Finishing Touches

It's funny how that on the other work days, the kids can't wait to clean up and get on the bus. But on Thursday it is so hard to gather them up. The final goodbyes, the pictures with our work, the hugs, kisses, tears consume us as we gear up to leave. As painful as it is to go, we know that it has to happen. And unfortunately I am the one who has to herd the group onto the bus. I don't like it very much, but if I don't do it, we may never leave. This week, God's plan was our work week was perfect. Without any "real" contractors, the primary job was to paint - inside and outside. With limited space to work, we needed to find more to do. So the creative team members got to work. Like I mentioned in a previous post, the arts department got to work quickly. Building window boxes for flowers, making a bench out of old furniture, creating wall hangings for each room. We put a "Jesus" touch in every room. Scripture, crosses, love is spread throughout the home. Before we left for the final time, we offered up a prayer of protection for the home and the family. Ms. Stephanie and Ms. Megan were so appreciative and grateful for the work we did. There are still some things that we left incomplete which the family trip will take on, and some of our kids are a little disappointed about it. But Stephanie and Megan said that even if we only got 10% of the work done, it would be the greatest blessing ever. And that it the best finishing touch ever.

Wacky Wednesday

Something weird usually happens on Wednesday to slow us down. The group is growing in faith, the projects are progressing, and God is smiling. So as soon as you let your guard down, the enemy is waiting to pounce. Throughout the day and night, there were some wacky happenings that could have derailed our team. As we were loading supplies on the bus, someone twisted an ankle and hobbled the rest of the day. At the job site, someone got hit by accident with a water bottle in the cheek. Last night, as I was preparing for the beach service, a table fell on my foot, leaving me limping all night. We also left key supplies back at the training center that slowed down our work all morning. But as soon as someone gets down, there are two others lifting us up, taking care of things, offering solutions, praying. Wednesday is also the day that we have our beach service, a very spiritual and emotional night. We offer up songs, testimonies, and prayers for almost two hours alone and with each other enjoying the beauty of His creation and the love and support from our friends. As we begin to prepare for our week's end, it's important that we all know that whenever things appear to be falling apart around you, the love of Jesus and the support of your brothers and sisters will help get you through. But even after the service, the enemy wasn't done. I lost my room key which totally distracted me during small group! Send some prayers that I find it. Would hate to waste $20 on the deposit.

HIdden Gem

We have the perfect jobsite this year. Without any real contractors on the team, our skill set is limited in the scope of work we can compentently complete. So when we arrived the first day and saw that the majority of the work would be painting, both inside and outside, I breathed a huge relief. In addition to the painting, we need to repair the soffit in the front of the house. The rest of the work was up to us and we have a couple of real go-getters on the team. The crew decided to create some gardens for Ms. Stephanie in her back yard, so a massive landscaping and clearing project took place. But what has become the most fun is watching our resident trash picker turn garbage into gold. I don't know what we would have done without Colleen on the trip the last three years. I remember my thoughts about her two years ago when she came for the first time, so ill-prepared for the work that was to be done. She seemed lost to me, just walking around the site in her clothes that were not mission work appropriate. She looked more like a tourist than a missionary. Last year we truly got to witness her gift of taking the objects lying around the village and turning then into beautiful pieces of art. She inspired the kids to paint an abondanded car with scripture, flowers, and wonderful colors. The team also collected glass bottles that were filled with paint and scritpure that were hung from a tree. So this year we all couldn't wait to see what type of creation she would come up with. After coming back with the lunches today, I saw the kids tearing apart an old mattress left for trash. They were taking the springs and using them as the hub of a windchime, with pieces of glass hanging down. But her creativity has inspired the rest of the team. Some girls are taking the drawers from a discarded dresser to make window boxes for flowers to hang from the front of the house. Others are going to make a bench out of the headboard from an old bed frame. Wood pallets are being painted with vibrant colors around the garden. As is stated in Romans 12:6, "We have many gifts, according to the grace given us..." Colleen is using the gifts that God gave her to not only beautify the homes we work in, but to inspire the kids that work with her. We don't know what we would do without her.

The Best Laid Plans

Proverbs 16:9 was today's scripture passage. "The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." So this morning during the large group devotion, we talked about how no matter how hard we try to make this trip meet OUR needs and fit OUR vision, God just doesn't play that way. So if you don't think God has a sense of humor, guess again. During breakfast, the leaders discussed the plan for the day. Head to worksite, assess the job, go to store, etc. Throw in a trip to the airport to pick up Pastor Greg, and there you have it. A great day tied up with a pretty bow. If only it happened that way. We decided to kill two birds with one stone, so we added a trip back to the training center to pick up lunch as well. After a few miles of the almost 30 minute trip, the bus that I was driving with a few team members decided to stall. I was just driving along and the engine totally quit. So we pulled over, restarted it, and off we went. About a minute later it happened again. After a phone call to Karen back at the office, Ronald, our other bus driver, picked us up and took us back to get lunch. So we adjusted the plan. The trip to the store would have to be cut short, and some of the supplies would not be able to make it back because we wouldn't have time to do that AND pick up Greg. As the leader, there's a little stress when you know people are depending on you to get the necessary materials to do the work and you're not able to do that. When we finally go back to the worksite - FOUR HOURS LATER - we were amazed at what we saw. Each member actively engaged in meaningful work - scraping the walls, picking up garbage, preparing an area for gardens, playing with LOTS of kids. My worry was for nothing. The day was PERFECT, even with a few work stoppages dur to some pretty heavy rains. The positive feelings carried over into the nightly games which were all on the beach. The highlight was the beach sculpture that reflected your group name and connected to God. It's funny how the kids don't even notice the other beachgoers checking us out as we laugh, scream, bury our friends in the sand, and basically act like a bunch of crazy children. And that's just the leaders. But the best part of any day comes during the small group devotion time. It's only our second night, but we are witnessing some major spiritual growth and changes in these kids. And Karen told me at dinner that when the mechanic went to check out the van, it started right up and he was able to drive it all the way back without any problems.

