What a great day in Waco.
It all started with a great breakfast of biscuits and gravy, cereal, and muffins. Again I am eating better on this trip then I do at home.
After a short devotional in which we remembered our challenge for the day, "Be Flexible!", we divided into our work groups and hit the road.
Well most of us did. Work Group #3 stayed at the church because that is where their work began. They were helping the organization "Potter's Vessel" whose office is housed by Austin Avenue United Methodist. Potter's Vessel assists disadvantaged people in the area with their medical needs so that as their leader Debbie McElveen says, "they don't have to choose between eating and their medication" or between electricity and a visit to the doctor's office. They truly do great work and they recently acquired a new warehouse and needed to get their stuff from the 4th floor of the church to that warehouse. So our youth loaded up their u-haul, followed them to the warehouse and unloaded it. Potter's Vessel recently received a gaylord (400 lbs or so) of over the counter medication that they needed sorted into various categories and reboxed so it would be easier for them to use. Our youth did a great job and got a lot of the sorting done. We will finish this job on Wednesday morning.
Group #1 went to Paint Job #1 where they scraped paint, caulked gaps, and pressured washed a house. They also mowed the lawn, trimmed shrubs, and cleaned up the yard. The house is completely prepped now so that tomorrow Group #4 can put on the primer and begin the first coat. Al Henkel says that everyone worked hard.
Group #2 drove out to Marlin (40 minute drive) to help a man who had a brain anuerism a few years back and now is confined to a wheelchair. We are sprucing up his back yard so that he has a more pleasant atmosphere when he goes outside to enjoy it. Today the youth cleaned up the yard, trimmed the shrubs, watered down the lawn for digging, and once I was able to get some plants for them placed everything where it will go so that group #1 can finish the job tomorrow by planting the plants in new soil. The yard already looks brand new now that it has been cleaned up.
Group # 4 visited Friends 4 Life today. One of the services Friends for Life provides is elderly and other adult day care. The kids had a great time visiting, playing games, and losing at wii bowling with their new friends. We will send a group to this site every day and I have a feeling it will be everyone's favorite by the time this trip is over.
After work we got to spend a couple hours at Waco Water Park. The cool water was just we needed after spending a day working, many of us in the hot sun. Following pool time it was shower time. And then dinner time back at the church.
The Stephens provided some perfectly cooked baked potatoes with all the fixins. We also had some great salad to go with it.
During worship we learned about being thankful and directing our thankfulness to God. We used Psalm 136:10-26 which contains our theme verse (26) to highlight how good God has been to us. One of the proudest moments of the night came when Alexa Rutledge shared with us that their group realized that true happiness is not found in possesions but through relationship.
A big shout out to the jr. high band for this trip (Jacob Weber, Will Hamberlin, Alex Serman, and Sam Farr). They have been leading us in worship and did especially well tonight.
A good helping of cake and glass of milk capped off the night and led us into our free time.
The title of this post is Be Flexible! It is something I preach on every youth trip and this group in particular has been very patient and flexible in work, in worship, in play, and with each other. Things don't always go the way you plan on a trip like this, but thankfully everyone is taking everything in stride without complaint. You should be proud.
Also, I am loading some pics from the trip to photobucket. They will be uploading throughout the night. Click here to go to our photo site. The password is: fumcarlington.
Check back for tomorrow's update.
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