attend school is something we are very happy about, and something we thank God for allowing us to do. We can not thank the people of WCC, again, for their amazing contributions to this trip through the "School Pax." After finishing up in Matagulpa, the seniors and their leaders made the three hour trek back to Casa Bernabe.
After another phenomenal dinner, we concluded the night with a great porch time led by our fearless leader, Travis Simone. Travis, through God's word, gave us the true meaning to life through the words found throughout the book of Luke. We learned that the poor are the truly blessed people of the Earth, and this week our team has found that to be so true. Travis concluded with some words on compassion, which is so eloquently summed up in the "Parable of the Good Samaritan." Through these words, it is our prayer that our team can take this experience they have had in Nicaragua and use it to the fullest when we are back in the states.
It is hard to believe that our time here is almost done. It will be very tough leaving the orphanage tomorrow, but we look forward to updating you tomorrow night on what God has in store for us during the day. Once again, we ask for you continued prayers for our team and for the few days that we have remaining. God bless!
This morning, the juniors were afforded the wonderful opportunity to go to the school in La Chureca, which is the Managua city dump. While there, we participated in the book buddies program where we got to read to the children at the school. To see our team dive headfirst into this was great. After finishing that and a great time of playing with the kids, we had the unique experience of watching the kids put on a presentation they had been working on in appreciation for their teachers. There was several different dance routines performed by the students, some in flamingo skirts. It was truly a sight to behold.
While the juniors were doing their project, the sophomores got to take part in the daycare program that is in place to take care of the young children of La Chureca, which keeps them from having to dig through the trash with their parents. Our team was so excited to play with the kids, and to bring them joy in the smallest was something I know our team took great pride in. It was so hard to say goodbye to these small children, but the experience of sharing time with them and taking care of them is something that I know our group will never forget.
In the afternoon, our groups met back up at the local movie theatre where we had the phenomenal experience of watching "Toy Story 3" with 100 select kids from throughout Nueva Vida, the hurricane refugee site that we have spent much time at over the past week. For some of these children, it was most likely their first time going to a movie, and it was very special for our team to be able to share in that experience with them. More importantly, it was just another great opportunity to share God's love with these wonderful children who have had such an impact on us during the short time we have been here.
The seniors continued their journey in Matagulpa. The Lord did some truly amazing things while our team was there, and this is something that we hope to continue doing in the future. Today, our team spent a lot of time in the neighborhoods throughout Matagulpa developing relationships with the people there, and hopefully laying the groundwork for future trips into this part of Nicaragua. The main point of the trip though was to continue distributing the "School Pax" that we brought down. It was such a joy to see the kids faces light up when they received their packs, fully equipped with a voucher for a school uniform. To give these children the opportunity to attend school is something we are very happy about, and something we thank God for allowing us to do. We can not thank the people of WCC, again, for their amazing contributions to this trip through the "School Pax." After finishing up in Matagulpa, the seniors and their leaders made the three hour trek back to Casa Bernabe.
After another phenomenal dinner, we concluded the night with a great porch time led by our fearless leader, Travis Simone. Travis, through God's word, gave us the true meaning to life through the words found throughout the book of Luke. We learned that the poor are the truly blessed people of the Earth, and this week our team has found that to be so true. Travis concluded with some words on compassion, which is so eloquently summed up in the "Parable of the Good Samaritan." Through these words, it is our prayer that our team can take this experience they have had in Nicaragua and use it to the fullest when we are back in the states.
It is hard to believe that our time here is almost done. It will be very tough leaving the orphanage tomorrow, but we look forward to updating you tomorrow night on what God has in store for us during the day. Once again, we ask for you continued prayers for our team and for the few days that we have remaining. God bless!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Day 6: Joy All Around
Another glorious day here at Casa Bernabe in Nicaragua. It was another day filled with amazing opportunities to worship in the face of Jesus. Again, everywhere we go, God is always with us and has truly made His presence felt thus far in our trip.
This morning we got the amazing opportunity to worship the Lord at Verbo Church in Managua. We awoke and had a great breakfast before wishing the seniors farewell for the day. They have left Casa for the evening to go to Madagulpa and distribute the last of the "School Pax" that we brought down here for the kids. We wish them the best. The worship service this morning was fantastic!! We started off with worship that was, as always, phenomenal. That led to the service which was made extra special because they had a translator there for us. The students were able to take in the message and enjoy every word that was said.
Following the service, we traveled back to the orphanage for the special opportunity to have lunch with the children of the orphanage. This was a special time to continue building the relationships that we have steadily established over the last week. Getting to know these kids has brought so much joy to the team, and the personal experience to sit down and have lunch with them is amazing. However, the bonding experience did not end there.
This afternoon we had the opportunity to go to a local sports complex run by international missionaries. We had several different activities going on in which the children could participate. There were a couple of basketball courts, a soccer field, and volleyball court. On top of that, there was a bracelet and necklace making station that the children could enjoy, as well as a station for the girls (and some guys) to have their fingernails painted. It was such a joyous day to bring happiness into these kids lives and get them away from the orphanage for an afternoon. Our team did such a great job of helping make this day come together, and if it were not for them this day would not have gone as smoothly as it has.
It has only been 6 days, but with the way our team has adapted and worked together, it feels like we've been here for a month. We have a few days left and I know that God has wonderful things in store for us as we continue on this beautiful journey. Once again, we ask for your continued prayers and support as we finish our trip. Check in tomorrow for an update. God bless!
This morning we got the amazing opportunity to worship the Lord at Verbo Church in Managua. We awoke and had a great breakfast before wishing the seniors farewell for the day. They have left Casa for the evening to go to Madagulpa and distribute the last of the "School Pax" that we brought down here for the kids. We wish them the best. The worship service this morning was fantastic!! We started off with worship that was, as always, phenomenal. That led to the service which was made extra special because they had a translator there for us. The students were able to take in the message and enjoy every word that was said.
