At the Rays game on Sunday
After a hard morning of work.
The girls before dinner Monday, at the Beach.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
pic updates
At the Rays game on Sunday
After a hard morning of work.
The girls before dinner Monday, at the Beach.
Tampa Update
Things are going well in Tampa, but the weather short circuited our work today. It was raining so hard that they made us quit and come back to our home, Eckerd College. Our group is working at Beth El, a migrant farmworker ministry. They have been at it for about 15 years now. The center has a school, classes for adults, food pantry, church, and several other things. We have been working on some roofing, building, painting, and clearing land so that they can plant a garden.
Yesterday we did much of the same work at Beth El and then had a cookout dinner down at the beach with all the other groups. It was a fun night. Then, we had a late night Dairy Queen, McDonald's, and Wal Mart run. Your kids know how to spend money they don't need to!!
I'll post pictures soon. Pray that the weather will hold off enough for us to work longer tomorrow.
Cheers,
Casey
Yesterday we did much of the same work at Beth El and then had a cookout dinner down at the beach with all the other groups. It was a fun night. Then, we had a late night Dairy Queen, McDonald's, and Wal Mart run. Your kids know how to spend money they don't need to!!
I'll post pictures soon. Pray that the weather will hold off enough for us to work longer tomorrow.
Cheers,
Casey
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Tampa Trip
The Rising Seniors leave tomorrow for their trip to Tampa! Check out the updates here!
Pray for them!
Pray for them!
Home Sweet Home
After a great day on Thursday of fun at the falls, time at the market, a great dinner to celebrate the week, and some incredible closing group time, many stayed up to see the beauty of a Jamaican sunset and then packed to come home. We said goodbye to all of our friends at the Cloisters and then traveled home on Friday. It was an incredible week and one that will not soon be forgotten.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Hospital Day
So our usual morning routine was interrupted as Sarah, Eryn, and us got up at seven to get ready to go to the Ochos Rios Hospital! Bucky had met a missionary doctor at church who offered anyone going in to the medical field to come check out what they were doing at the hospital. We drove up to long lines of anxious Jamaicans awaiting their eye surgery, and as soon as Dr. Evans and his team arrived we jumped in to it. Decked out in scrubs we looked like legit medical professionals. We went to surgery first and helped a few patients get dressed and prepped for cataract surgery. We waltzed in to the O.R. and watched with amazement from only a few feet away; we even got to look in to the microscope! After the surgery we talked with the doctors about our own futures and got some pointers. We caught the beginning of a hysterectomy and then went down to the eye clinic to switch out with Eryn and Sarah. Right when we got there, we learned how to check in the patients, and began to give eye exams. After, we walked into the exam room and looked through more microscopes at patients’ scarred eyes. One of the Jamaican doctors we had met earlier promised that we could watch a c-section, so we put our scrubs back on and went back up to the O.R. It was one of the most memorable experiences we have ever had. Unsure of how the day could get much better, we headed back to Hooleberry while Sarah stayed to catch any more action. The group finished our cement pouring early, and the leaders informed us of a surprise adventure. We wound up at an amazing waterfall and played in the falls and surrounding waters. Some people climbed to the top of the falls, and some of the boys swam out to a sand bar trying to avoid the coral underneath them. Finally we returned to Cloisters and headed for another amazing meal. Although we miss the normal water pressure, air conditioning, and bug free beds, it’s crazy to think the week is coming to an end. We will definitely miss all the new friendships, inspirational barking (“Where ma dogs at?!” –Colby), and even picking the cement out of our hard worked scars. However, the trip is not over yet, and we’re definitely ready to make the most of our last day.
Love always,
Mackenzie and Stefanie
Love always,
Mackenzie and Stefanie
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Navajo- Friday Update
On Friday we finished up all of our projects around the church and Ray and Darlene’s house. It was also our last day of Vacation Bible School. The kids had a great time singing, learning about Noah and the Ark, and playing water games. Because of the strong bonds made with the children throughout the week, saying goodbye was tough for both us and the children. One child in particular, Mariah, a ten year old, really connected with Taylor Orlando and a few of us other girls. On the first day of VBS Mariah loved Taylor so much, following her around and always sitting next to her. The second day of VBS Mariah didn’t show up, so Taylor and some other girls made her a friendship bracelet to bring to her. Then on the third day, Mariah came back. She was so excited to see Taylor that she ran up the mountain where Taylor was. They had so much fun the last day but when it came time to go, it was really hard for both of them. Mariah told Taylor about her family life and how her parents drank and weren’t very nice to her and how she had to take care of her family. She told Taylor that she was the only one who has ever been so nice to her. Even though we are leaving, Taylor and some of the other girls will continue to keep in touch with Mariah and help her through her troubles.
Also on Friday, groups set out to wrap up various projects around our job sites. Some of us went to Ray and Darlene’s house to finish tarring the roof and cleaning up around the house. The finished product was a newly painted, trimmed, roofed and repaired house for the whole family of six. We also finished painting both the inside and outside of the church and began mixing and laying concrete for a walkway that the next groups can finish up.
