Final Thoughts.....

It has been an incredible week, we saw a lot, we laughed more than ever, we learned to appreciate each other, and we were able to do God’s Work. Which is always a privilege, and we get more out of it than we could possibly give. Some people say that there are things to do at home. Yes this is very true, and this kind of trip is not done to replace that or to send a message that people in Baltimore are more important than our neighbors. However, what this trip is able to do, is:
1. Give the group an opportunity to get to know each other in an environment that is different. They live in community and learn to accept each other for who they are
2. They are able to experience a culture that is different than their own to learn that there are many ways to be engaged in ministry.
3. Participate in service projects that offer a variety of ways to serve God and each other.
I will miss seeing each and every one of the people that went on the trip. They are all awesome and have so many gifts to share.
Let me introduce them to you….
Alec-is from Charles City and is an emerging leader. He is kind and helpful and looks out for everyone. He made everyone feel welcome and a part of the group. Alec loves to learn about history and wanted to see everything and do as much as he could. His favorite thing about the mission trip is learning about our country’s history and getting to know the people in our group, and getting to talk to the people at the Helping Hand’s project.
Dayna-is from Nashua and has a unique way of looking at the world. She kept us entertained and moving. She told us she was doing many of the things that we did for the first time. Her gifts are humor and curiosity. Her favorite thing about the mission trip is helping people and going out to spread God’s Word.
Kayla- is a treasure. She added a dimension to the group with her wisdom and experience. Her gift truly is healing and compassion Her favorite thing about the mission trip is the nursing home service project and the Orioles game.
Alisha-used many of the Gifts that God has given her, she led music for our devo time and for our time at Carroll Village. This is Alisha’s third trip, soon she will be leading her own mission trip. Her favorite thing about the mission trip is the fellowship that they experienced while doing service projects and playing sardines.
Kyle-displayed many leadership skills on the trip. He was always willing to take the lead during devos and loved leading prayers. His favorite thing about the mission trip going to the seafood restaurant, the air and space museum, and almost getting married!
Tyler-is always available to lend a helping hand. He has a quiet peaceful presence that is respected and appreciated by the others on the trip. His favorite thing about the mission trip is
Pastor Dave-loves to go on mission trips! He has lost track of how many he has been on. He was in charge of finance and logistics….we call him the legislative branch of the administration. He uses his many gifts to encourage people to live out their faith and baptismal promises. His passion for the Gospel is infectious. His favorite thing about the mission trip is having the bus to use for the mission trip. He loves the way that relationships that have been forged while riding the bus. ….., He also loves to see the growth and since of awe that the youth and adults have while on the trip as they see parts of the country that they have never seen before and have experiences of serving God for some, in a new way.
Brad-is a true partner in leadership for mission trips. He adds technical support by looking up information on his phone and he is the group’s resident historian. He delights in finding Battlefields and will find any excuse to visit one. He manages to get everyone excited about visiting the various places. He adds balance and stability to the group and is always ready to take on whatever role he is given. This is Brad’s fifth Mission Trip. His favorite thing about the mission trip is the mix of serving and having fun.
Anika-is a mission trip veteran. She brings humor to the group. Over the years her faith has grown and is showing more leadership skills. Her favorite thing about the mission trip is playing sardines.
Maggie-has the most amazing smile, she added so much to the group through the way she helped others to feel good about themselves and what they were doing. She is quick to laugh and loves life. Her favorite thing about the mission trip is the Holocaust Museum.
Rachel-is new to the St. John Nashua group, she attended some of the meetings last year, but this is the first opportunity we have had to get to know her better. She is a joy to be around and added a sens0e of wonder to all that we did. Rachel and her family are planning on joining St. John later this year. Her favorite thing about the mission trip is basically everything, but she liked helping people, seeing the monuments, and going to the Orioles game.
Jeanne-is learning strong leadership skills. She was willing to help out where ever she is needed. She is sensitive to the needs of others, working with people is where she shined. Her favorite thing about the mission trip is getting to wear Kyle’s hat that he would not let anyone else wear, the Orioles game, and playing sardines. Her least favorite thing was seeing her Dad dance at the Orioles Game
Charlie-this was Charlie’s first mission trip. He was quick to offer suggestions and give his opinion. He was always willing to help out with the chores around the church and bus. His favorite thing about the mission trip is youth were involved with helping the under privileged, view history, and see a nice cross section of the Midwest and Eastern seaboard.