Following the service, we traveled back to the orphanage for the special opportunity to have lunch with the children of the orphanage. This was a special time to continue building the relationships that we have steadily established over the last week. Getting to know these kids has brought so much joy to the team, and the personal experience to sit down and have lunch with them is amazing. However, the bonding experience did not end there.
This afternoon we had the opportunity to go to a local sports complex run by international missionaries. We had several different activities going on in which the children could participate. There were a couple of basketball courts, a soccer field, and volleyball court. On top of that, there was a bracelet and necklace making station that the children could enjoy, as well as a station for the girls (and some guys) to have their fingernails painted. It was such a joyous day to bring happiness into these kids lives and get them away from the orphanage for an afternoon. Our team did such a great job of helping make this day come together, and if it were not for them this day would not have gone as smoothly as it has.
It has only been 6 days, but with the way our team has adapted and worked together, it feels like we've been here for a month. We have a few days left and I know that God has wonderful things in store for us as we continue on this beautiful journey. Once again, we ask for your continued prayers and support as we finish our trip. Check in tomorrow for an update. God bless!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Senior Trip to Madagulpa - School Packs
Today the seniors and their leaders, and part of the staff departed from Casa Bernabe and headed three hours north of Managua to a northern city called Madagulpa. We departed from Casa with one school bus filled with seniors and nearly 350 school packs to distribute when we got there. Today was a monumental day. For the first time ever, the Chapel has forged a partnership with Mira Ministries, of which the Chapel's very own - Steve Hooge - has a special relationship. His sister and brother-in-law run Mira Ministries, which is a ministry that provides school uniform vouchers and packs of school supplies to children not enrolled in school so that they can have the opportunity to attend school.
We left Casa at 9 AM and drove to another orphanage called El Canyon (because it is located at the base of a large canyon) and worshiped with the community there for Sunday service. We were asked, ad hoc, to preform songs at the church and the entire team sang a set of worship songs. After that, we hit the road for Madagulpa. It was a long trip into the mountains and very green part of Nicaragua! We arrived around 3 PM and checked-in to a beautiful hotel on top of a mountain.
We arrived a church to hundreds of Nicaraguans praising the Lord. Again, everything was very spontaneous! We led four songs to the congregation. Travis gave a sermon on the fly. And what we thought would be a 30 minute church service turned into a 2.5 hour worship experience! After the service, 75 children who are not in school were given 2 vouchers. One for them, and one for a friend who also was not in school. 150 kids and their parents received school packs and uniform vouchers. Then we threw a party in their honor. It was an amazing experience. Thank you to all the Chapel families who helped fill school packs! They have been a huge blessing to many children!
We finished the night off with some famous Nicaraguan fast food, called Tip Top! Now we are in the hotel having our nightly porch time processing everything from the day. The team is doing great, feel great, and healthy! Keep praying!
We left Casa at 9 AM and drove to another orphanage called El Canyon (because it is located at the base of a large canyon) and worshiped with the community there for Sunday service. We were asked, ad hoc, to preform songs at the church and the entire team sang a set of worship songs. After that, we hit the road for Madagulpa. It was a long trip into the mountains and very green part of Nicaragua! We arrived around 3 PM and checked-in to a beautiful hotel on top of a mountain.
We arrived a church to hundreds of Nicaraguans praising the Lord. Again, everything was very spontaneous! We led four songs to the congregation. Travis gave a sermon on the fly. And what we thought would be a 30 minute church service turned into a 2.5 hour worship experience! After the service, 75 children who are not in school were given 2 vouchers. One for them, and one for a friend who also was not in school. 150 kids and their parents received school packs and uniform vouchers. Then we threw a party in their honor. It was an amazing experience. Thank you to all the Chapel families who helped fill school packs! They have been a huge blessing to many children!
We finished the night off with some famous Nicaraguan fast food, called Tip Top! Now we are in the hotel having our nightly porch time processing everything from the day. The team is doing great, feel great, and healthy! Keep praying!
Day 5: Sleeping and Sliding
Today was another great day in which the Lord truly blessed the students of WCC. He continues to shower us with His never-ending love, which he hopes we continue pouring out to the children of the orphanage.
This morning, we built in some down time for the students to get some rest. However, there was always stuff going on, and the orphanage had a large screen showing one of the World Cup soccer games, so the students were invited to share that moment with the kids. Those who didn't enjoy that went into VeraCruz where they continued to build relationships with the people there.
This afternoon was something to behold. We took all the children of the Casa Bernabe orphanage as well as they El Canyon orphanage to the local water park that featured several slides, play areas, and and children's areas. It was such a blessed time to see the joy on the children's faces as they got to run around the water park. So often we take for granted the fun times to be had in our own backyards, and it was just great to share this experience with the kids.
The night became really special when we welcomed a guest speaker to porch time. Eddy Morales, who is the international director for OrphanNetwork, shared with us tonight. Eddy is so encouraging in everything he does, and his talk tonight really showed us what God has in store for us if we just take his queue and follow. He challenged us not to "have stink" in our lives. He told us that we must pour ourselves out so that Christ may fill us back up again. He encouraged us to not stay stagnant in our walks, but to at all times be looking to grow. My favorite thing he said was that "God wants to use you and make a difference in your life, so that you can make a difference in a kids life!" Speaking from 1 Kings 8:27 and 1 Corinthians 3:16-19, Eddy got his point across.
Another truly wonderful day in the books. We look forward to what Christ has in store for us as we go to church tomorrow. As always, your prayers are encouraged as we continue on this journey. Have a great Sunday, and God bless!
This morning, we built in some down time for the students to get some rest. However, there was always stuff going on, and the orphanage had a large screen showing one of the World Cup soccer games, so the students were invited to share that moment with the kids. Those who didn't enjoy that went into VeraCruz where they continued to build relationships with the people there.
