Hey Everyone! We had a fantastic first day of work.The time went by so fast that I didn’t even realize when it was time to stop for lunch.This morning we began work on plastering and painting the two brand new rooms that have been added as a second story to school at Salud y Paz in Comenchaj.
We cleared out all of the left over rubble from the previous team and then began mixing the plaster right on the floor of the first room where we started working.That was a job in itself; we had one team whose only job all day long was to sift gravel out of sand so that the sand could be used to make the plaster.We finished the plaster on 85% of the first room and we’ll finish the rest of it tomorrow before beginning the second room.
Others painted the wooden rails that formed the perimeter of the second floor balcony while others were put to work on the “Save the Nails” campaign.They reuse everything here, so we were asked to remove nails from old boards so they could be used again in the future.Several of us also spent time playing with the children from the school.
By the way, the septic system that we installed last year is completely up and running; and it has been a great blessing to the clinic and school. In years past, when it would rain for days on end, the system would back up and overflow into the yard and the conditions were less than desirable, but now the tank that we installed handles everything wonderfully no matter how much rain!
In all, it was a great day and even though our backs are sore and our hands hurt, we are excited to do it all again tomorrow!Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers this week.If you want to send any messages to the team, leave a comment on Facebook or “Tweet” us @fumchurstyouth. The internet is too dodgy to send pics and videos, but I promise I will load them all the minute we get back home.
--Matt Ybañez
Here is a journal entry from Connor Teague:
July 16, 2010
Wow.This place is just truly amazing: the cool air, lively culture, and mix of old and new friends.The scenery is truly right off of a postcard with amazing greenery, historic buildings, and shabby market streets.The seemingly always present smiles on the faces of everyone down here is just another reason to say God is everywhere and in everyone.
Ok, so first thing out of the airport we see about 100 faces looking at us from behind a retaining wall, which kind of startled me because of the sheer number.But as we crossed the street with luggage in tow, the most wicked looking school bus comes rolling up with the words “Super Niña” on the side.This is gonna be fun was the first thought I had.After we loaded onto the bus, we zoomed down crowded streets filled with a billion other buses, motorcycles, and strange looking vans.Soaking in all of the new environment, we rode for about an hour on bumpy, unforgiving roads.Upon arrival in Antigua, we all ventured to an authentic food restaurant that served everything from cow intestines to macaroni salad.Following lunch, we all broke off and explored the countless shops in the Antiguan markets.
After all that has happened today, I am so excited to see what great wonders God has in store for us the rest of the week.I feel so blessed to have this opportunity to spread the love of God.God bless everyone that has been involved in making this trip possible.
Today was a great day to end our mission trip in Lake Charles.The day got off to a great start with pancakes and sausage for breakfast.Soon thereafter, we were off to our work sites for a half day of work.My work group returned to Ms. Perrodin’s home to finish the installation of the wood trim, closet shelving, and air conditioning unit flashing.Once these tasks were completed, we had a large group of kids cleaning up the house so we could move all of Ms. Perrodin’s belongings back into her home.Did I mention that she had a lot of stuff stored in the temporary container.After a lot of sweat, we got all of her things moved in and arranged so she could move around in the home.It was great to be able to get Ms. Perrodin moved back into her home before we had to leave.The kids did a great job this week loving their neighbor.
Praise God,
Craig Alford
Paige Cherry:
Today was one of the toughest days of work. Tuesday my group had a lot of painting to do, but today was by far the most physical.
We moved all of this lady’s furniture into her newly redone home. I was happy to be helping her. She lived in a small (but now very nice) trailer which was filled to the ceiling with furniture once we moved everything back in. It was difficult to move heavy and large things into such a small area but with the help of everyone there, we got the job done.
Once we were finished with all of our work all of the groups met back at the church for lunch. We were finally done with our work for the week! After lunch Matt gave us all little time to shower and get ready to go see a movie. I was so excited to be able to put on mascara and leave my hair down for the first time in what seems like forever.
We went and saw Toy Story 3 and then went to Cici’s where I of course dropped pizza on my white shirt on my way to the table. Overall today was the perfect combination of hard work and group fun.
