There's No Place Like Home

This morning our Mission Team gathered back at our "home" church, FUMC. We filled 3 rows with our new black T's and our church family came to welcome us back and thank us for our work. What a great sight it was to see a full parking lot on a hot summer morning, by the way.

The photos we will place on the blog for our final post of the week show the "finished products" of our week of hard work. We tore out the old fixtures and completely repainted and applied new molding to the Thrift Shop, we applied primer and paint to the inside of two "play houses" and then created masterpieces that looked like homes for our new little friends to enjoy, we went out into the community to check on persons with disabilities to be sure they were okay during the extreme heat, we cleaned and sorted a storage closet that was full of treasures once we organized it and we tilled and planted annuals and perennials on the side of the building of Kingdom House. Everywhere we go, people are amazed at the amount and the quality of the work that a group from FUMC Gastonia can do. Our Youth are LIVING their faith OUT LOUD every day, but especially LOUDLY one week out of each year. We should all be proud!!!

A special thanks to Becky Greene for all of the hard work she has done on all of the many Mission Trips she has taken our youth. She never ceases to amaze us all with her organization and spiritual depth she provides. Our church is so very blessed to have such an amazing leader for our youth. And no, Becky, you can't erase this part!!!

Anne Mallonee-for Becky Greene

CAROLINA IN OUR MINDS

In my mind I'm goin' to Carolina
Can't you see the sunshine
Can't you just feel the moonshine
Ain't it just like a friend of mine

Like James Taylor we have Carolina in our minds today as we head for home. We left out around 3:30 this morning. We will see everyone later this evening when we arrive back in Gastonia. Calls should be made by the group when we are about an hour away so you can be waiting with open arms to greet us.

THURSDAY, BACK TO WORK

Sorry to be coming to you a little late about our day yesterday. We are keeping a tight schedule. We began our day a little sluggish but our morning glow team challenged us to "keep our heads". We listened to Andy Grammer's song " keep your head up" and prepared ourselves physically and spiritually to greet the workday.

We continued to work on the thrift store, dollhouses, landscaping and daycamp. Two new projects, organizing the eqipment room and cleaning all the daycare toys for an EHS inspection were added. After a long, hot, tiring day of work, the showers were wonderful! We cooked our evening meal of tacos and ice cream sundaes, and it was enjoyed by all and a much needed night in.

After some downtime, we enjoyed a very meaningful and significant devotion session. We began the evening as we began our morning, playing "Keep Your Head Up" to help us center and focus. One line in the song states, "after rainbows must come rain and know the sun will shine again". So in our daily work teams we discussed our rain (messes) and then our rainbows of the day and where we saw our SON shining. After we celebrated our rainbows we began our personal journaling session.

We listened to the song "Angel by Your Side" and were reminded that each day we walk with angels by our side (God and the people on this trip), as well as other angels who are already in heaven, who continue to guide and inspire us. After journaling about those angels that keep our cups overflowing and reciting the 23rd Psalm, we affirmed our graduated seniors with blessings and communion from Jim and Becky. Then, as a way to symbolically pass the torch to the rising seniors, the graduates served our 12th graders with communion. The expanded leadership team served the rest of the group and then we discussed what an amazing experience it was to serve and be served. We closed with the UMYF Benediction.

Lions, and Tigers and Bears! Oh My!

Sorry we didn't post the blog yesterday, but we were too busy having FUN! We went to the "World Famous" St. Louis Zoo! Many of the animals were seeking any relief from the heat they could find, but we still had an amazing time. After the zoo, we headed to the mall to get some lunch and relief from the heat. Then, we went downtown to the ARCH! Many of us had to conquer our fears of height and claustrophobia in order to squeeze into the egg-shaped cars that would transport us 650 feet into the air above St. Louis. We managed to fit all 42 of us into the 8 cars at the same time so that we be at the top together. The view was beautiful and will be a life-long memory. After we got back down to Earth, we created a special message using our bodies on the ground. Thankfully, our cell phones allowed us to receive direction from above-with Rawlings telling everyone which way to turn so our letters would be straight. Our photo message will be a forever reminder that we should always Live Out Loud! We ate some delicious pizza at Imo's Pizza and came back to the church for devotions. More later about our third work day at Kingdom House...

Top 10 Reasons to go on the Mission Trip

Today we continued our work at Kingdom House. Once again, at the end of the day, as we reflected we realized that we are making a significant difference in the lives of those we meet, building significant relationships with each other in our own group and strengthening the significant relationship we each have with God. There are many ways we could recap this day but we decided the best way to show you first hand how meaningful these trips are to us are to share with you one of our exercises from devotions tonight.