This afternoon was something to behold. We took all the children of the Casa Bernabe orphanage as well as they El Canyon orphanage to the local water park that featured several slides, play areas, and and children's areas. It was such a blessed time to see the joy on the children's faces as they got to run around the water park. So often we take for granted the fun times to be had in our own backyards, and it was just great to share this experience with the kids.
The night became really special when we welcomed a guest speaker to porch time. Eddy Morales, who is the international director for OrphanNetwork, shared with us tonight. Eddy is so encouraging in everything he does, and his talk tonight really showed us what God has in store for us if we just take his queue and follow. He challenged us not to "have stink" in our lives. He told us that we must pour ourselves out so that Christ may fill us back up again. He encouraged us to not stay stagnant in our walks, but to at all times be looking to grow. My favorite thing he said was that "God wants to use you and make a difference in your life, so that you can make a difference in a kids life!" Speaking from 1 Kings 8:27 and 1 Corinthians 3:16-19, Eddy got his point across.
Another truly wonderful day in the books. We look forward to what Christ has in store for us as we go to church tomorrow. As always, your prayers are encouraged as we continue on this journey. Have a great Sunday, and God bless!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Day 4: A Human Jungle Gym
We can not stress enough the wonders that God continues to do through our work in Nicaragua. It was another fun-filled day for us in this beautiful country and God has continued to bless each and every one of us.
In the morning, a group of 30-35 went and painted the posada, which is the older boys living quarters. People were climbing on ladders to get the ceiling, getting on their knees to paint the trim, and just painting as high up the wall as their two feet would allow them. It was a great time of bonding for the team, and we were even able to interact with the boys who were there. Around the time we were finishing up, a soccer game broke out so there was another way to have fun besides painting.
After finishing painting we immediately left Nueva Vida as one large group, where Group 2 consisting of the Juniors and Sophomore guys were able share in the wonderful experiences that Group 1 had been encountering each of the previous 2 days. At Nueva Vida we ate a delicious lunch and then headed out to each of the 5 different feeding centers to put on a miniature Vacation Bible School for the children there. Travis stressed that this included 5 steps, which are as follows: hang out/play with the children, a relay-race game (where we blew up balloons for the kids and they ran a certain length and popped the balloon not using their hands or feet and then ran back and tagged the next person), music (we sang and did the motions to the classic "Waves of Mercy"), preach (we had 1 student at each location share what having Jesus in their life meant to them), and, finally, prayer (where we had a different student close the day out in prayer). It was such a wonderful experience to be a part of. Each member of our team turned themselves into a human jungle gym for the kids to play on, and in a lot of cases, several kids to play on. What a beautiful thing to watch this team bring these children joy.
After a tasty shishkabob dinner, several of the kids from Casa came to our Rancho and led us in a time of praise and worship. We were clapping and singing as if there were no language barrier. It was so great to see the band here at the orphanage play for us, and I just hope that our participation brought them as much joy as they did us. They even sang a few songs in English! It was a wonderful time capped off by a talk from the man who runs the orphanage. He spoke from Psalm 119 and from 1 Peter and how we can use those two passages to really advance our lives by just following what the Word has us do.
To finish the night we had another wonderful porch time capped off by Alexis sharing with us from Job and 1 Corinthians. We have had such a joyous time here in Nicaragua and we hope that it only continues to get better. Once again, we ask for your continued prayers as we go on this wonderful journey God has led us on. Check back tomorrow as we update you on our trip to the local water park! God bless!
In the morning, a group of 30-35 went and painted the posada, which is the older boys living quarters. People were climbing on ladders to get the ceiling, getting on their knees to paint the trim, and just painting as high up the wall as their two feet would allow them. It was a great time of bonding for the team, and we were even able to interact with the boys who were there. Around the time we were finishing up, a soccer game broke out so there was another way to have fun besides painting.
After finishing painting we immediately left Nueva Vida as one large group, where Group 2 consisting of the Juniors and Sophomore guys were able share in the wonderful experiences that Group 1 had been encountering each of the previous 2 days. At Nueva Vida we ate a delicious lunch and then headed out to each of the 5 different feeding centers to put on a miniature Vacation Bible School for the children there. Travis stressed that this included 5 steps, which are as follows: hang out/play with the children, a relay-race game (where we blew up balloons for the kids and they ran a certain length and popped the balloon not using their hands or feet and then ran back and tagged the next person), music (we sang and did the motions to the classic "Waves of Mercy"), preach (we had 1 student at each location share what having Jesus in their life meant to them), and, finally, prayer (where we had a different student close the day out in prayer). It was such a wonderful experience to be a part of. Each member of our team turned themselves into a human jungle gym for the kids to play on, and in a lot of cases, several kids to play on. What a beautiful thing to watch this team bring these children joy.
After a tasty shishkabob dinner, several of the kids from Casa came to our Rancho and led us in a time of praise and worship. We were clapping and singing as if there were no language barrier. It was so great to see the band here at the orphanage play for us, and I just hope that our participation brought them as much joy as they did us. They even sang a few songs in English! It was a wonderful time capped off by a talk from the man who runs the orphanage. He spoke from Psalm 119 and from 1 Peter and how we can use those two passages to really advance our lives by just following what the Word has us do.
To finish the night we had another wonderful porch time capped off by Alexis sharing with us from Job and 1 Corinthians. We have had such a joyous time here in Nicaragua and we hope that it only continues to get better. Once again, we ask for your continued prayers as we go on this wonderful journey God has led us on. Check back tomorrow as we update you on our trip to the local water park! God bless!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Day 3: At Your Service
God has continued to bless this trip by presenting us with another day full of wonderful opportunities to serve Him. We have finished up our second full day of work, and once again you can truly see the face of Jesus in all that we do here.