After lunch we went to the Painted Desert. This set of canyons were made entirely of sand, with dark purple, yellow, and red layers that give them their name. This breathtaking view wasn’t only for show, our whole group actually hiked down into them! Quickly many of the guys figured out they could slide down the huge hills after Parker McDonald’s epic first slide down on his behind. Then some guys found an old mattress and attempted to sand surf down one of the largest hills. The suspense was thrilling, but sad to say the raft only went about ½ a mile per hour. (FAIL). I (Brittany) led the newly adventurous Taylor C. sprinting down and up steep hills, where she was thinking she was sure to die, but the whole experience was fun and invigorating.
At the end of the day, our church group and many local Navajo people had a huge cookout to celebrate the whole week. My prayer group and I (Taylor C.) got the opportunity to talk to two really sweet ladies, Mrs. Curly and Mrs. Whitehorse. They talked to us for a very long time about their lives and families. We prayed for them and they said a prayer for us in Navajo. One of the ladies even went home and made each of us a necklace to remember her by. Many other relationships were formed as well. Carrisa, Ray and Darlene’s 15-year-old daughter, made strong connections with many of the girls here. It will be really hard to say goodbye to her and her family.
After the cookout we sang a couple worship songs and enjoyed an awesome slide show Clark made for us. The slide show had great pictures from the whole week including one extra long picture of Nick and his “girlfriend” Jasmine, a little girl from VBS who had a huge crush on him. Then some people from our group and some of the natives here shared their views of our work and how the trip affected them. Some people had accepted Christ into their lives for the first time, and to the delight of many of the Navajos who were with us in the chapel that night, Michael Costa shared his experience in accepting Jesus. After that, we shared communion and prayed for God to continue working through us as we return home to our lives.
This whole week has been so much more spiritual for our group as a whole, I (Britt) feel as if my heart has been stripped away of the barriers that have been keeping Christ out. Despite some of our doubts coming into this trip, everyone agrees that this experience has proven itself to one of the best of our lives. Each and every day we could see that all of our work immediately affected the lives of the Navajo people and the gratitude and love coming from them was inspiring to watch. We look forward to a fun time at the Grand Canyon today and are sad to see this trip come to an end.
Brittany Lademann & Taylor Crain
Also on Friday, groups set out to wrap up various projects around our job sites. Some of us went to Ray and Darlene’s house to finish tarring the roof and cleaning up around the house. The finished product was a newly painted, trimmed, roofed and repaired house for the whole family of six. We also finished painting both the inside and outside of the church and began mixing and laying concrete for a walkway that the next groups can finish up.
After lunch we went to the Painted Desert. This set of canyons were made entirely of sand, with dark purple, yellow, and red layers that give them their name. This breathtaking view wasn’t only for show, our whole group actually hiked down into them! Quickly many of the guys figured out they could slide down the huge hills after Parker McDonald’s epic first slide down on his behind. Then some guys found an old mattress and attempted to sand surf down one of the largest hills. The suspense was thrilling, but sad to say the raft only went about ½ a mile per hour. (FAIL). I (Brittany) led the newly adventurous Taylor C. sprinting down and up steep hills, where she was thinking she was sure to die, but the whole experience was fun and invigorating.
At the end of the day, our church group and many local Navajo people had a huge cookout to celebrate the whole week. My prayer group and I (Taylor C.) got the opportunity to talk to two really sweet ladies, Mrs. Curly and Mrs. Whitehorse. They talked to us for a very long time about their lives and families. We prayed for them and they said a prayer for us in Navajo. One of the ladies even went home and made each of us a necklace to remember her by. Many other relationships were formed as well. Carrisa, Ray and Darlene’s 15-year-old daughter, made strong connections with many of the girls here. It will be really hard to say goodbye to her and her family.
After the cookout we sang a couple worship songs and enjoyed an awesome slide show Clark made for us. The slide show had great pictures from the whole week including one extra long picture of Nick and his “girlfriend” Jasmine, a little girl from VBS who had a huge crush on him. Then some people from our group and some of the natives here shared their views of our work and how the trip affected them. Some people had accepted Christ into their lives for the first time, and to the delight of many of the Navajos who were with us in the chapel that night, Michael Costa shared his experience in accepting Jesus. After that, we shared communion and prayed for God to continue working through us as we return home to our lives.
This whole week has been so much more spiritual for our group as a whole, I (Britt) feel as if my heart has been stripped away of the barriers that have been keeping Christ out. Despite some of our doubts coming into this trip, everyone agrees that this experience has proven itself to one of the best of our lives. Each and every day we could see that all of our work immediately affected the lives of the Navajo people and the gratitude and love coming from them was inspiring to watch. We look forward to a fun time at the Grand Canyon today and are sad to see this trip come to an end.
Brittany Lademann & Taylor Crain
Navajo- Thursday Update
On Thursday we had another great day. In the morning we woke up bright and early to a wonderful and beautiful day. Granted it was a whole lot less windy than the day before which included countless sandstorms. The day started off with half of the groups going to Ray and Darlene’s and the others working here at the church. The roof on Ray and Darlene’s house was almost completed by lunch and a few people went back to finish the roof after lunch. The groups working at the church did a variety of things including painting, relocating and digging up trees, and finishing odds and ends around the church.
