Mission Trip - Day 4

One upside to the last day of the trip was getting to sleep a little later...until 8:30 am! After breakfast, we cleaned the entire upper floor of the guest house. Y es, this includes bathrooms (toilets, showers, sinks, etc.), sweeping, vacuuming, taking out the trash, and making beds! The kids ARE capable of doing these things, and we were proud of the job they did. We also had to take pictures with the new stuffed seals - prized possessions purchased at Sea World that the girls were kind enough to name after the three of us!

Once the house was reasonably clean, we put on our church clothes and headed to San Jose Mission to worship at their noon Mariachi Mass. Fred took the kids on a brief tour of a grist mill located behind the mission. We then found our seats for the mass - the very back 3 pews - it's a very popular event for tourists. The mariachi music was amazing, and added a special element to the worship service.

God has called these 11 kids to go and make disciples, and their hearts are ready and willing to do just that. It was a tremendous honor and privilege for Dante, Fred, and I to take part in this trip with the kids. Yes - there was lots of fun, and yes - we had beds to sleep in and more than one bathroom to share...but God was in our midst, doing a new thing in our hearts and minds. These kids are the future of God's kingdom, and I hope you will join us in encouraging them and praying for them.

Levi, Hansen, Taylor C., Callie, Amy, Vanessa, Taylor L., Rachel, Haley, Lauren, and Patrick - you are all extraordinary young people, and God WILL use you to change the world. I am grateful to be a small part of your spiritual journey, and I am blessed to call all of you my friends...

Mission Trip - Day 3

We got to sleep a little later - until 8:00 am - before beginning our work at SAMM. This is the same ministry we worked at on Friday, but we were working in their administrative offices today.

Our group was split in half and given different tasks to complete. One group cut tags off of donated clothes and sorted them. They also shredded LOTS of paperwork!

The other group assembled 235 Father's Day giftbags that included toiletries such as toothpaste, soap, deodorant, mouthwash, razors, and kleenex. These bags would be given to all of the fathers served at the homeless shelters on Father's Day, many of whom would not see their children at all.

After these jobs had been done, our group came back together for a creative task...designing 235 cards to go inside the gift bags! The kids were given construction paper and crayons, and the rest was left up to their imaginations! There were some interesting cards, no doubt... Our favorite was made by Haley. In a hurry, she wrote on the front "Be Exited!" instead of "Be Excited!" After we laughed, we told her that it really was an appropriate sentiment - it's our hope that all of the fathers are exited quickly from the shelters! The kids did manage to make all 235 cards in about an hour and a half - they moved a little faster when I told them time at Sea World was on the line!

All in all, the work was productive and valuable. Though we never saw the faces of those who will be touched by our efforts, we know that God used us to do important ministry. And we know for sure that God did a mighty thing in all of our hearts over the weekend!

After finishing our work we returned to the house for lunch and an hour of rest before donning our spiffy orange t-shirts and heading to Sea World! There were quite a few of the kids who had never experienced Sea World before, and it was fun to see their eyes light up when seeing the animals for the first time. It was quite warm when we arrived - right around 100 degrees - but the heat gradually diminished throughout the day.

We began by visiting the dolphins - some got to touch them! Then we headed to the rides. The kids chose to do Journey to Atlantis first, where they got thoroughly soaked! A few roller coasters and a log ride later, it was time for a BBQ dinner. We finished our evening with none other than...Shamu!! Dante, Fred, and I found comfortable seats at the top of the stadium, but the kids were on the bottom row in the splash zone! Shamu got them a few times with his tail, and they got a taste of 52-degree salt water.

After closing down the park, and a stop at a gift shop for souvenirs, we headed to the parking lot and had our devotional there. We talked about God sightings - where we have seen God in our time here, and what we have learned from the experience. The last question was, "Are you satisfied with what we have done?" We were extremely proud to hear the kids say "No." When asked why, their response was "Because God's work is never done." Amen to that...