Once again, our Senior group along with the Sophomore girls went to Nueva Vida to continue to serve the needy at the hurricane refugee camp. What made this event so special was that the kids were so ready, eager, and experienced to serve that today they jumped right into the tasks they had ahead of them. Upon arrival, each student willingly threw themselves into service without having to be asked or told what to do. But the most special part was that the students were able to continue building relationships that they had started to build the day before. To be able to go back and continue sharing the love of Christ with these children was such a beautiful thing, and I know each and every kid enjoyed this special day to go back and continue building relationships with this wonderful group of children. To finish off the day, Andrew Cordasco and Nathaniel Darling played an impromptu worship session at the church, with the language barrier being no problem. Once again, you can see the face of Jesus everywhere you look, and the day at Nueva Vida with these great kids and the relationship building time that was had, the present of God was surely felt.
The Juniors and Sophomore guys continued several work projects that were began the day before. One group finished painting one of the rooms at Casa that was in much need of painting. It is in these times that teamwork is a must, and with each person sacrificing themselves to paint one area, you could truly see the team-bonding experience that this trip brings out. Another group went to the El Canyon orphanage and painted there, but the real fun began when they were able to play with the kids there and start building relationships of their own with the children, much like Group 1 has been doing at Nueva Vida. The third group went back into VeraCruz to continue helping the church in their construction efforts. Several of the guys were able to help the people go pick up 400 cinder blocks that will eventually be the walls. Once they got back, they had to move all 400 blocks off the truck and into the storage area that they will be kept in until a later time. Once again, the theme of this task was teamwork, and our team was able to come together like they had been in Nicaragua for a month.
In the afternoon, the day was further brightened by the distribution of 150 "School Pax" to the children in Veracruz. To see the excitement on their face as they opened their box of school supplies is something I wish every person associated with the Chapel could have witnessed. Again, we can not thank you enough for your contributions in terms of the "School Pax." Before the distribution there was fun shared by the breaking of 2 pinatas where the kids had a great time wrestling around for the candy.
Finally, to finish day, we came to Verbo Church to throw the children of the Casa Bernabe orphanage a birthday party in honor of all of the children. We gave out toys or backpacks to each kid after enjoying a night of playing in a moonwalk, an inflatable jousting pit, and music that we could all enjoy. This was a special night for the kids, and for us to have a small part in bringing joy to their lives was so special to each person here.
It was a very busy day, but one that was filled with great things and a lot of fun. Once again, to have the smallest impact in these kids lives truly shows the face of Jesus and the work that God is doing down here. We have another special day planned for tomorrow, and we look forward to sharing those experiences with you tomorrow night. We ask for you continued prayers on this journey. Thank you and God bless!
Once again, our Senior group along with the Sophomore girls went to Nueva Vida to continue to serve the needy at the hurricane refugee camp. What made this event so special was that the kids were so ready, eager, and experienced to serve that today they jumped right into the tasks they had ahead of them. Upon arrival, each student willingly threw themselves into service without having to be asked or told what to do. But the most special part was that the students were able to continue building relationships that they had started to build the day before. To be able to go back and continue sharing the love of Christ with these children was such a beautiful thing, and I know each and every kid enjoyed this special day to go back and continue building relationships with this wonderful group of children. To finish off the day, Andrew Cordasco and Nathaniel Darling played an impromptu worship session at the church, with the language barrier being no problem. Once again, you can see the face of Jesus everywhere you look, and the day at Nueva Vida with these great kids and the relationship building time that was had, the present of God was surely felt.
The Juniors and Sophomore guys continued several work projects that were began the day before. One group finished painting one of the rooms at Casa that was in much need of painting. It is in these times that teamwork is a must, and with each person sacrificing themselves to paint one area, you could truly see the team-bonding experience that this trip brings out. Another group went to the El Canyon orphanage and painted there, but the real fun began when they were able to play with the kids there and start building relationships of their own with the children, much like Group 1 has been doing at Nueva Vida. The third group went back into VeraCruz to continue helping the church in their construction efforts. Several of the guys were able to help the people go pick up 400 cinder blocks that will eventually be the walls. Once they got back, they had to move all 400 blocks off the truck and into the storage area that they will be kept in until a later time. Once again, the theme of this task was teamwork, and our team was able to come together like they had been in Nicaragua for a month.
In the afternoon, the day was further brightened by the distribution of 150 "School Pax" to the children in Veracruz. To see the excitement on their face as they opened their box of school supplies is something I wish every person associated with the Chapel could have witnessed. Again, we can not thank you enough for your contributions in terms of the "School Pax." Before the distribution there was fun shared by the breaking of 2 pinatas where the kids had a great time wrestling around for the candy.
Finally, to finish day, we came to Verbo Church to throw the children of the Casa Bernabe orphanage a birthday party in honor of all of the children. We gave out toys or backpacks to each kid after enjoying a night of playing in a moonwalk, an inflatable jousting pit, and music that we could all enjoy. This was a special night for the kids, and for us to have a small part in bringing joy to their lives was so special to each person here.
It was a very busy day, but one that was filled with great things and a lot of fun. Once again, to have the smallest impact in these kids lives truly shows the face of Jesus and the work that God is doing down here. We have another special day planned for tomorrow, and we look forward to sharing those experiences with you tomorrow night. We ask for you continued prayers on this journey. Thank you and God bless!
Day 2: The Real Fun Begins
Today we started lending a hand to the people of Nicaragua. It was such a wonderful day filled with many exciting tasks. We split our group of 81 students and 17 leaders into two teams with one team comprised of the entire senior class with the sophomore girls and the other team the entire junior class with the sophomore guys.
