Youth Mission Team 2019: Recap - Ian

Hi, I'm Ian Manning. Today we started our long drive home from Lexington. After a couple of bathroom breaks we had our annual stop at Cracker Barrel. After a hour or two of good food and reminiscing on the past week, we finally hit the road. This has been my fourth mission trip and looking back at this week, I know it's been a special one. It was magical for everyone involved, from the leaders to the kids in the youth group to adventure serve. From walking the streets of Lexington to canoeing down the Kentucky river, the week was filled with life lessons and moments no one is soon to forget. The chemistry that the group had was something I have never seen before on a mission trip. It was amazing watching three new leaders, Kim, Andrea, and Dale, getting accepted almost immediately as a part of the youth group. Everyone on the trip grew closer together as a family and ultimately grew closer to God.

Throughout the week, I saw moments of growth. On Thursday a couple of the guys accidentally got into a tough spot when we were climbing a small waterfall. Everyone up there worked as a perfect team to get everyone down safe and it was amazing to watch and be a part of. When my group went to Quest Farms on Wednesday, the impact we made on those special needs adults could be seen almost immediately. When Lauren walked in, one of the adults there yelled "BUDDY" when he saw her because he remembered her from when she visited from a mission trip 4 years ago. This years trip was filled with a unified want to help people and spread Gods love. On Friday, we were given the option to walk around the city and hand out our leftover food at the cost of our free time. Everyone voted to go and hand out our food after already doing two service projects that day. The group that came on this trip was really special and it was great to be a part of it. I have one more mission trip left until I move on from this youth group, and although I'm excited, I know topping this week won't be easy.

-Ian Manning

Youth Mission Team 2019: Day Four - Sienna Burnham

I'm Sienna Burnham. Today was the fifth day of the mission trip. We went on a canoeing trip on the Kentucky River. After some unfortunate events; such as forgetting the bread for lunch and not having the correct forms, everyone picked partners and jumped in their canoes. Julia and I were partners, and it was an amazing time. During the boat ride we were able to take in the nature and beauty of the river. The weather was absolutely beautiful, with a clear blue sky and a comfortable temperature. After about two hours of rowing, our arms were exhausted and sore, but we were pleased by the sight of a small hidden water fall. We were able to get out of our boats for lunch by the waterfall and some of us even climbed to the top of the waterfall. We were able to enjoy a nice swim together. It was a peaceful ride back and I really enjoyed spending quality time with Julia. We learned more about each other and grew closer with her.

After the canoe trip, we went to visit our gracious hosts, Pastor Ron and Dorena. They hosted us for dinner and grilled steaks, chicken, and burgers. We were able to play games, have a great dinner, and spend time in worship and fellowship. This trip is meant for growing a stronger bond with the people around you and most importantly a more intense relationship with God. I have been working on this all week. I've been able to grow closer to people that I wouldn't usually talk to and I'm so glad I'm building new friendships within the youth group. These students and leaders are going to have my back through everything and I'm so grateful to be apart of a group that's so tight and faithful. Anyways we had a great time together and I'm excited to see what the rest of the trip holds! We'll keep you updated!! 

Sienna Burnham

Friday, July 27 - Adventure Day

Hi! It's Marissa, Ian, and Julie. Today, we woke up extra early to begin our fun adventure day. We ate breakfast at 6:45 and immediately headed to Blue Heron. When we arrived, we found a beautiful view to do our morning devotional. Everyone really got to see God's creation in action! Afterwards, we then hiked towards our rock climbing spot for the day. We had two spots for climbing and a rope dangling off the top of a 100 foot cliff to repel! At first, people were reluctant and intimidated to do the activities, but after a while everyone jumped right "off!" The two climbing walls, one easy and one hard, were both quite a challenge. They included numerous cracks and crevices to pull yourself up to the top. When you got the top of each wall, it was a tradition to kiss the carabiner clip. Also, the cliff we repelled off was crazy! It was an awesome feeling getting to slowly back down and then hear the group cheering you on! Overall, it was a really fun and successful day! Everyone did something they probably thought they never would. We now are all tired and are in the vans heading to dinner at Sonny's for some good deserved barbecue! After dinner, we will be going to basecamp for our senior led worship. Then it will be bedtime so we are ready for the long car ride home tomorrow morning. See you guys soon.

