First Ministry Day Completed!

We're back from site and I am trying to complete this post before our group picture is taken. Kids are flung far and wide and I look forward to dinner and church group devotions to catch up with them.

My group, including Al, Laura and Kayla, went to a park in Greenville to play with a couple of kids in the neighborhood. Al and I and Megan played basketball with a couple of high school kids. I'll give Al credit. He plays a mean game of 21 and we had a great time. Our second stop was a nursing home. The kids performed some praise music, a couple kids gave testimonies, Laura, Kayla and her group did a modern version skit of the Good Samaritan and then we sang some hymns by request. I met Helen and Gwen and Lilly and Martha and Andrew and others. The residents joined in the singing and really enjoyed the visits from our group

There are quotes of the day that aren't so funny but remind us of what we do in youth ministry. I had a chat with one student that was not happy with their assignment. They are going to a church to work in a day care. Their quote was, "I travelled all this way to do what I do at home."
We have reminded our kids that they are not in a track by accident. Let's give God the benefit of the doubt that He knows where He needs you and knows where you need to be. Secondly, I am encouraged that kids are starting to see that "mission" can be done at home. After all, that's one of the goals of mission trips. I will be interested to hear how their first day went.

This morning I showered at camp. I go first and the water is ice cold. Al goes second-the water is ice cold. Rob goes third-the water is ice cold. Dan goes last and informs us the water was too hot. Seems the plumbing system takes 15 minutes to get hot water from here to there. I am toying with the idea of letting the water run tomorrow but I may just be too Dutch for that kind of waste.

I found out today that we don't have a free day on Thursday which will be disappointing for some. Sounds like an apology for church group devotion time.

Tonight the theme is having faith to let go. Letting go of whatever is hindering us from moving forward on our journey or whatever is hindering God from moving in our lives. Pray that the message of Hebrews 12:1 will be clear and that God will do some finger-pointing in our lives. I look forward to church group devotions for the day's reports and the chance to talk with kids about their faith journey.

Quote of the day part two

Let me say something about ministry tracks. Drivers and youth pastors don't get a choice in what area they serve. They go where they are needed. The group joke is that we (Rob, Al, Diane and I) did not want to do creative ministry. We're not big drama, singing, puppet show people. You already know where this is going. All four of us are being creative this week. I confessed that I laughed out loud when Rob told me last night that his next day's assignment would be to perform an interpretive dance (if you listen closely you can still hear Kim laughing). We adults arrived later than the kids to the track planning sessions after a leader's meeting this morning. Rob was pleased to inform me that his drama leader told him of his part in the dance. Which leads me to the quote of the day part two. "It's going to be o.k. I get to be a tree!"-Rob Johnson

Can't wait to hear how well he performed.

Until tomorrow.