That afternoon we hosted our second round of VBS for the Navajo children. We sang songs, danced, ate, made crafts, heard the Daniel in the Lion’s Den story, and engaged in countless games of intense kickball. We also taught them the infamous Grace Community Church game of “Cow, Cow Lasso.” The kids really had a fantastic time and could not wait to come back the next day.
After VBS, we hopped in the vans and headed off to the Hopi Indian Reservation on the Second Mesa, about 45 minutes away. The views from the mesa were spectacular and we learned a lot about the Hopi culture. We were told before getting to the Mesa that we were to put all of our cameras away. The Hopi believe that when their picture is taken, their soul is stolen from them. We looked at some of the beautiful artwork that the Hopi’s made including Kachina dolls and rock paintings. We also sampled some of the amazing bread made on the Hopi Reservation. Some of us negotiated good prices on the artwork and purchased our favorites. The experience was a lot of fun and definitely a new one for us.
The night concluded with our last worship service of the week. We sang worship songs and then listened to the last part of our four part series this week. After that we all went outside and washed the feet of out prayer group members as a way of humbling ourselves like Jesus did to his disciples. The night was great and we went to sleep after feeling a lot closer to each other. We look forward to our last day of work tomorrow and then the Grand Canyon on Saturday before heading back east.
Connor Pendergrass and Alex Fletcher
That afternoon we hosted our second round of VBS for the Navajo children. We sang songs, danced, ate, made crafts, heard the Daniel in the Lion’s Den story, and engaged in countless games of intense kickball. We also taught them the infamous Grace Community Church game of “Cow, Cow Lasso.” The kids really had a fantastic time and could not wait to come back the next day.
After VBS, we hopped in the vans and headed off to the Hopi Indian Reservation on the Second Mesa, about 45 minutes away. The views from the mesa were spectacular and we learned a lot about the Hopi culture. We were told before getting to the Mesa that we were to put all of our cameras away. The Hopi believe that when their picture is taken, their soul is stolen from them. We looked at some of the beautiful artwork that the Hopi’s made including Kachina dolls and rock paintings. We also sampled some of the amazing bread made on the Hopi Reservation. Some of us negotiated good prices on the artwork and purchased our favorites. The experience was a lot of fun and definitely a new one for us.
The night concluded with our last worship service of the week. We sang worship songs and then listened to the last part of our four part series this week. After that we all went outside and washed the feet of out prayer group members as a way of humbling ourselves like Jesus did to his disciples. The night was great and we went to sleep after feeling a lot closer to each other. We look forward to our last day of work tomorrow and then the Grand Canyon on Saturday before heading back east.
Connor Pendergrass and Alex Fletcher
Wa’gwon!
Wa’gwon! (What’s going on...Jamaican style) As we sit here on the front porch of Cloister’s Methodist Center, we’re not really sure how to even start describing our trip so far. Today started out with Bucky politely sounding an air horn in order to make sure we were all awake on time. Although that was quite the awakening, it was still hard to get out of bed, but totally worth it considering the fresh papaya, blueberry muffins, bacon, and eggs awaiting us for breakfast. Our day started off even earlier because Hop picked a few of us to take Bobby (one of the Street family boys, 12) to school. It was great because we got to see the inside of the Street family’s house and see what our church had done in the past years. We then headed over to the Hoolebury Church where our four groups continued work from Saturday. We worked with Bucky by hammering and sawing (Donna’s probably so proud) lumber to keep making the bleachers. Other groups poured cement and formed columns at the Street house. Working through the intense Jamaican sun was no problem for us though as the Jamaican kids quickly taught us how to tell which mangoes were ripe enough to enjoy. After we got back to the Cloisters and shockingly enjoyed semi-warm showers (our vans was one of the first ones back so it was an all out sprint for us) we met for yet another delicious dinner made by the women here. Once everyone had a chance to eat we met on the porch for group time. Ms. Johnson shared her inspiring and raw personal story that touched all of us and small group time afterwards was composed of challenging questions that made us all think. After all the deep thoughs and thinking, we were worn out and needed some munchies. Thanks to Billy and Pat, however, we found that the snacks had been hijacked and after attempting to sell the snacks and charge for a “delivery fee” they are now attempting to offer ransom to Sass as long as they get first place in line for meals. I swear, we really did have a mature group time tonight. Continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we are serving our new family in Jamaica and challenging each other. Mom (Cheri): we wish you were here! Dad’s been a beast, but he can’t quite keep up with me ☺ Donna, David, and Kacey I miss you and can’t wait to see you even though I don’t ever really want to come home!!
All our love,
Kelsey and Eryn
Monday, June 22, 2009
Heyyy mon!