We now present to you each groups Top 10 Reasons to go on a Mission Trip:

Group 1:

10. Luxurious transportation and accommodations

9. Morning Glow/Devotions

8. Bill's Ghost Stories

7. Watching Becky play just dance

6. Life-long friendships

5. Life-long memories

4. The feeling you get from helping others

3. Being Significant to others

2. Growing in our faith

1. Spreading the word of God

Group 2:

10.Trying new things

9. Backrubs

8. Being fed

7. Traveling

6. African Tribal Dancing from the Daycare

5. Leaving Problems at Home

4. Barnacle

3. Becoming closer

2. Becky!/Counselors

1. Growing with God

Group 3:

10. To get dirty

9. Unique shower situations

8. To get away

7. See new places

6. Meeting people from different backgrounds

5. Bond with friends

4. Find out about yourself

3. Be significant

2. Do God's work

1. Spread the love of God

0. JULIE!

Group 4:

10. Barnacle/FMWI

9. Wednesday

8. Unlimited amount of fast/junk food

7. Getting' out of G-town

6. Bus Rides

5. Unforgettable memories and experiences

4. Live Out Loud

3. Finding significance in being significant

2. Relationships with God, each other, people in community and ourselves

1. Make a difference in the lives of others.

Group 5:

10. Because you will never be lonely in the shower

9. To master the game Just Dance 2

8. To run head first into a wall

7. To sleep on an inflated air mattress and wake up on the ground

6. To make friends you'll have for life

5. A front seat to the FMWI

4. To learn to be flexible

3. To be with Julie for a week

2. To make a significant difference

1. GODISNOWHERE

We have had another successful and significant day. We are a "special kind of tired" but it has all been well worth it. We look forward to a day of rest and relaxation tomorrow as we explore the city of St. Louis and continue building friendships with one another. We want to thank you for your continued prayers and support--with your help we have been able to show our faith to others here in the "Show Me State" of Missouri.

"Will you be my friend?"

Today was our first day on our site, Kingdom House. Kingdom House provides many services for the community, including a day care, summer camp, food pantry, thrift store and services for the elderly. As is typical for our first day on site, things started out a little slow as we had to go on a tour and learn about Kingdom House. Then, we divided into our work groups. We did landscaping, worked in the summer camp assisting with the children, completely demolished the thrift store (in preparation for our remodeling!), and began a basketball camp. We figured out through our mathematical skills that the number of hours that we will be putting in at Kingdom House over the four days would take one person 24 weeks to accomplish!!! That is what we call being SIGNIFICANT! We look forward to seeing all of the changes that we will create this week!

After our work day, we showered in a very nice YMCA--Yay! We were stinky! Then, we found a Five Guys Burgers & Fries and a Steak 'n Shake for dinner. For dessert, we had St. Louis custard-a new treat for most of us. Clay actually turned down extra fries AND the custard due to all of the food he has been consuming. So don't worry about us not getting enough to eat!

Our devotion for tonight centered around a Shania Twain song, "Today is Your Day". The song reminds us that "nothing can stand in our way". Our Bible verse was 2 Corinthians 13:11-"Finally, brothers, goodbye. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you." This related well to our Morning Glow topic about perception. Read the following... "GODISNOWHERE". What did you read?

God is nowhere? Or God is now here? It all depends on how you look at it. We are learning to adjust our perceptions to be more optimistic and positive.

Expecting the Unexpected-Ten-foot men, Midgets, Barnacles and Prince

When we woke up this morning to get ready to attend the church service at Kirkwood UMC, we realized that the church members who were coming to Sunday School did NOT get the memo that their Sunday School rooms were going to be filled with air mattresses and sleeping girls. In typical FUMC form, we went into flexibility mode and "It's not about me" mode and helped them get over their initial shock.
At the church service, to our surprise, we found out that Patrick has a twin who had the lead role in the Children's play, "Overboard". After the service, Patrick was actually congratulated for a job well done. In the play, Jonah said, "Cast your presence over me. Hold me in your arms, Dear Lord and listen to my prayer." This is very similar to the prayer we asked you to pray for us this week.
We went to fast food restaurants such as Taco Hut, Pizza Bell, SubDonald's, and McWay.
After lunch, we quickly changed into our bathing suits and headed out to an awesome water park. The Lazy River and the pool were a big hit, but we weren't a big hit with the lifeguards and other pool-goers. We cheered, chanted and screamed for everyone going off the diving boards-even the people who were not a part of our group. We got our first shower, and for many of us it was our first experience with an automatic, motion-sensored shower. They seemed to have a mind of their own and shut off, while we were covered in soap or shampoo.
We came back to the church and had our Annual Pizza Party--thank you, Mrs. McKenzie! Then, we moved to the gym to play "THE FUNNEST GAME EVER!-Barnacle. We played some more team-building games, including skits for imaginary projects such as "remodeling a kitchen for a 10-foot man", "organizing a closet for a midget", and "painting a house for a person who loves the color purple-even more than Prince".