Today was a good last day. Adam's knee is a little stiff but he is ok. Not a whole lot of work today. The homeowner dinner was good, I enjoyed it. I liked meeting the people and getting to know them. I will always remember my first mission trip.
FACE
-Peyton Lynn
I loved seeing all the families together today, all of their happy faces. I saw God in all their faces, their joy was so cool to see. I loved my group this entire week, I will probably only get to see them once a week, these are some o the last months I will have with Ben, and we won't get to see Adam because he will be away at college. I'm going to miss this place sooooooooooooooooooooooo much, I feel like I belong here. I feel like I want to stay another week and get to know everyone better. Everyone has been crying so much that i can't lie that i haven't been. I am really going to cry because it's never fun to say goodbye to your friends. At first you didn't know them and now they're some of your besties, you just don't want to leave and say goodbye. I am really going to miss Adam and Ben when they both leave. I can't just not stand not to cry seeing all our sad faces. I probably will cry even when I get home. I am just really sad about having to leave and everything.
Today was a great day!!I woke up without annoying music (yesterday), had an okay breakfast, and had an awesome time.Breakfast was cereal (again), but I made the best of it.I ended up not getting the job I wanted, but if you mix an okay job with great and funny people, it makes the job 10 times better.I knew I would have a great day when everyone in our van was laughing and getting along well.I also knew it was gong to be a good day when our van got lost and it took 2 hours to drive to Lowes and then the worksite (which is a normal 15 minute drive).It may not sound like fun, but everyone was laughing the whole time and not complaining.I even got to know my group better through that experience, like Mac is deeply afraid of bridges that are above water.So after the long drive, things started slow working, but picked up quickly.The jokes, pranks, and singing of random songs kept us through the day.The best part was when Carter, Mac, and I got into a giant paint fight.Hitting each other with paint brushes and rollers sure can get a guy messy (you will find out soon mom!).Lunch was really good., and having the feeling that we knew that we took a really ugly house and made it awesome again.I also got to help grill burgers and hot dogs today for dinner.Donny, Martin, Michael, and I did great and the whole youth group was satisfied.I thank God that I was blessed to be with a great group of kids.
Lord, tommorrow is our last day of work in San Marcos. I want to work all of the time. I know I''ve been slacking but TOMMORROW will be different. I feel like I'm not making an impact on the homeowner's life; but I know that it feels so good to help the needy. We all are making a huge difference through teamwork by doing what has been asked. I don't want anything in return because it is what is right to do. I know that we get Schlitterbahn as a reward, but if we weren't getting a reward I would be just fine that. We are making an impact on this homeowner's life. Every other team is also making a difference on their homeowner's life. Not just us, but throughout the world. Everyone who helps those in need is a worthy man of God's riches. We all need to know this and even if my team knew this we would work harder. All people deserve God's riches.
We love you God,
Kyle Abrahamson
Today was exhausting. We worked on mudding the walls which gives it that texture you see on normal walls. Let me just say now that the "mud" is soooooooooooo sticky! I had my hands covered in it. After a while it crusted and hurt. After you washed it off you had a glitter texture on your skin. We mudded the ceiling as well. That was probably the hardest part because the blood would drain out of your arms. We have finished the ceiling and a wall or two but it is hard to get all of the room covered in it. Tommorrow we'll finish the walls and the other ceiling. Wheew! After work we palyed a very brutal, serious, and large game of capture the flag. It was so much fun and then we ate watermelon slices. We went to our rooms afterwards, took our showers, then did each others' hair, skipped into the main room like school girls. It was funny! Gotta get some sleep,
Regan :)
-Regan Campbell
Another great day! Check out the video here...there's more, but I don't want to hang out in the Comfort Suites lobby for another two hours to upload it!