Really, again?

I know it seems like a broken record to the people who've read this blog year after year, but it happened again. The message at church today was on point with our message for the week. Not depending on the world, but depending on God when you have needs. As the pastor was speaking, Trish kept giving me a little nudge like, "Oh my gosh, it's like he knows what we are talking about." I got a few glances from some of the other leaders as well. It's funny how this continues to happen each year. It's funny to think that it's our idea and work in creating the devotion material, when really His hand is the one guiding us. Besides the message, church today was awesome. We stood and sang for almost 45 minutes until we sat down. There was also a call the front where the various pastors prayed over members, spoke in tongues, and cast out evil spirits. A few members of the team were prayed over for birthdays and anniversaries, and one member was called up from her seat to be annointed. The entire service lasted almost 3 hours, but no one complained. That's a miracle right there! The rest of the day was spent fellowshipping at the pool and beach. The kids are getting to know each other better, mixing up seats when they eat, and breaking away from their typical groups. Our small groups created team names, flags, and songs to represent them. We have some very creative, and not so creative, groups, but each brought a unique style to the presentations. Finally we ended the night with our first small group devotion time. Each day we will be focusing on an area of our lives where will tend to depend on ourselves or the world instead of Jesus to get us through. Today was focused on when we are fearful or afraid. Please pray that the fears of our team members, both kids and leaders, will not consume them, but they can be free to take risks, try new things, and trust that God will be there to catch them when they fall.

What? No phone???

One of the biggest bone of contention that I get about this trip is the policy of no phones or iPods. I've heard every type of reason that they should be allowed. "I need it to sleep," "What if my mom or dad needs me," "but that's the only camera I have!" This is usually followed with whining, complaining, begging, or pleading. The most popular one is when the kids try some reverse psychology, "How come the adults get to have one?" Which is usually followed by the answer to end all questions, "Because I said so." But no matter how much they want it, the answer will still be no. It may seem a little harsh, but this trip has evolved into more than a service project of fixing houses and playing with kids. It has become a weeklong religious retreat where we can focus all of our attention to the true purpose of the trip - to strengthen our relationship with Jesus. Too much of our time, me included, is devoted to checking our phones to make sure we aren't missing anything. And a lot of kids find their value from the amount of likes, retweets, friends, and followers they have. And heaven forbid we don't share every moment of our lives with the world the second it happens. Many of our kids suffer from FOMO - Fear Of Missing Out. Comparing ourselves to everyone else based on social media has created a new type of "keeping up the Jones's" way of living. Trying to "appear" like they are happy or have it all figured out based on their posts is a recipe for disaster. It seems like they can never just be "off" from the world for fear of being left out of the crowd. So this week we want the people on the trip to live in the moment with the people they are with. Share the experiences with one another and not with the device in our hands. It's amazing already the number of conversations that have already taken place. Even during our 2 hour delay, the kids played cards, laughed, ate candy, and got to know one another. If phones were allowed, our time would have been spent texting, tweeting, snapchatting, taking selfies, or zoning out to our music or Netflix. God has a purpose for us this week. Learn to depend on Him when we need someone to trust, depend on, seek for guidance and validation. Not get validation when we get another "like" on our social media. There will be plenty of time to share the trip when they get home. And the best part is they won't be huddled around the phone showing pictures. It might actually be a real conversation.

Back in the saddle again

It seems like yesterday, that a group of 16 Woodsiders hopped on a bus for BWI airport heading to Freeport, Bahamas. The 10 youths and 6 adults had no idea what was in store. Was it going to be a total disaster? Or would it be more than we could have ever imagined? Well, 10 years later, Woodside is still here (and I'm the last one standing!) The 31 missionaries - 12 newbies - will be back again this summer to fulfill one of God's greatest commandments, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Some of us are already there interning for an entire month, waiting for their Woodside friends to arrive. Over the course of the past decade, over 200 Woodsiders and friends have traveled to the Bahamas to help Karazim Ministries serve the people of the island. A lot has changed in those 10 years - from the daily schedule and types of jobs, to the devotions and the beach service. But one thing has remained constant, our desire to serve God and seek His love in the process. And hopefully this year will no different.