June 21, 2009
What a beautiful and blessed day it has been! We got up this morning and went to the church service at Hoolebury and received a warm welcome from all the wonderful members of the Hoolebury church. The people here are so lively and fun to be around, they are also good at the drums which was personally my favorite part of the music at the church service. It may have been 95 degrees inside the church, but it didn’t get in the way of our fun one bit. It was a full house! After church we came back to The Cloisters for a delicious brunch the women had prepared for us. Pancakes, bacon, fresh pineapple…it was awesome! With full stomachs we loaded up in the vans, not knowing where we were headed (they only told us to put on our swimsuits). The place we arrived at was the closest to my idea of Heaven that me, and probably everyone else, had ever seen. A beautiful house with an enormous pool in the backyard that went right on to the beach. (Mom – I took lots of pictures for you). We spent the entire afternoon swimming in the pool, cutting open coconuts and drinking from them with straws (not as good as it looks in the movies), and playing in the crystal clear ocean. I think Pat and Colby even tried to swim to Cuba – we didn’t tell him he was on the wrong side of Jamaica. After all that fun in the sun we came back to take showers and eat yet another amazing meal, and then headed to a concert that Hoolebury put on for everyone. It was SO MUCH FUN! The Jamaicans truly know how to have a good time worshiping. We danced and sang and clapped our hands all night long as different people came up to sing. Me, Kenz and Bullard got to try some homemade ice cream, which was the cherry on top of this super fun night. Now we’re back at Cloisters, peaceful for the most part until a moth the size of our hand or an unidentified green thing that looks like a mutated cricket lands on someones head. Personally, after waking up with my pillow case filled with ants on the first morning, the giant moths and “crickets” are the least of my worries. All in all we’re having a blast and OF COURSE wearing lots of sunscreen. Sorry Mrs. Greene – Colby didn’t exactly follow that rule! Miss you all & much love mon!
- Molly & Bullard
What a beautiful and blessed day it has been! We got up this morning and went to the church service at Hoolebury and received a warm welcome from all the wonderful members of the Hoolebury church. The people here are so lively and fun to be around, they are also good at the drums which was personally my favorite part of the music at the church service. It may have been 95 degrees inside the church, but it didn’t get in the way of our fun one bit. It was a full house! After church we came back to The Cloisters for a delicious brunch the women had prepared for us. Pancakes, bacon, fresh pineapple…it was awesome! With full stomachs we loaded up in the vans, not knowing where we were headed (they only told us to put on our swimsuits). The place we arrived at was the closest to my idea of Heaven that me, and probably everyone else, had ever seen. A beautiful house with an enormous pool in the backyard that went right on to the beach. (Mom – I took lots of pictures for you). We spent the entire afternoon swimming in the pool, cutting open coconuts and drinking from them with straws (not as good as it looks in the movies), and playing in the crystal clear ocean. I think Pat and Colby even tried to swim to Cuba – we didn’t tell him he was on the wrong side of Jamaica. After all that fun in the sun we came back to take showers and eat yet another amazing meal, and then headed to a concert that Hoolebury put on for everyone. It was SO MUCH FUN! The Jamaicans truly know how to have a good time worshiping. We danced and sang and clapped our hands all night long as different people came up to sing. Me, Kenz and Bullard got to try some homemade ice cream, which was the cherry on top of this super fun night. Now we’re back at Cloisters, peaceful for the most part until a moth the size of our hand or an unidentified green thing that looks like a mutated cricket lands on someones head. Personally, after waking up with my pillow case filled with ants on the first morning, the giant moths and “crickets” are the least of my worries. All in all we’re having a blast and OF COURSE wearing lots of sunscreen. Sorry Mrs. Greene – Colby didn’t exactly follow that rule! Miss you all & much love mon!
- Molly & Bullard
Hey from Jamaica!
June 20, 2009
After a long day of traveling Friday we finally made it ☺! We woke up this morning to beautiful Jamaica weather and a gorgeous view. We started of the day with a delicious breakfast made by some of the sweetest ladies. Then we were off to the Hoolebury church to start our projects. There were four groups that each completed different tasks. Some groups built bleachers from scratch, some did rebar, some poured columns, some laid down tile and others poured a cement basketball court. Each group got a lot of work done and had a lot of fun. We came back after a long day of work and had the most delicious spaghetti we have ever tasted! We all got to chill and enjoy the weather and the amazing view ☺! We are all having a bunch of fun and cannot wait for the church service and the beach tomorrow! Ps Jessica says she’s alive and love you mom ha ha. We have gotten used to the other side of the road driving and moths.
Much love
Chelsea, Katie, Emily and Grace
After a long day of traveling Friday we finally made it ☺! We woke up this morning to beautiful Jamaica weather and a gorgeous view. We started of the day with a delicious breakfast made by some of the sweetest ladies. Then we were off to the Hoolebury church to start our projects. There were four groups that each completed different tasks. Some groups built bleachers from scratch, some did rebar, some poured columns, some laid down tile and others poured a cement basketball court. Each group got a lot of work done and had a lot of fun. We came back after a long day of work and had the most delicious spaghetti we have ever tasted! We all got to chill and enjoy the weather and the amazing view ☺! We are all having a bunch of fun and cannot wait for the church service and the beach tomorrow! Ps Jessica says she’s alive and love you mom ha ha. We have gotten used to the other side of the road driving and moths.
Much love
Chelsea, Katie, Emily and Grace
How from the Res...
The Navajo trip is back home. We have two more posts for you, but they will be delayed as I accidentally left my computer at the Reservation! Whoops! Those two updates are for Thursday and Friday and I really want you to be able to read them.