Hailey Short:
The pants that I brought with me are freakishly too big…even when I tie the strings they still fall down and Mrs. Little made me roll the bottoms up so I would not slip on the ladder.While painting the same wall over and over again, the exact same color, it really wasn’t that much fun.On the bright side, I met Paige and she is super funny! Even if her jokes are a little dumb.Ha ha, oh well, it wasn’t so bad I guess.I’m just glad I’m here.Plus, I also met Damian and his sister Alex is in my grade.We left our site to go to the bathroom and Matt came and went while we were gone so only two people got to be in the video…ha ha.After that, it was the same ol, same ol.Trey and Chris played basketball, Amber read, and Cheryl and Amanda were playing a card game called “Speed.”Hailey Alford and I got to know each other pretty well because we started talking and I also found out what the “pancake” is in volleyball and I stink at it, but it’s still fun.
Rene Griffin:
Today began with a song. Not just any song, though, but the theme song from Sesame Street. It also began with Tyler being saran-wrapped into his sleeping bag, and with a start like that, the day was destined to be amazing.
After breakfast, we headed to our worksites and got to work. Instead of staying in just one place, my group moved around. In the morning we worked on cleaning out a shower trailer that was about to be sent off to Memphis for flood relief. Working on the trailer gave me such an amazing feeling, because I knew that we had a hand in helping other people that were in need around the nation.
For lunch, a woman named Ms. Renee made us hotdogs for lunch Her house is being worked on also) and we got to enjoy and hour of relaxation and fellowship. She is such an amazing person, and today was yet another reminder of that.
As I said, my group moved around a little bit, so after lunch, we headed out to look at homes that were going to worked on later in the week. One woman whose home is going to be worked on tomorrow really made an impression on me. She was so sweet and welcomed us into her home. The house had had to be completely rebuilt after the hurricane and it was amazing to see what quality work was being done by the groups that come to Louisiana. I really hope that I get to work on her house tomorrow, but I know that no matter where I go, I’ll be making a difference.
Ben Ruby:
Today we went back to Rene’s mother-in-law’s house to paint and clean up.I saw God in Rene because she is taking care of us by making everybody hot dogs and giving us chips.At first I was scared about going on a mission trip because I was going on a mission trip with 10th, 11th, and 12th graders and I didn’t know what to expect.But now, I am happy that I went because I have made new friends.
This morning for breakfast we had sausage, egg, and cheese cassarole and a hashbrown with gooey french toast. We set out for our worksite, we continued caulking, but then started to paint over it! Then we went to lunch. For lunch we had corndogs and tater tots mmmmmmmmmmmmmm... But then Ben asked me and Marrisa if we wanted to go with him to a special job. We, Marshall, Tony, and Conner went with him to a retirement facility. We then used a level, powersaw, and electric nail gun! Power tools!!! :) Ben went all over safety. It was cool to have a seperate mini group that got to take more breaks in air conditioned places and talk and laugh with Ben and Adam. Our work groups home is the A TEAM although we are having van wars!!! >:D We got glass paint and decorated them. My nickname is the swooping swallow.... Don't ask, Adam named me. we have been vandalizing each others' van but we all know the A TEAM rox!!! After we were done with the special job we went back to our original worksite. When we got there they said we only had like 20 minutes left. RJ, the site helper, always lets us go early. So we got done, around 3:40. but doors weren't open 'till 4:15, so Kim and Adam secretly took us to McDonalds and bought us shakes! Then we came back here. We played a cool game called church on fire when we got back from dinner, which by the way was beans and homemade enchiladas!!! (heavenly) Then we had free time and played guesstures which was uber fun! Now we have worship and free time to write in our journals. I'm sooo tired so I'm hitting the hay, 'till tommorrow..... SO BYE!!
- Audrey Bates
Today was a better day today. I still miss papa, but it was okay. We hung out today after working and I've made a lot of new friends. I saw God in Caroline. Anytime work was needed to be done, she would volunteer. Anytime I looked at her, there was a smile on her face. That motivated me to keep working and trying my hardest on making the house look its best. I love you God.
Hey Everyone! We had another great day of work today.Lots of great stories.Make sure to check out our Day 4 video by clicking here!
Amanda Swords;
Today I worked on Miss Rene’s house. I most defiantly saw God in her because she so grateful for everything we did, she kept telling us that we were God’s hands and feet. I worked on one room where I painted the trim and painted the closet. It was pretty fun especially when I found cockroaches and would put them on a napkin and would chase people with them. Later me and Hannah got bug spray and sprayed down the shower invested with mosquitoes. We would run in, spray the bug spray, and then run out screaming. Today was a really good day and I saw God in so many people and actions they did.