The Seniors and Sophomore girls went to Nueva Vida this morning lend a hand in serving the children lunch. Nueva Vida is a hurricane refugee camp where people were displaced to following a hurricane in the late 1990's. It is a place where God really shows himself daily. There are 5 food distribution centers that a local church operates to feed the hungry children of the camp. Our group was turned into waiters and waitresses for this day and helped meet each and every child's needs as they served them their food. After eating lunch themselves, our group played with several of the kids from the refugee camp at the local church that hosted this morning's events. After leaving the camp, the group came back to Casa and packed up all 450 "School Pax" that our church so graciously donated. We can not thank you enough, again, for these donations as they are such a worthy cause. We are very excited about the upcoming distribution of the "School Pax" to the local children.
The Juniors and Sophomore guys had a very busy, but fulfilling day. This group was separated into three groups so that we could multi-task things that needed to be done. One group helped organize the storage center where all of the donations go. They were able to separate the clothes into different categories in the storage center so that it is much easier to pinpoint exactly what is needed when entering. This will help if a child tears his or her pants or shirt and another one is needed, and they are quickly able to locate exactly where that item is. Another group helped finish painting the computer lab where there had been some lead paint on the walls. We were able to clean it up and really make the room look nice. Greg Mills highlighted the day after painting the ceiling and coming back with paint all over himself; very funny. The last group went into VeraCruz and to the local church to help dig the foundation for the new Sunday School rooms they are planning to install in the back of the church. Also, we started setting up the re-bar that will help stabilize the walls of these new classrooms. Some of the group then went into the city and visited with the families and had a great time playing with the children in the city. It was very hot outside today and we were making sure that each person was staying properly hydrated. All in all, these three groups worked very hard.
Today was such a great day. Many wonderful things were accomplished, and through it all there was no denying the presence of Jesus in all that we did. We ask for your continued prayers as we complete this wonderful journey God has led us all on. We will be back tomorrow night for another update, but until then, God bless!
The Seniors and Sophomore girls went to Nueva Vida this morning lend a hand in serving the children lunch. Nueva Vida is a hurricane refugee camp where people were displaced to following a hurricane in the late 1990's. It is a place where God really shows himself daily. There are 5 food distribution centers that a local church operates to feed the hungry children of the camp. Our group was turned into waiters and waitresses for this day and helped meet each and every child's needs as they served them their food. After eating lunch themselves, our group played with several of the kids from the refugee camp at the local church that hosted this morning's events. After leaving the camp, the group came back to Casa and packed up all 450 "School Pax" that our church so graciously donated. We can not thank you enough, again, for these donations as they are such a worthy cause. We are very excited about the upcoming distribution of the "School Pax" to the local children.
The Juniors and Sophomore guys had a very busy, but fulfilling day. This group was separated into three groups so that we could multi-task things that needed to be done. One group helped organize the storage center where all of the donations go. They were able to separate the clothes into different categories in the storage center so that it is much easier to pinpoint exactly what is needed when entering. This will help if a child tears his or her pants or shirt and another one is needed, and they are quickly able to locate exactly where that item is. Another group helped finish painting the computer lab where there had been some lead paint on the walls. We were able to clean it up and really make the room look nice. Greg Mills highlighted the day after painting the ceiling and coming back with paint all over himself; very funny. The last group went into VeraCruz and to the local church to help dig the foundation for the new Sunday School rooms they are planning to install in the back of the church. Also, we started setting up the re-bar that will help stabilize the walls of these new classrooms. Some of the group then went into the city and visited with the families and had a great time playing with the children in the city. It was very hot outside today and we were making sure that each person was staying properly hydrated. All in all, these three groups worked very hard.
Today was such a great day. Many wonderful things were accomplished, and through it all there was no denying the presence of Jesus in all that we did. We ask for your continued prayers as we complete this wonderful journey God has led us all on. We will be back tomorrow night for another update, but until then, God bless!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Day 1: The Adventure Continues
The Sophomores and Juniors have arrived safely in the Managua airport and are currently on route to the orphanage. Praise God for a day of safe travels and for already showing up in some incredible ways.
While the younger group traveled, the seniors spent the afternoon at a local pool with some kids from the El Canyon orphanage. It was incredible to see our team, even after such a long day of travel, pour their lives and their hearts out to these kids. The seniors also enjoyed a brief time of bible study after dinner before getting some much-needed down time.
Once the sophomores and juniors eat dinner, we will all head to bed for a good night's rest before embarking on tomorrow's adventures. Please pray for continued safety, good health, and that God would continue to reveal Himself in ordinary and extraordinary ways.
While the younger group traveled, the seniors spent the afternoon at a local pool with some kids from the El Canyon orphanage. It was incredible to see our team, even after such a long day of travel, pour their lives and their hearts out to these kids. The seniors also enjoyed a brief time of bible study after dinner before getting some much-needed down time.
Once the sophomores and juniors eat dinner, we will all head to bed for a good night's rest before embarking on tomorrow's adventures. Please pray for continued safety, good health, and that God would continue to reveal Himself in ordinary and extraordinary ways.
Day 1; The adventure begins
We departed from the chapel at 2 30 in the morning. After a long minibus ride to Washington reagan airport, we left for miami. From miami we headed right for nicaragua. The senior trip made it in one piece to Managua international airport. God has been with us from the start of the trip. We haven't had to endure any obstacles so far. Everyone is very safe. We are headed to the orphanage for food and a little rest after a long morning.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
HS Nicaragua Mission Trip - Final Checklist & Packing List
Nicaragua Team! Below you will see a copy of the last checklist we handed out, as well as the packing list for our upcoming trip. Specific flight numbers and times are included. If you have any questions before the trip, please call or text Alexis on her cell phone (919-260-0719).
We would like you to bring your final balance to church on Sunday (6/20). If you are unable to bring us your balance at this time, please talk to Alexis to make arrangements.
