Mission Trip. Day 4.

Today was the end of most of the hard work. While we were all really excited to get our projects done and hang out with the kids for one last day, it didn't make it any easier to get out of bed. 6:30 seemed to come really early today, but a delicious breakfast burrito was awaiting and we were off to Orange Cove by 7:30. 

I say that it is the end of most of our work because we get to spend tomorrow morning packing up the tents we have been sleeping in. This is neither fun, nor easy, but it has to be done before we can play. More on this later. 

Once we got to Orange Cove we all scattered about and got to work. We had the kitchen to finish painting, the kitchen island to finish building, the shed to finish siding and roofing, the youth room to finish painting and decorating, and the garden paths to build. It seems like a lot and it was. It took every min of the day to finish up, but in the end we did just that. 

VBS was also really strong all week. I spend a lot of time talking about projects, but the VBS was a really powerful way to preach with our actions. There were about 30 kids each day and they were excited to sing, listen to a teaching, do crafts, eat lunch and snacks, watch the skits, and chase our students around. In the end we had to pry some of the students away from the kids in order for them to load up. It is amazing what impact we can have if we are just willing to care. 

One of the things that most excites me about the trip is seeing the students who make huge strides in realizing how God has gifted end equipped them to partner with Him in the work He is doing to restore the world. I had a student who came up to me yesterday and asked if it was ok to go and play with the kids even though he wasn't assigned to help. This is one of many examples of ways that students started to be awakened to passions that they never knew they had. My hope was to put students in as many different situations as possible so that they would have opportunities to recognize how they can makes a difference and how they are gifted by God. 

Now that the work is almost over (sans the tents), we will be driving to Valencia to do a huge celebration dinner at Olive Garden and debrief the trip. From there it is off to Six Flags on Friday and then home on Saturday. While I am sure we all long for our own beds, a nice hot shower, and sleep, these next few days will be a vital part of unpacking our experience this week and sharing in the different ways that God changed and challenged us. 

That's for your prayer and support! 

 

Mission Trip. Day 4. 
Today was the end of most of the hard work. While we were all really excited to get our projects done and hang out with the kids for one last day, it didn't make it any easier to get out of bed. 6:30 seemed to come really early today, but a delicious breakfast burrito was awaiting and we were off to Orange Cove by 7:30. 
I say that it is the end of most of our work because we get to spend tomorrow morning packing up the tents we have been sleeping in. This is neither fun, nor easy, but it has to be done before we can play. More on this later. 
Once we got to Orange Cove we all scattered about and got to work. We had the kitchen to finish painting, the kitchen island to finish building, the shed to finish siding and roofing, the youth room to finish painting and decorating, and the garden paths to build. It seems like a lot and it was. It took every min of the day to finish up, but in the end we did just that. 
VBS was also really strong all week. I spend a lot of time talking about projects, but the VBS was a really powerful way to preach with our actions. There were about 30 kids each day and they were excited to sing, listen to a teaching, do crafts, eat lunch and snacks, watch the skits, and chase our students around. In the end we had to pry some of the students away from the kids in order for them to load up. It is amazing what impact we can have if we are just willing to care. 
One of the things that most excites me about the trip is seeing the students who make huge strides in realizing how God has gifted end equipped them to partner with Him in the work He is doing to restore the world. I had a student who came up to me yesterday and asked if it was ok to go and play with the kids even though he wasn't assigned to help. This is one of many examples of ways that students started to be awakened to passions that they never knew they had. My hope was to put students in as many different situations as possible so that they would have opportunities to recognize how they can makes a difference and how they are gifted by God. 
Now that the work is almost over (sans the tents), we will be driving to Valencia to do a huge celebration dinner at Olive Garden and debrief the trip. From there it is off to Six Flags on Friday and then home on Saturday. While I am sure we all long for our own beds, a nice hot shower, and sleep, these next few days will be a vital part of unpacking our experience this week and sharing in the different ways that God changed and challenged us. 
That's for your prayer and support!  

Mission Trip. Day 3

Mission Trip. Tuesday. 

So here we are on day two on the work site and day three on the trip. The momentum and excitement amongst students is continuing to build as we get fully into the projects. Last night wasn't quite as cold and it seemed everyone went to bed with a few extra layers of clothes just to make sure that they were nice and warm. 

After eating breakfast and the beautiful drive back to Orange Cove, everyone piled on the sun screen and headed to their job site. Almost everyone got to do something different today and they were plenty busy painting, building, cleaning, shoveling gravel, organizing, and picking weeds. Lots and lots of weeds. 

One of the awesome and unexpected developments of the trip has been the great relationships that are being built with the neighbors of the church. Yesterday, a few of them took notice of us working and seeking to make their community a better place. Today we got to directly serve them by cleaning up their yards and being an extension of Iglesia El Buen Pastor to them. One of them even created a huge sign for the garden. 