Matt Grubish
Today we worked all day on Rene’s Mother-in-law’s house (Rene is a lady who works a lot with the church and is really nice). We mainly painted the inside and outside of the house and helped clean out all the junk that was in there.The house was in bad shaped from all of the hurricanes that went through a few years ago.I mainly worked outside and painted the previously blue house a light grey that made it look a lot better. Rene was really nice and even took us out to lunch to McDonalds. She told us that we saved her 87 year old mother-in-law’s life by fixing her house and even called us angels.She was a really nice lady and that is who I saw God in today. I had a great day today and met a lot of new friends.I hope that we all have a great and safe day tomorrow. Amen
Amber Friend
Today we worked at Rene’s (a woman who worked with UMCOR) mother-in-law’s house.Her mother-in-law is 87 years old and apparently had been living in filthy conditions. Part of the youth had worked on it earlier and we had heard of how they had to shovel out cat litter and endure cockroaches crawling everywhere. When we got there, it looked fine and most of us spent a lot of the day painting. I spent a lot of time working on painting some of the outer walls with Rachel, Hannah, and Matt. Rene was absolutely overjoyed by what we and the rest of our group, and the group before us had done the past two days, almost to the point of tears. She would gather us around and talk to us openly about her family and insisted that by cleaning the house we were saving her mother-in-law’s life. She told us multiple times we were “the hands and feet of God” and “when she thought of us she heard angels’ wings flutter”. She was constantly generous and helpful, along with being very nice and sweet. Her faith was truly amazing and I couldn’t help but see God in her whenever she spoke to us.
Ryan Haynes
We had a new work site today, and we mixed two groups in to one because we had to do a lot of work at a lady’s house, who was the mother of Rene, the one who was actually there. We did not actually see her mother, who was 87 and had been hoarding, but she called Rene and told her she was so happy she would do cartwheels for us. After a lot of painting, pressure washing, and fixing boards on the house along with so me paint scraping, we all got to go to McDonald’s and lunch was provided by McDonald’s. After that we went back and did some more painting and sorting, and then left. She also gave us popsicles to eat throughout working. We came back and played ultimate outside, and it was way too hot, and a bad idea because I just got more nasty than I already was. They are now also being a lot more strict on the shirts rule for guys, where we have to wear our shirts all the time, even sleeping (sleeping is the biggie). This is because Martin walked through the gym with nothing on but boxers, and all the adults, girls, and guys were inside the gym. Then we played some knockout like usual and went to worship. Nice, great success.
Dear God, Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work in your name. Give me the strength to keep a good attitude throughout the day. Thank you for giving me an amazing work group. Please give me more tasks to do throughout the day and keep everyone's spirit up. May we all work greatly in your name. May we do an amazing job at work and not let anyone become ill; throughout the week may you keep everyone out of harm's way and keep them on task and remind them why they are here and remind me why I am here. May you bless every person here and give them the opportunity to see you in your holiness. May you keep me focused and hardworking throughout the week. Thank you for the wonderful volunteers who spend the entire summer working out in the sun and cooking and putting this amazing program on. Bless the house builder leader people and keep them from getting frustrated with those who don't catch on quite as fast as others and once again thank you for all the things you do in my life. In Jesus' name I pray,
Today was the most exciting day as far as work goes. At my site we where responsible for ripping down this shed in the back yard of a 87 year old lady. It was full of the three most disgusting things on the planet, rotting wood, roaches, and poop. By lunch time we had gotten most of the shed down and we where invited to her church to eat lunch in a nice air conditioned room. At that point she told us that there was this mound, AND I MEAN MOUND, of kitty litter. It stank so badbut we finally got all the way done with that and we headed back to the church. After a few rounds and a nice cold shower we got ready to eat dinner. As I made my plate and walked out the door there was this guy in a Polaris and said he needed help. So before I knew it we where headed off to his field where there was a “average” grass fire and we where in charge of transferring water from his tank through buckets and cups to the blazeing grass. It was so hot and smokey that my eyes where like an ocean of water smoke. But when the fire department showed up we let them take over and we headed home for some well deserved rest.