Students, remember to bring your passport! See you all at either 2am or 8am on Tuesday, June 22nd!
Blog: http://wccstudentministriesmissiontrips.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to updates via text messaging:
o Parents: Text “nicaparent” to 41411; Students: Text “nicastudent” to 41411
Support Money - Your balance should be paid TONIGHT! Turn $ into Lex
Passport – Bring a copy of your passport IMMEDIATELY!
Forms - make sure you’ve turned them in! (ONet form and WCC Parental Consent) Check with Lex
Buy Birthday Gift & Underwear
o $10-$15 gift for a child (buy it for your gender, age 5 through 17)
Buy a gift for a child of your gender. You can choose the age (5 through 17)
Do NOT wrap your gift. Bring it on the morning of your flight and we will pack them in a suitcase.
o Buy one package of underwear (any gender or size) and bring it with you on the morning of your flight
Pack your bags! (packing list is on the back)
Travel Plans
o Sophomores, Juniors, & Leaders – Meet at the Chapel at 8am on Tuesday, June 22:
Depart:
• -AA Flight 959 out of Washington Reagan on Tuesday, June 22nd – Depart 3:10pm for Miami (arrive in Miami at 5:55pm)
• -AA Flight 985 out of Miami on Tuesday, June 22nd – Depart Miami at 6:50pm for Managua (arrive in Managua at 7:30pm)
Return:
• -AA Flight 970 out of Managua on Thursday, July 1st – Depart Managua at 1pm for Miami (arrive in Miami at 5:40pm)
• -AA Flight 868 out of Miami on Thursday, July 1st – Depart Miami at 8pm for Washington Reagan (arrive in Washington at 10:25pm)
o Seniors, Trav, Lex – Meet at the Chapel at 2am on Tuesday, June 22:
Depart:
• -AA flight 1269 out of Washington Reagan on Tuesday, June 22nd - Depart 7:10am for Miami (arrive in Miami at 9:45am)
• -AA flight 969 out of Miami on Tuesday, June 22nd – Depart 11:10am for Managua (arrive in Managua at 11:45am)
Return:
• -AA flight 970 out of Managua on Thursday, July 1st – Depart 1:00pm for Miami (arrive in Miami at 5:40pm)
• -AA flight 1012 out of Miami on Thursday, July 1st – Depart 10:00pm for Washington Reagan (arrive in Washington at 12:25am).
Next meeting…at the Chapel to go to Nicaragua!!!
Seniors – meet at the Chapel at 2am on Tuesday, June 22
Sophomores & Juniors – meet at the Chapel at 8am on Tuesday, June 22
[ ] Undergarments—16 pairs
[ ] Sneakers
[ ] Sandals or flip flops
[ ] 7 pairs of socks
[ ] 7-9 T-shirts
[ ] 5-7 Shorts
[ ] 1 Long-sleeved Item
[ ] 1 or 2 Pairs of Pants
[ ] 1 Set Church Clothes
[ ] Bathing Suit (1 Piece suit for girls)
[ ] Hat w/ Brim
[ ] Wash cloth & Hand towel
[ ] Flashlight
[ ] Sunglasses
[ ] Journal, Bible, & Pen
[ ] Camera (optional)
[ ] Chapstick
[ ] Water bottle
[ ] Toiletries: Toothbrush, toothpaste, contact stuff, deodorant, face wash, hand sanitizer, shampoo, conditioner, soap, feminine products, sunscreen, & bug spray (in 3 oz or less bottles in a 1 liter Ziploc bag—if you have items larger than 3 oz or too many to fit in a 1 liter bag, you can bring it in a gallon Ziploc with you name on it to check under the plane
[ ] optional: No more than $50 cash (for souvenirs and food in airport)
*Bedding and towels are provided at the orphanage, and they do laundry for us once midway through the week.
All your personal belongings must fit into your carry-on luggage. The only bags we check are the ones for donations, extra toiletries, and birthday presents/underwear. See the American Airlines website for specifics on carry-on size regulations
Please also bring these items the day of departure to put in bags to be checked (see Checklist #4 for more information):
[ ] Birthday present for orphan (get a present for a child of the same sex as you): $10 gift, unwrapped
[ ] 1 package of underwear: to distribute while in Nicaragua (we will need men’s, women’s and children’s of all sizes)
We would like you to bring your final balance to church on Sunday (6/20). If you are unable to bring us your balance at this time, please talk to Alexis to make arrangements.
Students, remember to bring your passport! See you all at either 2am or 8am on Tuesday, June 22nd!
Nicaragua Mission Team
June 15th Checklist
Blog: http://wccstudentministriesmissiontrips.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to updates via text messaging:
o Parents: Text “nicaparent” to 41411; Students: Text “nicastudent” to 41411
Support Money - Your balance should be paid TONIGHT! Turn $ into Lex
Passport – Bring a copy of your passport IMMEDIATELY!
Forms - make sure you’ve turned them in! (ONet form and WCC Parental Consent) Check with Lex
Buy Birthday Gift & Underwear
o $10-$15 gift for a child (buy it for your gender, age 5 through 17)
Buy a gift for a child of your gender. You can choose the age (5 through 17)
Do NOT wrap your gift. Bring it on the morning of your flight and we will pack them in a suitcase.
