We had another incredible day serving here in West Virginia! In the interest of focusing on the groups and the service that was done today we will jump right into the recaps!
Group 1 (the "Zion Zingers") went to a new serving site, The Beckley Dream Center, which is a food pantry where they collect donations to hand out to those affected by natural disasters and who fall on hard times in the area. The group showed up expecting to help paint the lobby, but was directed to the warehouse upon arrival and asked to help pack food boxes...and pack them they did! By the end of their serving time today, Group 1 had packed (and this is specific because they would be upset if I rounded down) 809 BOXES, which filled up 16 pallets! Throughout the whole day it was incredible to see how they turned their laborious task into fun and laughter while still completing above and beyond what was expected of them. After finishing up at the Dream Center, the Group 1 headed back to the 4H center to meet up with the rest of the team.
Group 2 (the "Appalachian Aces") returned to Energy Express this morning! The group kept a great attitude while assisting with custodial needs at the elementary school and encouraging the students who attend the program in their reading comprehension. Following lunch, the group visited the house of a 96 year old woman who needed her back patio painted. The team immediately got right to work grabbing paint, brushes, and ladders and we completed the project with enough time leftover to return to our worksite from yesterday. The group was eager to get back and see this project through, picking up where they left off by sanding down the deck so it can eventually be stained. It's been wonderful seeing how this group and their leaders are engaging with one another and serving together.
Group 3 (the "Rocky Rangers") returned to the same site as yesterday, School of Harmony. They spent most of the morning painting staircases, hand railings, and walls for Legacy Church, one of the business partners that rent out space there. Afternoon activities included cutting down small trees, organizing donations in the food pantry, and putting together shopping bags used in the pantry. It was a blast serving together and hearing the stories of people in this community.
Group 4 ( the "Himalayan Homies") were sent to a different serving site than yesterday, where they met a woman named Diane in need of help with yard work unable to be done because of recent sustained injuries. Throughout the day the group worked to pick weeds, power wash a deck/surrounding patio area, and spend time with the homeowner. After about three hours of hard work under the hot sun, the girls still did not want a lunch break, but decided to take one to make sure they would have strength to complete the task at hand. At the end of the day, the girls cleaned all of the trash and yard supplies out of Ms. Diane's yard and headed back to the 4H camp to eat dinner with the rest of our team.
Group 5 (the "Pyrenees Pals") returned to Heart of God church where they continued to serve the summer camp for those who are at or below the poverty line. Today we took close to 80 kids to the WVU Tech gymnasium where they played basketball, soccer, and many other games. After spending a couple hours at the gym, the group went back to the church and helped serve lunch to all the kids.
After all five groups returned from the work day, we had some free time to rest before eating dinner and getting ready for our night activity with our Youth Works. Tonight's activity was a little more low key, but everyone was excited and got really into it. We stayed at the camp and had options to play in an ultimate frisbee tournament, play kick ball, or learn some line dancing from one of the YW Staff and we all had a blast! We transitioned from the activities into our second Porch Time where we recounted the fun times and the times we saw God at work throughout the day. Tommy lead us in a time of worship and then Nick gave a talk, looking at John 11 and the story of Lazarus. We looked at the idea that as we continue to serve the rest of our time here in West Virginia, we should be taking stock of how we are actively and joyfully seeking God throughout our days here and how we can continue that when we return to Williamsburg. Thank you all for your prayers as we continue to serve this week.
Reminder that tonight (Wednesday 7.10.19) at 7pm in the SM Worship Room at the Chapel we have our parent prayer meeting for our trip and the Nashville trip!