Our devotions for the evening were based on the scripture Joshua 1:9. Like Jonah and Joshua, we are promised that we should not be afraid, for the Lord will be with us no matter where we go and we must listen to his call. We were given a "time capsule" to keep all of our Mission Trip memories. It included a journal and pen for our personal journal time. Thanks, Julie Heath, for all of the time that you spent hand-engraving the glass jars with Mission Trip 2011 with the cross and flame! As we journaled we listened to "You've Got a Friend in Me" from Toy Story. During this song, we thought about how God would always be our friend, and the things that we want to be our "keepers" from the trip--just like Andy wanted to keep Woody. Our second song was titled, "This is the stuff". Our key verse was "In the middle of my little mess, I forget how big I’m blessed." In other words, the little things aren't worth worrying about and God has a plan for us and sometimes uses things to teach us.

Overall, today was a great day. We really started bonding! We are looking forward to our first day at Kingdom House where we will begin to share the love of Christ with others whose "little mess" is much bigger than ours. We love you and thank you for supporting us!

We made it!

We made it to St. Louis! We left the parking lot at FUMC at 6:40am with a loving sendoff from our friends and families, along with our new pastor, Sally Langford and Trip Hord. We arrived at Kirkwood United Methodist Church which will be our "home base" for the week at 7:20 Central Time which is 8:20 "our time". The bottom line is the trip took us 14 hours. Although the trip was at times uncomfortable, the good news is that we made it here "safe and sound"! It was so exciting to see the Arch as we drove in! The church we are staying in is beautiful, clean and spacious. We set up our air mattresses and headed off to find some fast food. Then, we came back KUMC for a quick "getting acquainted" game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors" and devotion. Our graduated Seniors did a fine acting job, illustrating potential situations that might come up this week. Clay Hackney had the Quote of the Day, "Being tired is temporary, but the work of the Lord is everlasting." We know that our fatigue has only just begun, but so has the fun!!!
We'll keep you posted. Our Bible verse for the day was 2 Corinthians 13:13-The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. We ask that you all continue to pray this prayer for us as we go through the week.

ARRIVED SAFELY

The group has arrived in St. Louis area safely and are now arranging sleeping area for the week ahead. Please continue with your prayers for the group.

Prayer Guide for Mission Trip

Saturday, July 16 The team departs this morning for St. Louis, MO.
Please pray for travel mercies, the building of community and wellness for the week.
Scripture to pray: “The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you.” 2 Corinthians 13:14

Sunday, July 17 After sharing in worship with our host church, we will establish base camp for the week and begin making connections with each other and the community.
Please pray for the ability to care for one another and to trust the plans God has for us this week.
Scripture to pray: “Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love
extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.” I Corinthians 13:13

Monday, July 18 The team starts the bulk of their work schedule
today. For the next several days, they will be building, painting and
serving our brothers and sisters at Kingdom House.
Please pray for the ability to overcome worries, put away prejudice, serve each other and know our purpose.
Scripture to pray: “Be cheerful. Keep your spirits up. Think in
harmony. Be agreeable. Do all that, and the God of love and peace will be with you for sure.” 2 Corinthians 13:13

Tuesday, July 19 The team follows a “typical” daily schedule.
Please pray for self control, open hearts, open minds and the resources necessary to accomplish the tasks.
Scripture to pray: “In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people.”
Colossians 3:23

Wednesday, July 20 The team has a day off. This fun day at the zoo and the gateway arch is also designed as a respite of mind and body.
Please pray for joy throughout the day, gratitude for all that we have and strength and protection in our daily walk with Christ.
Scripture to pray: “When we see that you’re just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you’re going to make it no doubt about it.” 2 Corinthians 1:7

Thursday, July 21 The team ramps up for more ministry.
Please pray for the ability to refocus, endurance, second chances and
opportunities to reveal our faith.
Scripture to pray: “We must not become tired of doing good. We will receive our harvest of eternal life at the right time if we do not give up. When we have the opportunity to help anyone we should do it.”
Galatians 6:9-10

Friday, July 22 The team concludes their week of service and love.
Please pray for significant spiritual conversations, for the seeds that have been planted to bear much fruit and for the relationships that have been formed to continue beyond the week.
Scripture to pray: “Always be joyful. Pray continually, and give thanks whatever happens. This is what God wants for you in Christ Jesus.”
I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Saturday, July 23 The team leaves for home today.
Please pray for God to speak to each participant today as they reflect on what has taken place, for others at home to be blessed by the reports from this trip and for the team’s acclamation back to a normal routine.
Scripture to pray: “The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26