Chris Boyd
Today was one of the more experienced days of my life.Where to start…Gosh.Today my work group was assigned to the house of an 87 year old woman.She had a shed full of debris (which we demolished for her because she wanted it gone) and a house FULL of hurricane things.Her daughter-in-law told us we saved this woman’s life.Apparently there was so much stuff that her home was to be condemned and demolished.A homeless 87 year old single woman.Thank God we could keep that from happening.We also gave the inside a fresh coat of paint.We got back to the church where we’re staying, relaxed, and had just started to go through the dinner line.Then, Keith came in and said a man’s farm next door had a bad grassfire.So, me and 3 other guys went with Keith and put it out.So rewarding.When the fire dept. came about a half hour later there wasn’t much left for them to put it out.We did it all with 2 buckets and a fast food cup.One of the most rewarding experiences of my entire life.Today was a day that I can tell my grandkids about.God was with us the whole day, not one injury on my whole work team, and then nobody got hurt with the fire, what a day.
Paul Farrell
Today started off early (6:30 woo hoo 30 extra minutes off sleep.) as we all slowly made our way back from the dead and ate we went off to our work sites. We went to the hurricane relief building and got our tools and projects.I got to work on an old unfortunate lady’s house.We didn’t see her much because she’s scared of the bugs, snakes, and opossums that roam around her house.We worked on caulking and painting the house.I believed God smiled on her because her roof was torn off by the hurricane but she got a new before we came and when we came we sealed the cracks to keep water from leaking in and rotting the wood.I see God in all of our workers because we helped an old woman fix her house when she’s scared to go outside and financially unable to fix it.I feel bad for her but I believe we can make it better.
Hannah Larson:
Today my group helped clean out the Louisiana Disaster Recovery warehouse.We took apart these huge wooden shelves and it was very fun.There was a lot of loading and unloading trucks today also and I was exhausted.Sarah, Rachel Thatcher and I went to Wal-Mart with Matt to get food for all the meals tomorrow and that was very fun.When we got back to Sweetlake we made dinner—grilled chicken, green beans and potatoes.I had a blast grilling and I also got off the hook for cleaning after dinner since I cooked.Everyone loved the food.It was great.Matt had a near death experience when Luke lifted the weight that was keeping the 80lb grill lid up.The lid came down and Matt barely escaped by millimeters!I think I saw God through everyone today.The people we were helping seemed so incredibly thankful of us, like we were sent from God.I also saw God in the watermelon we ate. It was very good.
Kelsey Lovell:
Today was our first work day and I ended up in my mom’s group which actually ended up being just fine.I really like my group and I don’t want to change groups.I wish we could stay in them, but we probably won’t which is fine.We went to a warehouse to tear down shelves and everything.We all worked so hard together and got everything done early because we didn’t want to stop working.We then went to the LA Storm Relief Center to rake leaves.We got to get Sonic and then go back.I saw God in my whole group, but especially Matt Grubish, Will, Carter and Ryan because it was time for lunch, but they wanted to complete the job first which showed true dedication.It showed that they really wanted to finish what we had started before taking a break.It was amazing to see how much they were in to it and really opened my eyes.I also saw God in Craig because he wasn’t supposed to be lifting anything because of his stitches on his back, but he was the one in our group that worked the hardest and he lifted things anyways.We had to stop him all the time and tell him, “No” which just shows he wanted to work and that he wouldn’t let the stitches stop him from finishing the job.It was pretty amazing at how many people told him no and how often during the day.I couldn’t believe it because I know that I wouldn’t have been like that at all.I would have followed the rules as much as possible.