The amazing thing is that the heart of the church is to meet the physical needs of Orange Cove through the love of Christ. All week I have had an old quote in my head that says something like "preach the gospel at all times, if necessary use words." This is a great reminder that preaching the gospel is less about what we say and more about what we do. P

All in all today was a great day. We are all lined up to finish our projects tomorrow and VBS was amazing once again. I asked a few first time students throughout the day how it was to spend their break working. Every one of them said that they had no idea it would be so amazing to serve and work all day. Tomorrow we will once again preach by our actions, using words only if it is necessary. 

 

Mission Trip. Tuesday. 
So here we are on day two on the work site and day three on the trip. The momentum and excitement amongst students is continuing to build as we get fully into the projects. Last night wasn't quite as cold and it seemed everyone went to bed with a few extra layers of clothes just to make sure that they were nice and warm. 
After eating breakfast and the beautiful drive back to Orange Cove, everyone piled on the sun screen and headed to their job site. Almost everyone got to do something different today and they were plenty busy painting, building, cleaning, shoveling gravel, organizing, and picking weeds. Lots and lots of weeds. 
One of the awesome and unexpected developments of the trip has been the great relationships that are being built with the neighbors of the church. Yesterday, a few of them took notice of us working and seeking to make their community a better place. Today we got to directly serve them by cleaning up their yards and being an extension of Iglesia El Buen Pastor to them. One of them even created a huge sign for the garden. 
The amazing thing is that the heart of the church is to meet the physical needs of Orange Cove through the love of Christ. All week I have had an old quote in my head that says something like "preach the gospel at all times, if necessary use words." This is a great reminder that preaching the gospel is less about what we say and more about what we do. 
All in all today was a great day. We are all lined up to finish our projects tomorrow and VBS was amazing once again. I asked a few first time students throughout the day how it was to spend their break working. Every one of them said that they had no idea it would be so amazing to serve and work all day. Tomorrow we will once again preach by our actions, using words only if it is necessary. 

 

Mission Trip. Day 3

Mission Trip. Tuesday. 

So here we are on day two on the work site and day three on the trip. The momentum and excitement amongst students is continuing to build as we get fully into the projects. Last night wasn't quite as cold and it seemed everyone went to bed with a few extra layers of clothes just to make sure that they were nice and warm. 

After eating breakfast and the beautiful drive back to Orange Cove, everyone piled on the sun screen and headed to their job site. Almost everyone got to do something different today and they were plenty busy painting, building, cleaning, shoveling gravel, organizing, and picking weeds. Lots and lots of weeds. 

One of the awesome and unexpected developments of the trip has been the great relationships that are being built with the neighbors of the church. Yesterday, a few of them took notice of us working and seeking to make their community a better place. Today we got to directly serve them by cleaning up their yards and being an extension of Iglesia El Buen Pastor to them. One of them even created a huge sign for the garden. 

The amazing thing is that the heart of the church is to meet the physical needs of Orange Cove through the love of Christ. All week I have had an old quote in my head that says something like "preach the gospel at all times, if necessary use words." This is a great reminder that preaching the gospel is less about what we say and more about what we do. 

All in all today was a great day. We are all lined up to finish our projects tomorrow and VBS was amazing once again. I asked a few first time students throughout the day how it was to spend their break working. Every one of them said that they had no idea it would be so amazing to serve and work all day. Tomorrow we will once again preach by our actions, using words only if it is necessary. 

 

Mission Trip. Tuesday. 
So here we are on day two on the work site and day three on the trip. The momentum and excitement amongst students is continuing to build as we get fully into the projects. Last night wasn't quite as cold and it seemed everyone went to bed with a few extra layers of clothes just to make sure that they were nice and warm. 
After eating breakfast and the beautiful drive back to Orange Cove, everyone piled on the sun screen and headed to their job site. Almost everyone got to do something different today and they were plenty busy painting, building, cleaning, shoveling gravel, organizing, and picking weeds. Lots and lots of weeds. 
One of the awesome and unexpected developments of the trip has been the great relationships that are being built with the neighbors of the church. Yesterday, a few of them took notice of us working and seeking to make their community a better place. Today we got to directly serve them by cleaning up their yards and being an extension of Iglesia El Buen Pastor to them. One of them even created a huge sign for the garden. 
The amazing thing is that the heart of the church is to meet the physical needs of Orange Cove through the love of Christ. All week I have had an old quote in my head that says something like "preach the gospel at all times, if necessary use words." This is a great reminder that preaching the gospel is less about what we say and more about what we do. 
All in all today was a great day. We are all lined up to finish our projects tomorrow and VBS was amazing once again. I asked a few first time students throughout the day how it was to spend their break working. Every one of them said that they had no idea it would be so amazing to serve and work all day. Tomorrow we will once again preach by our actions, using words only if it is necessary.