Kyle wants everyone to know he had a great time and wants to go on another Mission Trip and hopes to have a real wedding someday.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Mission Trips mean early mornings, I guess. We are up and going very early again today. We are starting the last leg of our trip. It is raining as the bus is rolling down the road. We are all tired, happy to be going home, but alittle sad that our time together is coming to an end. They all talk about wanting more, and Dave and I remind them that this is only a taste of mission, service, and everything else.
We returned to Charles City at 6:00 on Tuesday night full of plans for future trips and memories from this one. Eager to tell the story of how they were Salt and Light to the World.

Monday, August 3, 2009

We are on our way back…..At this minute we are somewhere in central Pennsylvania. This will all be posted as soon as we are hooked up to the internet. We started our day by finishing packing the bus for the return trip home and cleaning the space that we called home for a week. We left Mt. Airy, MD at about 7:00 AM to drive the hour ride to Gettysburg, PA. On the way we watched the movie “Gettysburg”, some slept.
We arrived there about 8:00 AM to visit the battlefield, the new visitor center, Cyclorama, and museum. We knew our time would be limited. The new displays are very well done. We easily could have spent more time. We drove through the Lutheran Seminary at Gettysburg and down Seminary Ridge and stopped at Little Round Top. We enjoyed a huge buffet at Pickett’s Revenge.
We were back on the road by 1:00 headed back to Hebron, KY. On the way back we watched the videos and pictures from the week. We are beginning the process of ending our time together. At our Devo time we talked about Matthew 5:13-16…Being Salt and Light in the world. When asked about the qualities of salt the group listed enhancing and preserving, cleanses, stings and irritates. When we talked about light, Alisha shared with the group how God’s light shines through us to others. We all agreed that what we saw and learned this week needs to be shared and acted upon.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

On Sunday, we attended worship at Calvary together. Many of the kids commented that they missed worshiping at home! Our week is beginning to wind down, but there is still so much to do. After worship we made stepping stones. The assignment was to collect things through the week that would remind them of their experience and the gifts that God has given them. The guys took on the job of mixing the cement….oh, by the way, we had to go to Home Depot (a mission trip is never complete without at least one trip to Home Depot, it is a rule!) to get cement mix, a trawl, cement forms, and a tub to mix it all in. We also got some glass stones and trinkets that they could put in the cement. It was fun to watch the process that everyone went through to make their stones. Dave wants to keep his on his desk, as a paper weight I guess.
We hurried and ate a quick lunch and met Shawn Franklin from Calvary. Shawn organizes the monthly trip to Baltimore to work with Helping Hands. She and her family led us to our worksite in inner city Baltimore. We arrived and set up our table. Shawn brought bananas. Bananas are a popular item on the table because many of the people have bad teeth and tender gums, and foods like apples are hard to eat. We made bags to distribute that had pudding cups, socks, snacks, tooth brushes, tooth paste, and other assorted toiletries.
Helping Hands was started ten years ago when a 9 year old girl saw people living on the street and decided to do something about it. She started with getting her family to make sandwiches to take to the street. When they couldn’t keep up they asked neighbors and churches to help out. Today she is in college and continues her passion to feed the homeless in Los Angeles.
Last week they had served over two hundred people. This week was down some, but we still gave away just shy of two hundred bags. The kids said they were touched by the people and enjoyed being able to talk with them.
We had planned to go to Washington to see the monuments, but as usually happens; there are more choices than time. The group voted to go to a seafood restaurant called the Cracked Crab in Frederick, MD. As it turned out it was the better choice. We were all disappointed that we didn’t walk the mall, but there was a downpour when we would have been there.
The restaurant was wonderful. We had a chance to taste some Pennsylvania Dutch style food, specifically apple butter and cottage cheese, yumm! Everything was really good! We recommend the Cracked Crab for your dining pleasure.We returned to the church for the ‘wedding’. There was romance on the trip. Kyle and Maggie developed a connection when they both jumped off the swing set and ripped their pants. Kyle decided then and there that Maggie was his soul mate. There was a bachelor party and even a bachelorette party. There were bridesmaids, flower girls, a photographer, and even a stand in Father of the Bride. In the end the bride ran off and the groom was in hot pursuit of the flower girl at the wedding dance….why waste a good band, right? It was all in good fun and we all laughed and laughed.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Another very early morning. This time we didn’t have to fight the traffic, we had an early appointment to go to Mt. Vernon. They even opened abit early to accommodate the early crowds. We were the second tour of the day to go through the mansion. Again, much of the building was original. It was humbling to think that we were standing where George Washington Stood over two hundred years ago. WOW!
Our tour included a cruise on the Potomac River. The day was perfect….not too hot, not too cold, and not so humid. We went from Mt. Vernon up the river to Ft. Washington, now on the list of things to do next time. Along the way there were explanations about the history of the area. We went to the Grist Mill and distillery. We learned how the Washington Farm diversified and began production of flour and corn meal. And started a fine distillery that made whisky. There was so much to see, but we moved on to the next thing.
The Holocaust Museum was the next thing on the list of things to do. We met Alisha’s cousin there, so they got to spend alittle bit of time together. The Holocaust Museum is always one of the things that people say they want to do and ask to do it every year. This year was no different; many people have said that it was their favorite thing.
We went back to the church and had supper and showers. We also started the process of packing and getting ready to go home.