Thursday, July 26 - Work Day 4

This is Luke Buzby, and I’m here to tell you about my day on Thursday, July 26th. So, Ben, Luke S. and I all went with Mr. Marcussen to clean up the trash we laid out on the sidewalk the previous day. We got in the car thinking this trip would take only an hour or so, but we were totally incorrect. We started bonding over songs and other weird things that I can’t even begin to explain. We started packing up the truck’s bed with trash that reeked. We then headed to the dump, but we got lost. We asked a neighbor that lived in the area of the dump who said that you take a left instead of a right. We did that but found a dead end and almost ran over a dog that was running circles around the car. We somehow got out of that and ended up finding the dump. Then we went to Lowe’s for supplies, and Luke and I broke the mission trip record with 136 inches of tape measure. We then got in the truck and headed back to base camp. When got back, Bethany, our Adventure Serve leader, told Luke and I to go look for a wood stretcher. We went out for a stroll and looked for this so called “wood stretcher.” Luke quickly caught on that we were looking around for something that didn’t exist for about 2 hours. It was a day of unexpected adventures. Our work has come to an end and looking forward to tomorrow's real adventure!

Wednesday, July 25 - Work Day 3

Hey! It's Jordan and Matt M. Today we went to a new worksite. The family had 5 kids that lived with their grandmother. In the morning, we played lots of games with the kids and really bonded with them. They also had 2 puppies and they were tiny and so adorable! I (Jordan) helped the grandmother with folding and hanging clothes! She was so sweet and very helpful! I, (Matt) played with the puppies a lot! We all then ate lunch together and had fun! We did a Walmart run and bought them new brooms and chairs and other things. After lunch, we got to work. We primed and painted the door frames with Hannah and Dan while Ben helped replace the toilet seat and Luke B, Luke S, and Clay cleaned the garage. It was very exhausting, but definitely worth seeing how happy they were. We were so lucky to have met these kid, and we really did a great job of showing them God's love. We ended the day with pictures and a big game of Duck Duck Goose. We were blessed to have met them and they definitely touched our lives.

Tuesday, July 24 - Work Day 2 with Grace and Sienna

Today we were on a new worksite to do demo! Our mission was to tear down two sheds for a family that had just moved from Ohio to Kentucky. They shared that they had no family here in Kentucky so it was quite a leap of faith. Katie and I were chosen to be worksite leaders, which meant that we were in charge of telling people what to tear down and take to other places. I was pretty nervous because I was in charge of a project that I had never ever done before. While hammering through the tin roof of the shed, a bunch of ants that were crawling through the wood underneath. Pretty gross if you ask me! Throughout the day, I continued to think about our Seed Thoughts devotions this morning ... that we are beloved in God's eyes. God has chosen our own identity not by the things we do but from who we are. Despite always being consumed by other's judgements or trying to perfect our image, God loves us no matter what. - Grace

Today our worksite team helped out a couple that had just moved to Kentucky. They were in need of two sheds to be tore down. At first, I was definitely in my yellow zone as I literally had no idea what a crowbar was. Five minutes into our workday though, I was prying nails and tin off of the shed's roof. Towards the end of the day our group does debrief, and each of us share our lows and highs from the day. My work team is so fun and we have all grown closer to each other. It's amazing how close you can get with people after only spending just a few hours working together. Later at night we were able to meet the former directors of Cleft Rock and hear their story. God is working through all of us this week as we serve others and be the the hands and feet of Jesus. - Sienna

Monday, July 23 - Work Day 1

Today was a great day! This is the 5th mission trip I have been on and honestly, every trip always feels like a brand new adventure. After meeting our Adventure Serve leaders last night, we spent today bonding with them during our work projects. Our Adventures Serve leaders (Heather, AJ, Cameron, and Bethany) split up our teams into 3 groups, each for a separate work project. My group was led by Heather, who in turn chose me to be the worksite leader. This means I was now in charge of tearing out a floor in someone's living room and replacing it. As someone who barely knows how to use a hammer, this was quite a challenge. Luckily I had a crew consisting of Ian, Darci, Julie, Jonathan, Conrad, Jake, and some of the leaders at my disposal. With their help, we managed to move the furniture (we had some trouble with the couch) and tore up the floor. God moved through us throughout the entire day and all 3 groups accomplished much more than anticipated. Overall, it was a good day and I think the team is really starting to bond.

-Matt (the better twin) Ross

July 22-28 Youth Mission Trip to Kentucky

On July 22-28, our youth mission team will be traveling to the mountains of southeastern Kentucky to complete home repair and other projects for families in need. During their trip, our students will also be engaging in leadership and team building. Please pray for our 26 students and 7 adult leaders as they serve and lead for the week. You can follow all of their adventures right here on their blog, so check back.