Saturday we had a great visit to the Grand Canyon. It's such a majestic place. I think for almost every student it was their first time there. We made the leaving process a little interesting by getting to Phoenix a little late and my insistance that we have dinner at In & Out. With road closures and time getting close we dropped off the vans with all the kids in them and put all the kids and the luggage on the shuttle. The AirTran group quickly checked in, rushed through security, almost didn't get Grey through, and then got on the plane with no moments to spare. It was a little more stressful than it needed to be!
But everybody got home safely and are hopefully sharing the many stories of the things that God taught us and showed us.
Praying for our friends in Jamaica,
Casey
Saturday we had a great visit to the Grand Canyon. It's such a majestic place. I think for almost every student it was their first time there. We made the leaving process a little interesting by getting to Phoenix a little late and my insistance that we have dinner at In & Out. With road closures and time getting close we dropped off the vans with all the kids in them and put all the kids and the luggage on the shuttle. The AirTran group quickly checked in, rushed through security, almost didn't get Grey through, and then got on the plane with no moments to spare. It was a little more stressful than it needed to be!
But everybody got home safely and are hopefully sharing the many stories of the things that God taught us and showed us.
Praying for our friends in Jamaica,
Casey
Saturday, June 20, 2009
He Mon ... From Jamaica
Well, it's our turn! As our friends in Arizona are on their way to see the Grand Canyon and make their way home, our trip to Jamaica with the rising college freshmen has now begun. The group had a rather long day in various airports yesterday and finally landed in Montego Bay at just after 10:30 p.m. local time. After going through immigration, customs, getting luggage, and driving the hour or so to St. Ann's Bay, we probably got to bed at around 2:30 a.m. Everyone was great through the whole process and ready to jump into the week.
And jump in we did. This morning we woke up to the beautiful Jamaican coast, had breakfast, and headed to Hoolebury to get started. A few groups are working on pouring a sports court at Hoolebury Methodist Church and another group is forming up the roof on the next part of the Street house for us to hopefully pour this week. Needless to say, we'll be deep into concrete all week.
We'll update again tomorrow and hopefully have some photos. We'll be going to church in the morning and then having a little fun on a Sunday afternoon :). For now, we're here and all is well.
Sass
And jump in we did. This morning we woke up to the beautiful Jamaican coast, had breakfast, and headed to Hoolebury to get started. A few groups are working on pouring a sports court at Hoolebury Methodist Church and another group is forming up the roof on the next part of the Street house for us to hopefully pour this week. Needless to say, we'll be deep into concrete all week.
We'll update again tomorrow and hopefully have some photos. We'll be going to church in the morning and then having a little fun on a Sunday afternoon :). For now, we're here and all is well.
Sass
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Wednesday's Update
You have to hear from me today because of the events of the night didn’t allow for a student to write. I’ll explain all that in a minute.
Austin engaging some kids
Wednesday was a great day for our group. The morning continued with our work at Darlene & Ray’s and at the church. We are so close to be finished at their house. That family has become very significant to us, so we are all excited about finishing.
In the afternoon the group split up because we were starting our VBS program. We passed out flyers in the community the day before to invite the kids to the program. The kids came in so nervous and wary of what was going to happen. But our kids instantly grabbed them and got them involved. Even the older kids that thought they were “too cool” were in the midst of the program by the end. I was so proud of our kids for the way that they engaged them. The rest of the group continued working on Darlene and Ray’s house, but had to quit early because the intensity of the wind was too strong and made it a bit treacherous on the roof.
Teaching new songs at VBS
We had some free time before dinner and we learned how to make Navajo Fried Bread. It was delicious and had a similar texture and look to a funnel cake or elephant ear, but not quite the same taste. We used them later for Navajo tacos and a dessert with honey and sugar.
Later our nightly program blended with the church’s Wednesday night program. Their band allowed Dalton and Parker Stacks to join them in helping to lead worship. They fit right in and did a great job. Clark, one of the Team Effort staff, shared that night. Our prayer groups this night were particularly good as the kids are starting to open up more and more. Clark asked us to share our testimonies in our groups, so it was good to hear kids sharing where they are and have been spiritually. It was already a great night, but it got more intense.
Everybody was suddenly asked to come back to the chapel around 9:15pm. A young man named Kiao, who is part of the church and had been around earlier in the week, died earlier that day when he fell at a creek, hit his head, and drowned. Some people were on their way to visit this 22-year-old young man’s family, who aren’t believers, and they asked for our prayers as they went. They shared about Kiao’s life, his recent decision to follow Christ (about a year ago), and the things that brought him joy. This experience obviously got the attention of our students. We knelt around Bo and his wife, the people who were going to visit with the family, laid hands on them, and prayed. It was certainly a prayer experience that our kids won’t soon forget. At that point, though, many of our kids were shaken. They slowly dispersed to different parts of the sanctuary or back outside. But some the leaders realized that we needed to be together and continue talking this out. Kids were really dealing with the eternal significance of all of it. We gathered the boys together in one corner, and the girls soon gathered in another. The boy leaders shared that they loved the kids too much to not confirm that each kid knew their eternal destination. We talked for a while, some of them shared what they were feeling, and then we invited them to kneel in the middle if they needed to pray to receive Christ as savior and LORD. A handful of them joined us there and we prayed through them asking Christ to take over their lives because they knew that they couldn’t get their on their own. The girls had a similar experience where they girls were invited to pray in their own hearts to accept Christ.