Friday, July 31, 2009

We got up early again, so we could travel to Washington for our tour of the White House. It was a good thing that we got there well before our tour time, because when we arrived they told us that they were going to be stopping tours scheduled for later in the day. Security was tight, prior to leaving home, we had to submit our Social Security Numbers, birthdates, passport numbers, and names. That day we had to show our photo id’s and go through screening. We were not allowed to bring cameras, sharp pointy things, or any other item that was ‘suspicious’. They lined us up according to tour times. We followed the line that led us into the East side of the White House. It was awe inspiring and abit intimidating to think about where we were.
We were able to see several rooms, such as the blue room, green room, State Dining Room, East Room, China room, and the Red Room. The rooms were beautiful with works of art and presidential portraits. Hung on the walls. It has gotten harder to get tours of the White House, so we felt privileged to be able to go. We also were humbled by the history that went on there! We were disappointed that we did not get to go to the second floor and see the Lincoln bedroom. I guess that some day we will have a special invitation to go to the White House to see the private areas!
We were done with the tour at the time our appointment was to start. This made it possible to go and see some other things. We went to the American History Museum where we saw Dorothy’s ruby slippers, the puffy shirt, Julia Child’s kitchen, the star spangled banner, and the first ladies dresses. The museum had just reopened after a renovation. We also went to the Natural History Museum and saw dinosaurs, whales, butterflies, and the Hope Diamond. Led by Brad (go figure!) a small group went to Ford’s Theatre but couldn’t go in because they did not have a ticket.
We were then off to Baltimore to fight traffic and get to Camden Yard for the Orioles vs Red Sox game. Kyle says we had loads of fun. We had great seats off of third base. A home run hit came to our section and was caught by a Red Sox fan. We sat by alot of Sox fans. We did our devos on the bus on the way home. It was a very late night by the time we got back. So we all went strait to bed....because tomorrow is going to be another day that starts early.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

