Today was the North Carolina (NC) team's last day at the work sites. In the morning the entire team went to the church to make sure that we completed all of the priming. It was exciting for the team to see the finish line ahead of them and know that they would complete the project. It was truly a God given feeling of satisfaction at the end of the work day to step back and see the fruit of all the labor put forth over the past week. There were over 1200 man hours put into priming the house this week and God blessed the team as they served. The team left the work site thankful for the opportunity to serve in such a tangible way and make a significant impact in the life of this church community in Asheville. Pastor Burgess came by at the end of the day to thank the team and express how inspired he was by the team.
Half-way through the day a portion of the NC team went back over to the MANNA food bank. Once again the group at MANNA sorted eggs and packaged pasta. They were able to complete over 2 tons of pasta in just two hours. The entire team has loved getting to work at the food bank and get a behind-the-scenes glimpse how one organization strives to feed the hungry and care for the poor. It challenged the team to try and put themselves in the shoes of the hungry and think about what their life would be like. Throughout the week 1000's of eggs have been sorted and over 4 tons of pasta.
After our work sites, the team headed back to our housing site for an evening of worship. Recreation Experiences finishes the week with their own worship service followed by a highlight video of pictures from the week. The NC team joined with all the voices and heard testimonies shared by other groups of what they accomplished. It was powerful to hear not only what our group completed, but what the entire set of teams had completed this week. Following the Recreation worship time, the NC team gathered for their final porch time around a fire pit behind the housing site. Luke finished up the story of Peter in Acts 10-11 that the team had begun in their pre-trip training meetings before the trip. Luke brought up the reality that returning home can be difficult because we will have to face critics that may not believe or trust a story that we tell them. Luke told the team that the three ways to silence the critics are: explain your story, support each other, and live out the lessons learned. After Luke's talk the team split up for their final small group time. Watching the small groups ask for extra time because the conversations and discussions were so meaningful and necessary was one of the greatest moment of God's Spirit at work in the hearts of the team. God has been working in the hearts of each student and it has been beautiful to see God's Spirit break through for so many people.
Tomorrow the team leaves their housing site to head back to Williamsburg. A text update will be sent as soon as the team leaves. Subsequent texts will be sent throughout the day of travel to keep everyone informed of the team's progress. If you still want to sign up for the text updates then just text the word NCPARENT to the number 41411. You should receive a text telling you that you have subscribed once you do it. Thanks for everyone's prayer and support throughout the trip.