To say the least, it was an intensely powerful evening. God has desperately been trying to get the attention of these students. He did it through some unique experiences and year ago in Brooklyn and He is doing it again. Please pray that He would genuinely get their attention. Not in a way that lasts for a week and it gone, but in a day-to-day long term personal relationship way.
On a fun note, Sarah Wiehe, on of the small group leaders for this class who recently moved away to Colorado surprised the group and flew in last night. What an amazing surprise for a group of girls that really missed her!
God is doing a lot here. Pray for our VBS this afternoon and our visit to the Hopi Indian Village after that.
Cheers,
Casey
The daily Kieren Pic
Austin engaging some kids
Wednesday was a great day for our group. The morning continued with our work at Darlene & Ray’s and at the church. We are so close to be finished at their house. That family has become very significant to us, so we are all excited about finishing.
In the afternoon the group split up because we were starting our VBS program. We passed out flyers in the community the day before to invite the kids to the program. The kids came in so nervous and wary of what was going to happen. But our kids instantly grabbed them and got them involved. Even the older kids that thought they were “too cool” were in the midst of the program by the end. I was so proud of our kids for the way that they engaged them. The rest of the group continued working on Darlene and Ray’s house, but had to quit early because the intensity of the wind was too strong and made it a bit treacherous on the roof.
Teaching new songs at VBS
We had some free time before dinner and we learned how to make Navajo Fried Bread. It was delicious and had a similar texture and look to a funnel cake or elephant ear, but not quite the same taste. We used them later for Navajo tacos and a dessert with honey and sugar.
Later our nightly program blended with the church’s Wednesday night program. Their band allowed Dalton and Parker Stacks to join them in helping to lead worship. They fit right in and did a great job. Clark, one of the Team Effort staff, shared that night. Our prayer groups this night were particularly good as the kids are starting to open up more and more. Clark asked us to share our testimonies in our groups, so it was good to hear kids sharing where they are and have been spiritually. It was already a great night, but it got more intense.
Everybody was suddenly asked to come back to the chapel around 9:15pm. A young man named Kiao, who is part of the church and had been around earlier in the week, died earlier that day when he fell at a creek, hit his head, and drowned. Some people were on their way to visit this 22-year-old young man’s family, who aren’t believers, and they asked for our prayers as they went. They shared about Kiao’s life, his recent decision to follow Christ (about a year ago), and the things that brought him joy. This experience obviously got the attention of our students. We knelt around Bo and his wife, the people who were going to visit with the family, laid hands on them, and prayed. It was certainly a prayer experience that our kids won’t soon forget. At that point, though, many of our kids were shaken. They slowly dispersed to different parts of the sanctuary or back outside. But some the leaders realized that we needed to be together and continue talking this out. Kids were really dealing with the eternal significance of all of it. We gathered the boys together in one corner, and the girls soon gathered in another. The boy leaders shared that they loved the kids too much to not confirm that each kid knew their eternal destination. We talked for a while, some of them shared what they were feeling, and then we invited them to kneel in the middle if they needed to pray to receive Christ as savior and LORD. A handful of them joined us there and we prayed through them asking Christ to take over their lives because they knew that they couldn’t get their on their own. The girls had a similar experience where they girls were invited to pray in their own hearts to accept Christ.
To say the least, it was an intensely powerful evening. God has desperately been trying to get the attention of these students. He did it through some unique experiences and year ago in Brooklyn and He is doing it again. Please pray that He would genuinely get their attention. Not in a way that lasts for a week and it gone, but in a day-to-day long term personal relationship way.
On a fun note, Sarah Wiehe, on of the small group leaders for this class who recently moved away to Colorado surprised the group and flew in last night. What an amazing surprise for a group of girls that really missed her!
God is doing a lot here. Pray for our VBS this afternoon and our visit to the Hopi Indian Village after that.
Cheers,
Casey
The daily Kieren Pic
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Tuesday's Update
The cliff jumping you read about the day before!
Tuesday was a great day. And the Lord is really moving. Our group time last night was particularly powerful. The spirit of the Lord was heavy and then as we started to head off to our prayer groups, Darlene, who we are working for, asked to share something. She spent 10 tear-filled minutes sharing about her experience coming back to Christ a few years ago. It particularly connected with our scripture passage that night from Luke 7 speaking about the woman washing Jesus' feet with her hair. It was a particularly powerful moment. Please keep praying that God's spirit will be thick. We start our VBS this afternoon and really want that to be an important time.
Working on Ray and Darlene's roof.
Here is the update from two of our students:
Dalton and Tuck-Tuck here from Dilkon, AZ with your daily Tuesday BLOG!!!
For some the day started with an adventurous journey in the mountains, scaling the rock-face in the dawning sun. Such beauty from the peak it was. Awestruck we were, jaws dropped, as we gazed upon the thousand-mile desert. Others slept in.