We got up incredibly early, ate breakfast, and headed into Washington DC for our appointment with Senator Harkin. We were to meet him at 10:30 but we wanted to make sure that we could get through traffic and find a parking place for the bus. Traffic is an issue to the DC and Baltimore area.
Dispute heavy traffic, We made it into the city in good time. We found a place to park afew blocks from the Capitol building. We cut through Union Station and walked up the hill to the Capitol. We had some time so we stopped at the Supreme Court building on the way. After determining which side of the building that we were to be on, we began the wait. We had not waited very long and one of six Senate photographers arrived and shortly after that one of the Senator’s aides came. We were introduced to Alex, an intern that had just graduated from Grinnell College and was going to be going to law school this fall.
The Senator was running slightly late. He had been at the morning press conference. When he finally showed up he gave us a warm greeting and we had our picture taken with him. He told us alittle bit about himself, answered afew questions, and gave advice for the not to miss things in Washington. Today, there was going to be a meeting about the health reform bill. He is the chair of that committee. Unfortunately, it was because of us that he was late.
Alex took us on the tour of the Capitol. We were able to stay in our group of fourteen, and got done sooner than those that had gotten tickets on their own and had to wait in line and go on the tours of fifty. Senate and House tours are highly recommended for your next trip to the Capitol! The new Capitol Visitor Center is spectacular! They added more office and meeting space. And a theatre that showed a very well done film on the history of the Capitol. We went to the old Senate Chamber, the Rotunda, the whispering place in the Old House, the center of the city, and the lobbying . It was an amazing place to visit, all the things that we had heard about in history class that happened there.
We returned to the bus to find a dead battery. We prayed that AAA would come quickly, but a good Samaritan who was walking by saw the drama and asked to help. He went and got his car and gave the bus a jumpstart and went merrily on our way.
Brad is our resident historian; we gave him the task of planning our afternoon. He did some research and suggested a trip to Manassas National Battlefield followed by a trip to the Air and Space Museum at Dulles Airport. We headed out I-77 and got a good taste of DC traffic. We were seriously slowed down. We got to Manassas and Brad and the kids hit the battlefield for a whirlwind tour. They stopped at the Stonewall Jackson statue and went to the Stone House.
The Air and Space Museum is close to Manassas and were able to get there for the last two hours of the day. We saw the space shuttle Enterprise, the Enola Gay, a concord jet, space capsules and many other really cool things. When they closed, we had to leave, but there was some talk of hiding out and seeing what happens like in Night in the Museum Parts I and II.
We went back home, made homemade Pizza and had shower time. After nightly Devos, we all went to bed. There was talk of staying up, but everyone was more tired that they wanted to admit.
Tomorrow is another busy day…..

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Today we got up, had breakfast, got dressed and cleaned up and then went to work. Our tasks were to pack bags (tooth paste, tooth brushes, socks, snacks, and pudding packs) for our project on Sunday and to make lunch for the residents of Sarah’s Hope in Baltimore and pack bags for our project for Sunday. We made Beef Stroganoff, pistachio salad, bread, green bean casserole, and brownies. We fixed it at the church and then went to the shelter to serve it. We packed the bus with everything that we needed and set off for the shelter. With the help of the GPS, we drove right to the place. Elayne went in and found someone to help us find where we were to be. We sent our youth in all carrying what we had made. We set up and made final preparations.
We made enough for thirty to thirty-five and served about twenty people-women and children. They must have been hungry because all the stroganoff was gone, all the beans were gone, the brownies were gone, and the bread was gone. The salad was left because we forgot to take it out of the cooler….So we took it back in and they had it for a different meal.
Sarah’s Hope is a transitional housing program that has been in existence for about seven months. It was started by the City of Baltimore to combat the issue of homelessness. This program especially targets women, children, and grandparents who have taken custody of their grandchildren. There are dorms where the families stay, meals that are provided, and skill building for the parents. Including things like parenting classes, budgeting, and employment skills. There were also programs for the children. All of this is done on a shoestring budget in an old school that is badly in need of renovation and repairs. Afterwards, our contact and host, Connor, took us on a tour and talked about the desperate needs in Baltimore and what the city has been doing to try and be responsive to great needs. He told us that what we had done today was appreciated and invited us to come back. Usually when volunteers bring in meals, they bring cold sandwiches and fruit. Consequently having a home cooked, in our case church cooked meal was a treat. The agency is trying to develop a funding and volunteer base so all meals are provided in house.
Since space was limited, only half of the group was able to actually serve the meal. The rest of us waited in the bus and will distribute bags on Sunday. While we were waiting, some of the people that were served knocked on the door of the bus to say thank you. They were so appreciative of the meal. They commented on how surprised they were that youth, especially high school youth, would come all the way from Iowa to do something like make them a hot lunch just for them.
After we were done, we went back to the church. Afew, including two who shall remain nameless, went on a Wal-Mart Run. We decided we needed more tubs to put the bags that we had packed earlier. Their task was to get the tubs and afew things that we needed for supper and come back. They brought the tubs back and discovered there were afew extra things in the bag. It was easy to determine that we needed to take them back. We wondered if our shoplifters would be caught and prosecuted.
We spent the evening playing soccer and making shower runs to our new friends, the Folsems. Showers have been an issue. Since there are no shower facilities at the church we have had to ‘make it work’. We were able to go to the pool next door and to Mary and Mark Folsem’s home just down the street. We are so thankful for the Folsems who opened their home for us to use and fed us Maryland Fried Chicken and all the fixins’ on Tuesday Night.
We all celebrated Elayne's birthday with black baloons and birthday cake.
Tomorrow will be an early day.