o Buy one package of underwear (any gender or size) and bring it with you on the morning of your flight
Pack your bags! (packing list is on the back)
Travel Plans
o Sophomores, Juniors, & Leaders – Meet at the Chapel at 8am on Tuesday, June 22:
Depart:
• -AA Flight 959 out of Washington Reagan on Tuesday, June 22nd – Depart 3:10pm for Miami (arrive in Miami at 5:55pm)
• -AA Flight 985 out of Miami on Tuesday, June 22nd – Depart Miami at 6:50pm for Managua (arrive in Managua at 7:30pm)
Return:
• -AA Flight 970 out of Managua on Thursday, July 1st – Depart Managua at 1pm for Miami (arrive in Miami at 5:40pm)
• -AA Flight 868 out of Miami on Thursday, July 1st – Depart Miami at 8pm for Washington Reagan (arrive in Washington at 10:25pm)
o Seniors, Trav, Lex – Meet at the Chapel at 2am on Tuesday, June 22:
Depart:
• -AA flight 1269 out of Washington Reagan on Tuesday, June 22nd - Depart 7:10am for Miami (arrive in Miami at 9:45am)
• -AA flight 969 out of Miami on Tuesday, June 22nd – Depart 11:10am for Managua (arrive in Managua at 11:45am)
Return:
• -AA flight 970 out of Managua on Thursday, July 1st – Depart 1:00pm for Miami (arrive in Miami at 5:40pm)
• -AA flight 1012 out of Miami on Thursday, July 1st – Depart 10:00pm for Washington Reagan (arrive in Washington at 12:25am).
Next meeting…at the Chapel to go to Nicaragua!!!
Seniors – meet at the Chapel at 2am on Tuesday, June 22
Sophomores & Juniors – meet at the Chapel at 8am on Tuesday, June 22
Nicaragua Packing List:
[ ] Undergarments—16 pairs
[ ] Sneakers
[ ] Sandals or flip flops
[ ] 7 pairs of socks
[ ] 7-9 T-shirts
[ ] 5-7 Shorts
[ ] 1 Long-sleeved Item
[ ] 1 or 2 Pairs of Pants
[ ] 1 Set Church Clothes
[ ] Bathing Suit (1 Piece suit for girls)
[ ] Hat w/ Brim
[ ] Wash cloth & Hand towel
[ ] Flashlight
[ ] Sunglasses
[ ] Journal, Bible, & Pen
[ ] Camera (optional)
[ ] Chapstick
[ ] Water bottle
[ ] Toiletries: Toothbrush, toothpaste, contact stuff, deodorant, face wash, hand sanitizer, shampoo, conditioner, soap, feminine products, sunscreen, & bug spray (in 3 oz or less bottles in a 1 liter Ziploc bag—if you have items larger than 3 oz or too many to fit in a 1 liter bag, you can bring it in a gallon Ziploc with you name on it to check under the plane
[ ] optional: No more than $50 cash (for souvenirs and food in airport)
*Bedding and towels are provided at the orphanage, and they do laundry for us once midway through the week.
All your personal belongings must fit into your carry-on luggage. The only bags we check are the ones for donations, extra toiletries, and birthday presents/underwear. See the American Airlines website for specifics on carry-on size regulations
Please also bring these items the day of departure to put in bags to be checked (see Checklist #4 for more information):
[ ] Birthday present for orphan (get a present for a child of the same sex as you): $10 gift, unwrapped
[ ] 1 package of underwear: to distribute while in Nicaragua (we will need men’s, women’s and children’s of all sizes)
NC Mission Trip Updated Packing List
Updated Packing List
Work Site
□ Shoes/Boots – Sandals cannot be worn at the worksites
□ Socks
□ Hat
□ Sunglasses
□ T-Shirts
□ Shorts – Not too short
□ Work Pants
□ Water Bottle
□ Work Gloves
□ Rain Jacket
□ Last Name A-J à Hammer and Nail Apron
□ Last Name J-Z à Paint Brush and Plastic Paint Bucket
□ Sunscreen
Housing Facility
□ Comfortable Clothing
□ Sleeping Bag
□ Pillow
□ Sandals (for shower)
□ Athletic shoes
□ Bible and Journal
□ Tooth brush
□ Tooth paste
□ Soap
□ Deodorant
□ Other Toiletries you need
□ Wash Cloth
□ Towel
□ Light Jacket if there is a cool night
□ Swimsuit
□ Flashlight
□ $ for one fast food meal on the way up and one on the way back
□ Concessions
Monday, June 14, 2010
HS Nicaragua Team - Meeting Reminder and Information Needed
Our final team meeting with be this Tuesday, June 15th from 6:30 to 8:30pm. We will check-in in the Student Ministries Worship Room, then move to a separate location for the remainder of the meeting. If you have any donations, you should bring them to this meeting and we will pack them as a team.
If you have not done so already, please make sure you bring a copy of your passport to this meeting. Our most recent checklist (from the overnight) is copied below. Please refer to that checklist to make sure you are up-to-date with forms and other items.
Also, your trip balance should be paid at this meeting. If you need a financial update, please contact Alexis (contact information is below).
We will provide one more checklist at the final meeting with a packing list and travel details. This information is also posted below.
If you have any questions, please contact Alexis at 757-941-1241 or akincaid@wcchapel.org
Flight Information:
Sophomores, Juniors, & Leaders – Meet at the Chapel at 8am on Tuesday, June 22:
Depart:
-AA Flight 959 out of Washington Reagan on Tuesday, June 22nd – Depart 3:10pm for Miami (arrive in Miami at 5:55pm)
-AA Flight 985 out of Miami on Tuesday, June 22nd – Depart Miami at 6:50pm for Managua (arrive in Managua at 7:30pm)
Return:
-AA Flight 970 out of Managua on Thursday, July 1st – Depart Managua at 1pm for Miami (arrive in Miami at 5:40pm)
-AA Flight 868 out of Miami on Thursday, July 1st – Depart Miami at 8pm for Washington Reagan (arrive in Washington at 10:25pm)
Seniors, Trav, Lex – Meet at the Chapel at 2am on Tuesday, June 22:
Depart:
-AA flight 1269 out of Washington Reagan on Tuesday, June 22nd - Depart 7:10am for Miami (arrive in Miami at 9:45am)
-AA flight 969 out of Miami on Tuesday, June 22nd – Depart 11:10am for Managua (arrive in Managua at 11:45am)
Return:
-AA flight 970 out of Managua on Thursday, July 1st – Depart 1:00pm for Miami (arrive in Miami at 5:40pm)
-AA flight 1012 out of Miami on Thursday, July 1st – Depart 10:00pm for Washington Reagan (arrive in Washington at 12:25am).
