First Day in Lexington

We had a beautiful first day here in Lexington. We first went to worship and heard about the parable of the Good Samaritan. After a quick lunch we spent the sunny afternoon in the UK Arboretum State Botanical Garden.

When we returned to the church the youth participated in a housing simulation. In the simulation they were given a scenario that represented different life situations, and then they were told to go to different agencies to acquire things like like housing, employment, health services, bus passes, daycare, and social services. They learned about the various challenges and obstacles people face everyday trying to navigate the different organizations and agencies.

After small group time, where we read the parable of the talents, we had worship led by one of the small groups. Then we had a crowd favorite event, cookies with Ken. Finally, it was off to bed!

We are ready to wake up and get going with our first full day of service tomorrow!

Arrival in Lexington

We have arrived safe and sound here in Lexington, KY! We spent the evening getting settled and enjoying a wonderful pulled pork BBQ courtesy of Ken and Stacey. The evening finished with getting acquainted with our small groups for the week.

We eagerly await the great week of service ahead of us!

Final Day of Service

What an incredible final day of service here in Ferguson! Today we had the privilege to work with St. Louis County and their Problem Properties unit who works to clear the overgrown landscaping that has taken over vacant and abandoned properties around the county. We worked at three properties throughout the day and cleared a large amount of shrubs, trees, branches, and debris from the properties.

We finished our day off with a frozen treat from Doozie’s and small group devotions. Finally we had the BOS(burger of service) ceremony where the current holder of the BOS picks someone who has shown great work ethic and impacted the group in a positive light to be the new keeper of the BOS. Connor picked Maddie because of her fantastic energy and willingness to serve in any way she could.

It was a very eventful and fun week and we are forever grateful for everyone who made it such a beautiful experience. Now for a good night’s sleep before we head back to Indy in the morning!

A LittleBit of Fun on our Third Day in Ferguson

We started off our third work day at The LittleBit Foundation who helps to outfit kids with school essentials. To help them prepare for the upcoming school year, we put together hygiene kits, school supply bags, made bookmarks, and readied clothes.

After a quick lunch, we headed to downtown St. Louis to spend the afternoon at the City Museum. The students crawled and climbed all through the maze of recycled materials that make up the museum.

In small groups after dinner, we discussed justice and what it means to us in our context. We explored this through the lease of Isaiah. After an exhausting day we went to sleep early in preparation for our final day of work!

First Day of Service in Ferguson

Incredible first day of service here in Ferguson. Today we worked with SoulFisher Ministries. We served in the Educate Now to Achieve Later program with kids ranging in age from kindergarten through sixth grade.

We finished the day off with a great Taco Tuesday that some of the youths helped to prepare. That was followed by small group time where we learned about the story of Esther and her bravery to save the Jewish people from Haman. We finished the evening with a group devotional where we made a covenant for the rest of the week ahead. Next was a group game of hide and seek before bed!

We are all looking forward to another fantastic day of service tomorrow!

Arrival in Ferguson

A great first day of travel and settling in here in Ferguson! We heard a presentation learning about the history of how Ferguson, followed by pizza and some cards in the down time. We finished the night off with a group devotional and small groups.
Excited for a great week of work!

Friday Fun

The Museum of Science and Industry treated us very well today! We learned lots of neat stuff and had tons of fun doing so.

The fun continued into the evening, when we walked across the street to Water Tower Place for dinner and dessert. 

The seniors put on a moving last worship, as they bravely and lovingly shared their testimonies with us. They have some extremely bright futures ahead of them!

Haley Ables wrapped up the mission trip traditions for us, when she passed down the infamous Cheese Danish to Sam VanMeter. She witnessed his light all week long when he enjoyed all
service activity and volunteered to take part in everything. The night ended with more card games and dance parties. Merry service trip to, and to all, a good night!