Tuesday July 28, 2009

We started the day with breakfast and preparing a short program for the Retirement Village that we would be visiting after lunch. The kids were in charge of the planning, there was a little guidance from us, but actually not much. They decided to introduce themselves, pray a prayer, sing a song, do a skit about gifts, Alisha-sing a song, do a skit about Iowa, and sing a song and pray a prayer. The kids did a Wal-Mart run and Elayne and Charlie fixed lunch….we had a taco bar.
We cleaned up lunch and headed to Westminster, MD to Carroll Village. The place is huge. It is a retirement village where people can have their own homes, live in assisted living, or have complete nursing facilities. There are even little restaurants where people can go for meals. The chapel is amazing. It is fully wired for cameras, sound, and tech needs.
Back to the program….We were reminded again to be Slinkies, because even best laid plans don’t always work the way that you intend. The program that we were to do, was bumped for birthday bingo….nothing interferes with birthday bingo. So…we visited Shepherd’s Way, the Alzheimer’s unit. The people were very friendly and seemed happy to listen to our singing. We adapted our program, and Alisha played her guitar for them while the rest of us helped pass out snacks and juice. Gifts were appearing all over the place and those with the gifts of caring and compassion sat down and began conversations with people. We all smiled as we watched Kayla call everyone sweetie and we all enjoyed her gentle spirit. Kyle tried the “sweetie” approach with very different results, but we all applauded his efforts.
We ended our time at Carroll Village with singing Happy Birthday to all of the July birthday people. The kids were especially struck with a women who was going to be 100 years old in October. She is still very active and walks the halls and visits her friends every day. She also attends worship services on Sunday morning and the Inspiration time each Tuesday….except when it is Birthday Bingo Day!
We headed back to the church through the beautiful Maryland hills and arrived back in time to take showers and eat a supper that Calvary gave us. We all enjoyed Maryland fried chicken with all the fixin’s….yumm! Thank you Calvary!
We joined Calvary for their Tuesday night Worship service. It was a lot of fun because their youth band played with their adult band and one of the members preached. Pastor Dave was invited to preside over communion. After worship we were all treated to ice cream and a time to connect with old friends and make new ones.
The kids started a game of corn, corn, soybeans…..I had never heard of it either, but since we are from Iowa….it was like duck, duck, goose, only corn, corn, soybeans….go figure. When they had enough of that, they had a game of hide and go seek. It was starting to get out of control, so I suggested that they play sardines….they did and played until it was time for devos and announcements. Tonight we had roses and thorns and talked about where we saw the face of God.
Then to bed we all went…..

Monday July 27, 2009

We left Hebron, KY on Monday morning after a full breakfast of Egg Bake, juice, fresh fruit, and COFFEE! We found ourselves back on the road and Dave and I quietly strolled down memory lane from our time there when Dave was on Internship in Dillsboro, Indiana. The kids were pretty quiet, many slept….and then we ate…sandwiches, grape packs, granola bars, licorice whips, chips, I do have to say we were well supplied thanks to the WELCA ladies.

Monday pretty much was drive, drive, drive….we covered 600 some miles, to arrive safely in Maryland just in time to go to the pool and make a quick supper. We met our wonderful hosts and friends at Calvary Lutheran and began to make the youth wing our home. The very last thing that we did that night was have group time and devos. We talked about II Corinthians 12 and the gifts that God has given us, and made blessing and gifts bags*, our blessings and boo boos for the day, and where we saw the face of God. God has blessed us greatly today and we look forward to a busy day on Tuesday….
*Blessing and Gift bags are paper bags that are decorated with each person’s name on them. Through the week everyone writes notes and or thanks, and or ways that they saw each person use the gifts that God has given them.