Devon Harper:
Today wasn’t a too early start, but it was still early. After we ate breakfast we broke up into our work groups and head out to the Lake Charles UMCOR headquarters that officially closed its doors at the end of the day today. We were met by the three people that would take us to our different sites. My work group went with a lady named Renee. The job site we were working on was very close to her heart, because we were working on her mother-in-law’s house. Recently a tree fell into the roof of her house and caused a hole in the roof. The roof has been repaired, but when the tree fell it infested her house with roaches. They have been making her house their home for the past 5 weeks. She couldn’t get an exterminator, because it was too expensive. To make matters worse after Rita hit, she was so terrified of another storm that she gathered any and all hurricane supplies into her house. She didn’t have much before the storm, i.e running water, that she didn’t want to be even worse off if another storm hit. Renee was telling us that she could have furnished each of our houses for years to come. We split up into two groups, one working outside tearing down a shed while one worked inside painting the three bedrooms and bathroom. I was working with Jill in this really small bedroom that had a ton of furniture in the middle. I really saw God in Renee today, because she showed her love for us even though she had only known us for a couple of hours. She brought us fudge pops, and made sure we were all completely comfortable while we were working. She would even take the paint rollers and paint the walls. For lunch she took us to her church where there was a lady who told us all about Louisiana and the hurricane. She had these displays that she showed us with all of the things Louisiana provides, such as Tobasco sauce. She also gave us a piece of Rita wood. A man named Mike who is a member of their church went around after the storm and picked up pieces of wood. He came up with this signature shape that everything in the church is based on. I also saw God when Renee returned to the house when we had finished painting. I could see she was trying to hold back her tears as she looked into each room. She was so overwhelmed by the work we had done that she couldn’t stop smiling, and she told us that we had literally saved her mother-in-law’s life by fixing her house. She kept taking pictures of us to make a scrapbook for her. She also wrote us a note that told us we were “angels on loan from heaven.” I was so completely touched by her energy to help her mother-in-law. She is excited for us to meet her and to take a picture with her. I can’t wait to go back tomorrow to finish the work.
Tyler Dawson:
This morning, I didn’t want to get up, so Craig flipped me out of my cot.What a nice surprise J We had eggs with leftover taco meat, bacon, and biscuits.Luke and CJ came last night and Mrs. Lunsford came to give Mrs. Lofland some company.Mrs. Lofland and Mrs. Lunsford left this morning.We went to the UMCOR building where we met a whole bunch of people.It was nice to know that we are helping them end on a good note.
The lady’s house my group is working on is the mother-in-law of one of the volunteer leaders.The volunteer leader’s name was Renee.She said that we were helping save her mother-in-law’s house, and also her life.Half of us went inside to paint, and half stayed outside to tear down a shed.We had a pretty large group, including Parker, Trey, Mac, Chris, and some others.The shed was pretty large and had stuff littered all over the inside of the shed.We began demolition and got pretty far before lunch.
We had sandwiches for lunch at a church in the area.One of the old ladies talked to us about Louisiana and another one said some Cajun French.She asked CJ for a kiss while speaking French J
After lunch, we went back and the lady’s great-grandsons who were in 2nd grade wanted to help us with demolition.We got the entire shed torn down.There was also a giant pile of kitty litter that we scooped up.She just had it in her backyard.We smelt awful after we were done for the day.
We came back, showered, and ate dinner, which was chicken, potatoes, and green beans.We played knock out after dinner and hung out.And then we went to worship.
We woke up at 6 a.m. this morning, so it wasn’t too early… (sarcasm).Church was good, the preacher talked about how fathers are always watched by their sons who look up to their dad’s and wish to follow in their footsteps.He also went on to say how sons naturally think about what their father’s would do when making decisions.I found the sermon very true and entertaining.I know my brother and I both would be blessed to be able to “walk in the same steps” as our Dad.We were welcomed by the members of the Sweet Lake UMC with open arms and warm greetings.I, in particular, was relieved to find no prejudice against me because I had no idea how’d they react to a kid with a Mohawk.Although, I did get called “Mr. T” by the preacher.This afternoon we went to the lake, it sure was fun since last year I didn’t get to join the youth in the water because I was a tad bit dehydrated.I’m pretty sure Carter and I tossed my brother Austin a good three to four feet in the air.My trust buddy for this week is Rachael who doesn’t go to our church, but is a friend of Amber Friend.I learned that she plays the oboe for Colleyville Heritage’s band.She also is playing guitar with us during Worship.She’s got a great sense of humor and we both enjoyed critiquing Mr. Friend on his decision to wear a goofy hat during our guitar practice. I look forward to sharing more laughs and “trust building” moments. (Oh and Parker Pierpont says hello to his Mom J)I’m pumped for the beginning of our work week tomorrow, even though Mondays are slow because we find out where our sites are and what we’ll be doing.Austin and I got to call and find out about our father’s Father’s day, and we found out he had a good one.One that consisted of the U.S. Open and his recliner.I hope every father out there had a great day as well! God Bless!