It was another good day spent doing God's work and enjoying His creation. The bonding that has taken place among the kids is amazing. They were already close, but when you live together for 3 days you truly become family.

Mission Trip - Day 2

We had a full day of work and fun! We began our day at 7:30 am with breakfast...and everyone was out of bed after the first wake-up call!!

Our whole group went to the same worksite. We were working for SAMM - San Antonio Metropolitan Ministries. This organization offers hope to the homeless in the name of Jesus Christ. SAMM has a store called Furniture For A Cause (FFAC) - this is where we worked for 5 hours. The store is set up like any other furniture store, with both new and used furniture for sale. All of the proceeds go directly to SAMM - these funds help with their Transitional Living/Learning Center, their Emergency Shelter, and their Transitional Housing program.

Many of the employees at FFAC were recently homeless and are participating in SAMM's Transitional Living program. This program teaches them basic job skills, how to live on a budget, etc. We had the privilege of working with two men - Richard and Dallas - who are a part of this program. We learned a great deal from them. Richard shared with us that while he does have a place to live now, he is unable to pay his rent AND purchase food for himself. So he continues to eat his meals at a homeless shelter in downtown San Antonio.

We had many tasks to accomplish during our time at FFAC. We began by picking up trash around their property. Our next job was to put together furniture - tables and chairs. Yes, this meant starting from the very beginning...with the pieces, screws, allen wrenches, and confusing instructions! We were impressed with how well the kids did with this - they completed 16 pieces of furniture in record time! The furniture was then moved to the display floor inside the furniture store.

One-third of the store was filled with dining tables and chairs. Most of them had decorative items on them - placemats, fake fruit, etc. The kids were asked to dust the tops of all of the tables, and were allowed to use their creativity to rearrange the decorations however they chose. I think we might have some future interior designers in our group!

Our last task of the day was to watch Richard demolish damaged furniture with a sledgehammer (this was riveting for the boys!), and then pick up the pieces and throw them away. After about 20 minutes outside in the 100-degree heat, we were ready to call it a day. We were extremely proud of the kids - they were polite, enthusiastic, and truly shared the love and hope of Christ with all we met. Their work will truly make a difference in the lives of children and families in need of help.

After a few hours of rest at our guest house, we had a great devotional time together. We shared the highlights of our experience, and what our responsibilities are as Christians with regard to the poor and homeless. We talked about how those who are less fortunate truly represent Jesus among us, just as we represent Jesus when we help them. And we should treat them with the love and respect they deserve as children of God. Rachel closed our devotional time in prayer, thanking God for the opportunity to serve.

We had a fun dinner at Rosario's, a great Mexican food place! The kids had a taste of authentic Mexican food after 2 dinners! After dinner, we were off to the Alamo and Riverwalk. We walked the entire length of the Riverwalk, stopping at the Rivercenter Mall and at an ice cream shop. It was good exercise, and allowed the kids to experience the culture of San Antonio.

Mission Trip - Day 1

We arrived in San Antonio safely about 4:30 this afternoon! It was a long day for all of us, but filled with many good things! The ride down was fairly painless once we made it past downtown Dallas! The rain made things difficult, but the sun came out eventually! We stopped for lunch in Waco, and made one more stop outside of Austin for gas and snacks. :) It was a balmy 102 degrees when we got here this afternoon, and the humidity is high. We will be taking lots of showers on this trip!

Our guest house is a great place to stay, and everyone has settled into their rooms. We had a brief orientation this afternoon, then it was off to El Mercado for shopping and dinner! We were able to secure a table for 14 at Mi Tierra, one of the most popular restaurants in SA! After dinner, we found a playground and let the kids burn off some energy for a while!

We had a great devotional time together tonight. We spent over an hour affirming one another and building one another up, as Jesus calls us to do. We discussed the importance of doing the same this weekend with those we will serve, knowing that we may be a small glimmer of hope and love in their lives.