Our quiet times were spent separate from each other as we focused on CHRIST. It touched on using our different abilities and gifts that God has blessed us with to help spread the word of God.
After our delicious pancake breakfast, we dispersed to our different worksites, ours happening to be at the home of Darlene and Ray. They are Navajo Indians living on the reservation. We did many tasks to help both the exterior and interior of their home. Some people laid down the floor on the inside; some painted the house, and many did shingles on the rooftop.
I don’t know what the other group did at the church. However, when I arrived back there, it was very yellow and clean. Plus, we actually had running water so we could shower.
After everyone finally showered we enjoyed a steak dinner and got our Jesus on. When the service was done Darlene shared her testimony with us. The entire room was filled with tears as we listened to her life-changing story. We then split up into our prayer groups and talked about what had happened that day. Some groups cried more.
When we were done with that. Most of the church went on a hayride around town. But Dalton and me stayed behind and wrote this. Goodnight. Talk to ya’ll later.
Agone (uh-go-nay) (Navajo for goodbye).
You need an update picture of Kieren everyday!
Tuesday was a great day. And the Lord is really moving. Our group time last night was particularly powerful. The spirit of the Lord was heavy and then as we started to head off to our prayer groups, Darlene, who we are working for, asked to share something. She spent 10 tear-filled minutes sharing about her experience coming back to Christ a few years ago. It particularly connected with our scripture passage that night from Luke 7 speaking about the woman washing Jesus' feet with her hair. It was a particularly powerful moment. Please keep praying that God's spirit will be thick. We start our VBS this afternoon and really want that to be an important time.
Working on Ray and Darlene's roof.
Here is the update from two of our students:
Dalton and Tuck-Tuck here from Dilkon, AZ with your daily Tuesday BLOG!!!
For some the day started with an adventurous journey in the mountains, scaling the rock-face in the dawning sun. Such beauty from the peak it was. Awestruck we were, jaws dropped, as we gazed upon the thousand-mile desert. Others slept in.
Our quiet times were spent separate from each other as we focused on CHRIST. It touched on using our different abilities and gifts that God has blessed us with to help spread the word of God.
After our delicious pancake breakfast, we dispersed to our different worksites, ours happening to be at the home of Darlene and Ray. They are Navajo Indians living on the reservation. We did many tasks to help both the exterior and interior of their home. Some people laid down the floor on the inside; some painted the house, and many did shingles on the rooftop.
I don’t know what the other group did at the church. However, when I arrived back there, it was very yellow and clean. Plus, we actually had running water so we could shower.
After everyone finally showered we enjoyed a steak dinner and got our Jesus on. When the service was done Darlene shared her testimony with us. The entire room was filled with tears as we listened to her life-changing story. We then split up into our prayer groups and talked about what had happened that day. Some groups cried more.
When we were done with that. Most of the church went on a hayride around town. But Dalton and me stayed behind and wrote this. Goodnight. Talk to ya’ll later.
Agone (uh-go-nay) (Navajo for goodbye).
You need an update picture of Kieren everyday!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Monday's Update
“I was standing on the corner of Winslow, Arizona, such a fine sight to see.”
Ya-ta-hey! We are already turning into quite the fluent Navajo Indian speakers. After a never-ending day of traveling from RDU to Phoenix by plane, followed by a four-hour van ride, we arrived to our home for the next week, Dilkon, Arizona welcomed by our new friends from Team Effort. We were all exhausted due to the three-hour time change but have quickly adapted.
It’s only the first day on the reservation, but it has been a real eye-opening experience leaving us realizing how blessed we are. Today we split up into two different work groups, each working on different projects.
My group and I went down the road to a home of a family of six to help reconstruct parts of their house. We started off with some people on the roof tearing off the old, worn shingles and pulling out rusty nails, then measuring out new pieces of plywood to help keep the new roof sturdier. The rest of us worked on taking off the chipping paint, smoothing the surface, and preparing the wood to be re-painted. The woman had a ten-year-old and a three-year-old boy who we played with ALL day, from playing baseball to shooting the “monsters” Stacks and Spencer with Tristian’s new water guns. Just seeing the smiles on their faces was enough to make our day! (Caroline)
My group stayed at the church we are sleeping at to paint one of the buildings to match all of the others. We first had to prepare the walls by removing all the old caulk and then adding new caulk. We then painted the outside walls of the building beige. It was quite an experience standing on the tall ladders trying to reach the gutters while avoiding the paint dripping from above. We completed one whole side of the building, and almost finished the other three sides as well. At the end of the day, we were all covered in paint from head to toe. (Shannon)
After a long day of hard work, sunburns, and some tears (What can I say… That roof was really high up! –CK) we were taken forty-five minutes away to a river to go cliff jumping. What an experience! The adrenaline rush as you ran to the end of the rock to the screams as you were mid air (and from the freezing water!) left us refreshed. We came home to a yummy meal of hamburgers waiting for us followed by awesome worship by Team Effort. We heard a jaw dropping experience from Bryant about when he was younger, awesome music by Casey, and a fun (yet very unfair… what parents don’t know who the Jonas Brothers are… Youth so should have won that one, sorry leaders!)
“Whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God” -1 Corinthians 10:31. This bible verse is the purpose of our missions here this week. In everything that we do, we must remember that it is all for Him, and that we must serve Him daily, not only while on our summer mission trips. We have seen that we are very fortunate for everything that we have, and that we take things for granted WAY too much. We must share His love with everyone that we encounter and be the hands and feet of Christ in all that we do.
-Caroline Kohls and Shannon Kelly
Ya-ta-hey! We are already turning into quite the fluent Navajo Indian speakers. After a never-ending day of traveling from RDU to Phoenix by plane, followed by a four-hour van ride, we arrived to our home for the next week, Dilkon, Arizona welcomed by our new friends from Team Effort. We were all exhausted due to the three-hour time change but have quickly adapted.
It’s only the first day on the reservation, but it has been a real eye-opening experience leaving us realizing how blessed we are. Today we split up into two different work groups, each working on different projects.
My group and I went down the road to a home of a family of six to help reconstruct parts of their house. We started off with some people on the roof tearing off the old, worn shingles and pulling out rusty nails, then measuring out new pieces of plywood to help keep the new roof sturdier. The rest of us worked on taking off the chipping paint, smoothing the surface, and preparing the wood to be re-painted. The woman had a ten-year-old and a three-year-old boy who we played with ALL day, from playing baseball to shooting the “monsters” Stacks and Spencer with Tristian’s new water guns. Just seeing the smiles on their faces was enough to make our day! (Caroline)
My group stayed at the church we are sleeping at to paint one of the buildings to match all of the others. We first had to prepare the walls by removing all the old caulk and then adding new caulk. We then painted the outside walls of the building beige. It was quite an experience standing on the tall ladders trying to reach the gutters while avoiding the paint dripping from above. We completed one whole side of the building, and almost finished the other three sides as well. At the end of the day, we were all covered in paint from head to toe. (Shannon)
After a long day of hard work, sunburns, and some tears (What can I say… That roof was really high up! –CK) we were taken forty-five minutes away to a river to go cliff jumping. What an experience! The adrenaline rush as you ran to the end of the rock to the screams as you were mid air (and from the freezing water!) left us refreshed. We came home to a yummy meal of hamburgers waiting for us followed by awesome worship by Team Effort. We heard a jaw dropping experience from Bryant about when he was younger, awesome music by Casey, and a fun (yet very unfair… what parents don’t know who the Jonas Brothers are… Youth so should have won that one, sorry leaders!)
“Whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God” -1 Corinthians 10:31. This bible verse is the purpose of our missions here this week. In everything that we do, we must remember that it is all for Him, and that we must serve Him daily, not only while on our summer mission trips. We have seen that we are very fortunate for everything that we have, and that we take things for granted WAY too much. We must share His love with everyone that we encounter and be the hands and feet of Christ in all that we do.
-Caroline Kohls and Shannon Kelly
Sunday, June 14, 2009
We're in Dilkon!
Hello Friends and Family!!
We have made it safe and sound to Dilkon! The two flight groups met at the airport and we made our 3 hour drive to the Navajo Reservation, passing by some beautiful scenery. After unloading and getting settled we headed off to town (35 miles!) to get dinner and pick up supplies at Walmart. Looking forward to a good nights sleep after an early morning and long day of traveling. We are excited to get to work tomorrow! There is no internet access at the Reservation so will update the best we can. Keep us in your prayers.
Cheers!
Casey
We have made it safe and sound to Dilkon! The two flight groups met at the airport and we made our 3 hour drive to the Navajo Reservation, passing by some beautiful scenery. After unloading and getting settled we headed off to town (35 miles!) to get dinner and pick up supplies at Walmart. Looking forward to a good nights sleep after an early morning and long day of traveling. We are excited to get to work tomorrow! There is no internet access at the Reservation so will update the best we can. Keep us in your prayers.
Cheers!
Casey
Thursday, June 11, 2009
This is going to be great...
The Navajo trip is coming quick and I finally checked the weather. It's going to be incredible!
The weather during the days will be in the low to mid 80s and the nights will get cool and brisk, down in the 50s. Won't that be awesome!?!?
Get those prayers going for the rest of the trip, since we already know the weather is going to be awesome!
The weather during the days will be in the low to mid 80s and the nights will get cool and brisk, down in the 50s. Won't that be awesome!?!?
Get those prayers going for the rest of the trip, since we already know the weather is going to be awesome!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Revving back up...
It's time to get the GYMSOX Summer Missions blog revved back up.
The summer is upon us and we've got tons in store.
Navajo- Sophomores- June 14-21
Jamaica- Seniors- June 19-26
Tampa- Juniors- June 28-July 4
The Great Escape- Middle School Camp- June 28-July 2
Charleston- Freshmen- July 14-19
Fun in the Son- High School Camp- July 19-24
Check back for more updates as the summer as we get going.
The summer is upon us and we've got tons in store.
Navajo- Sophomores- June 14-21
Jamaica- Seniors- June 19-26
Tampa- Juniors- June 28-July 4
The Great Escape- Middle School Camp- June 28-July 2
Charleston- Freshmen- July 14-19
Fun in the Son- High School Camp- July 19-24
Check back for more updates as the summer as we get going.
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