-Matt Simmons
Today was definitely more eventful than yesterday, although we still haven’t started work projects yet.In a nutshell, it was another day to prepare us for the week and get our minds into the right place.It gave us an opportunity to think about the adventure that lies ahead of us this week. Today was fun. We went to the lake and got to hang out with our friends and just have fun.But today was also about meeting other people. Not just meeting them, but getting to know them, as they will be the people that we will be sharing a common goal with.I met/reacquainted myself with two people today. Hannah is an incoming freshman and is super nice.She has no problem with just walking up to anyone and starting a conversation, which made me fell really comfortable around her. I also talked with amber, who I have known for a while, but never had any in depth conversations with.I look forward to getting to know her better throughout the course of the week. In fact, I look forward to getting to know everyone better. We also went to a church service for the church that we are staying with. They were so warm and inviting, I felt like I was back in Texas, surrounded by people I knew. They didn’t hold back from hugging everyone they met and greeting them with a smile.It definitely makes me excited to work with more people from this area.I have had a blast so far, and its only day 2, so I can’t wait to see what tomorrow holds. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we are all a little nervous, but mostly excited! Hope everything is going well in Texas! Oh, and happy father’s day!
Jill Bates
Today was an interesting day. We got to go to the church service today at the church we are staying in. We had a lot of fun! After church we sat around for awhile before going to the lake. We talked a lot today about meeting new people and trusting people. We had the task of finding a “trust buddy” learning more about them and forming a new friendship with them. My trust buddy was Brittany Forte. I have seen her around youth before but I have never gotten the chance to know her. She is a really sweet person. She seems kind of shy and reluctant at first but once you warm up to her she is spunky and fun to be around. I hope that I get to know some other people before this trip is over! Today is only day two but it has been a pretty good trip so far! I can’t wait to see what work groups we are in and what work we have to do. I think I can safely say everyone is excited about this week! J
We made it safely to Sweetlake UMC today after first going to the wrong church...fun adventure, but this is only the beginning! We settled into our cozy gym for the night and we're getting up bright and early tomorrow morning to go to church with our hosts at SLUMC. Then we are going to prepare for the rest of our week and maybe even catch a beach on Lake Charles in the afternoon. Today's journal entries come from Ben Ruby and Rachel McEuen. Parker Pierpont says, "Hi Mom!" and look for your kiddos in the video links posted below! [edit: upload taking too long tonight :/ here are a couple of teaser vids, we'll try and get the rest up tomorrow]
June 19, 2010
Ben Ruby:
I think I am going to see God through the people I work with because I am going to meet new people from our church and really get to know them.I saw God today through the people in our vans because Matt made us change vans to meet new people and the entire way to Lake Charles! I also saw God when we left the church because it si good to know that people care about you back home.
Rachel McEuen:
When we arrived at the church, of course I felt a slight (and typical) pang of discomfort in my stomach knowing this place isn’t home and being all too anxious in regards to the week ahead. When I try to think of the next 7 days, of course I envision a lot of work. As well, it was hard to see the blessings of the day when travel is so wearisome and when our time here proves to be a heavy load on our shoulders. In short, I ashamedly feel tired and lazy, but it’s a feeling I can easily shake off.This is because I know there’s something that overpowers any of my sligth discomforts. Because I know is that there is something that lies in store behind the inevitable sweat and teamwork that outweighs any kind of “hardship” I could imagine. In a funny way, I am certain some wonderfully uncertain thing far beyond what I could envision will take place this week. And I know that it is in the uncertainty that growth in faith can take place when God is present in all places if we will only take the time to find him… in even the most wearisome or trying of tasks.