We start our day at 8:00 am tomorrow. We will be going to San Antonio Metropolitan Ministries. We will work at their transitional living and learning center for homeless families. We will have more fun activities tomorrow night!

Schedule for May-August

We're looking forward to spending another few FUN months with you!!! Here is a look at the tentative schedule...

(our lessons over the summer will help answer the question "So what do I do now that I have been confirmed???")

MAY
3 - Recap of Confirmation Sunday
10 - Movie "Bolt - Part 1"
17 - Movie "Bolt - Part 2"
24 - Movie "??"
31 - Movie "??"

JUNE
7 - Mission Trip preparation
14 - Return from Mission Trip
21 - "Do I have to go to church?" (belonging to a church community)
28 - "How do I pray without ceasing?" (prayer)

JULY
5 - NO CLASS!
12 - "Do you have God's e-mail address?" (connecting with God in all things)
19 - "What is my personal responsibility?" (caring for creation)
26 - "Can God really use my money, time, and talents?" (giving of all we have)

AUGUST
2 - "Do I have to share my faith?" (being a witness of our faith)
9 - "How will I know what God is calling me to do?" (using our spiritual gifts)
16 - First day of Jr. High Sunday School & UMYF!!!

There may also be other activities - Youth Mentor events, etc. - scheduled throughout the summer.

Confirmation Sunday!

What a great group of kids!! Congratulations!

Retreat!!

We had a great time at the Retreat, though it was a little cold!!

Youth Mentor Christmas Party!

We had a GREAT time at the Youth Mentor Christmas Party!! There was lots of yummy food at the Pepper's house, and then awesome desserts at the Oostenbrug's! The white elephant gift exchange was lots of fun...there were some great gifts this year!

Congratulations, Callie!

Callie Fisher won top honors in the district at a recent UIL competition! She was first in Maps, Graphs, and Charts. Way to go, Callie!

December Service Project

We adopted a family with two kids from the Prison Angel Tree. Our group collected $593 to buy gifts with! We had a great time shopping, and we were able to purchase everything on the kids' wish lists! We wrapped the gifts in class, and they were delivered to the family last night. They were so grateful at the outpouring of love given by our class. We are so proud of the confirmands for sharing the true spirit of Christmas with this family!

Vanessa's Baptism!!

Vanessa Lee was baptized at Holy Covenant on November 23! It was a wonderful day of celebration for Vanessa and her brother Ethan!

November Service Project

10 of our confirmands (and lots of parents and mentors!) joined us for our service project at Metrocrest Social Services. Some of us sorted/boxed food for families to have at Thanksgiving, and others of us sorted/bagged plastic utensils to be placed in each box. We had a great time!

Agape Feast

We celebrated an agape feast together and focused on the importance of servanthood. After we washed one another's hands, we served donuts and juice to a partner and then ate together!

Taylor's Baptism!!

Taylor Loudermilk was baptized at Holy Covenant on October 12! It was a day of celebration, and we look forward to the baptisms of a few other confirmands this year!

Seder Meal

We celebrated a Jewish Seder meal in class a few weeks ago. The kids tried everything, and we were very proud of them! Ask them if they remember what each food symbolizes!

Lock In!

We had a great time together at the Lock In! We played lots of team-building games and started to bond as a group. Though we didn't get much sleep, it was a fun night for all of us! We're looking forward to a great year!

September Service Project

All 11 confirmands joined us for our September service project on the 6th! We washed 2 large vans for Senior Adult Services. The kids had a great time!!

An Awesome Ice Skater

Congratulations to Amy Jarboe for winning 1st Place in Compulsories and 1st Place in Freestyle at the Houston Invitational Ice Skating Competition! She landed 3 doubles and 2 axles! She competed against 9 other skaters in each event. Way to go, Amy!!

Welcome!

We are SO excited to begin the Confirmation journey with you this year! This blog is a tool to be used by everyone. If there is something you would like for me to post, just e-mail me and let me know!

Confirmands - if you have your own e-mail address (separate from your parents), please send it to me!