Nicaragua Packing List:
[ ] Undergarments—16 pairs
[ ] Sneakers
[ ] Sandals or flip flops
[ ] 7 pairs of socks
[ ] 7-9 T-shirts
[ ] 5-7 Shorts
[ ] 1 Long-sleeved Item
[ ] 1 or 2 pairs of Pants
[ ] 1 Set Church Clothes
[ ] Bathing Suit (1 Piece suit for girls)
[ ] Hat w/ Brim
[ ] Wash cloth & Hand towel
[ ] Flashlight
[ ] Sunglasses
[ ] Journal & Pen
[ ] Bible
[ ] Camera (optional)
[ ] Chapstick
[ ] Water bottle
[ ] Toiletries: Toothbrush, toothpaste, contact stuff, deodorant, face wash, hand sanitizer, shampoo, conditioner, soap, feminine products, sunscreen, & bug spray (in 3 oz or less bottles in a 1 liter Ziploc bag—if you have items larger than 3 oz or too many to fit in a 1 liter bag you can bring it in a gallon Ziploc with you name on it to check under the plane
[ ] optional: No more than $50 cash (for souvenirs and food in airport)
This must all fit into your carry-on luggage
(maximum of size of 45” [height+width+length] and 40 lbs)
Bedding and towels are provided at the orphanage, and they do laundry for us once midway through the week.
Please also bring these items the day of departure to put in bags to be checked:
[ ] Birthday present for orphan (get a present for a child of the same sex as you): $10 gift, unwrapped
[ ] 1 package of underwear: to distribute while in Nicaragua (we will need men’s, women’s and children’s of all sizes)
[ ] Undergarments—16 pairs
[ ] Sneakers
[ ] Sandals or flip flops
[ ] 7 pairs of socks
[ ] 7-9 T-shirts
[ ] 5-7 Shorts
[ ] 1 Long-sleeved Item
[ ] 1 or 2 pairs of Pants
[ ] 1 Set Church Clothes
[ ] Bathing Suit (1 Piece suit for girls)
[ ] Hat w/ Brim
[ ] Wash cloth & Hand towel
[ ] Flashlight
[ ] Sunglasses
[ ] Journal & Pen
[ ] Bible
[ ] Camera (optional)
[ ] Chapstick
[ ] Water bottle
[ ] Toiletries: Toothbrush, toothpaste, contact stuff, deodorant, face wash, hand sanitizer, shampoo, conditioner, soap, feminine products, sunscreen, & bug spray (in 3 oz or less bottles in a 1 liter Ziploc bag—if you have items larger than 3 oz or too many to fit in a 1 liter bag you can bring it in a gallon Ziploc with you name on it to check under the plane
[ ] optional: No more than $50 cash (for souvenirs and food in airport)
This must all fit into your carry-on luggage
(maximum of size of 45” [height+width+length] and 40 lbs)
Bedding and towels are provided at the orphanage, and they do laundry for us once midway through the week.
Please also bring these items the day of departure to put in bags to be checked:
[ ] Birthday present for orphan (get a present for a child of the same sex as you): $10 gift, unwrapped
[ ] 1 package of underwear: to distribute while in Nicaragua (we will need men’s, women’s and children’s of all sizes)
Nicaragua Mission Team
June 4th Checklist
Blog: http://wccstudentministriesmissiontrips.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to updates via text messaging:
o Parents: Text “nicaparent” to 41411
o Students: Text “nicastudent” to 41411
Support Money
o Turn support money into Lex as you get it
o Your balance must be paid by the final team meeting on 6/15
o Write thank you notes to the people who send you monetary support immediately.
Passport
o Bring a copy of your passport IMMEDIATELY!
Forms – must be in ASAP
o ORPHANetwork form
o WCC Parental Consent notarized
Go over travel plans with your parents
o Seniors – your flight departs from Reagan Airport at 7:10am on Tuesday, 6/22. Meet at the Chapel at 2am on Tuesday, 6/22.
o Juniors & Sophomores – your flight departs from Reagan Airport at 3:10pm on Tuesday, 6/22. Meet at the Chapel at 8am on Tuesday, 6/22.
Collect donations
o Bring any donations to the final team meeting on 6/15. Remember, we only want high-quality donations or items from the “Needs Lists” posted on the blog.
Final team meeting is June 15th from 6:30-8:30 pm in SM Worship Room
June 4th Checklist
Blog: http://wccstudentministriesmissiontrips.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to updates via text messaging:
o Parents: Text “nicaparent” to 41411
o Students: Text “nicastudent” to 41411
Support Money
o Turn support money into Lex as you get it
o Your balance must be paid by the final team meeting on 6/15
o Write thank you notes to the people who send you monetary support immediately.
Passport
o Bring a copy of your passport IMMEDIATELY!
Forms – must be in ASAP
o ORPHANetwork form
o WCC Parental Consent notarized
Go over travel plans with your parents
o Seniors – your flight departs from Reagan Airport at 7:10am on Tuesday, 6/22. Meet at the Chapel at 2am on Tuesday, 6/22.
o Juniors & Sophomores – your flight departs from Reagan Airport at 3:10pm on Tuesday, 6/22. Meet at the Chapel at 8am on Tuesday, 6/22.
Collect donations
o Bring any donations to the final team meeting on 6/15. Remember, we only want high-quality donations or items from the “Needs Lists” posted on the blog.
Final team meeting is June 15th from 6:30-8:30 pm in SM Worship Room
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