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CRPC Summer
Youth Mission Trip to Ankeny, Iowa
This trip was
Grace Presbytery's 15th summer youth mission
trip and 18th overall.
On Thursday, June 25, a group of 32 youth and
adults representing nearly a dozen Grace
Presbytery congregations (including Crossroads
Presbyterian Church) will depart for an eleven
day journey that will take us to Ankeny, a
suburban community just north of Des Moines,
Iowa. While there, it is our intention to be a
source of hope and encouragement, not only for
our ministry partners at Hope Ministries and
Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity, but
that we will be a source of hope and
encouragement for all whom we meet as we travel
across Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and
Missouri.
--Rick Carus, Co-Director of Youth in Mission
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Less Than Twenty-Four Hours To Go
The countdown is now under 24 hours. The group
assembles at Trinity Presbyterian Church in The
Colony at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow morning to pack up
and head north. There will be 32 of us -- 25
youth, 6 adults advisors, and our wonderful
college student who serves as our community life
consultant and our (Wes' and mine) right hand
person
Today is preparation day. The biggest and most
time consuming part of the whole
deal is picking up the wonderful white vans from
Capps and those incredibly fine trailers from
U-Haul. With it supposed to be 100° Fahrenheit today, I sure hope that things go well. We
always seem to have a snag with the trailers...
maybe today God will shine upon us and
everything will go like clockwork!
So tomorrow it will be The Colony to Oklahoma
City (Westminster Pres for lunch) and then on to
Covenant Pres in Wichita for our overnight.
Can't wait!!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Anticipation...
One van and trailer is sitting in the parking
lot here at 6700 Sandshell, while the other one
is with Jesse in Carrollton. Wes has the
mini-van in his possession and the countdown
continues. A couple of years ago while cruising
I-20 in West Texas on a trip to Ciudad Juarez,
my friend Ron Salfen asked "when are you the
happiest?" I looked over at him and said "right
now!"
I am the happiest when I am behind the wheel of
one of Capps Van Rental's fine white vans or
similar vehicle (First Pres GI's "Shake and
Bake" comes to mind), loaded with a group of
high school kids, and headed for a mission
adventure. For me, that is a big part of what my
life and ministry has been all about -- kids and
mission trips. Mission Trips are one of my great
passions, and I love it when I can share it with
the young people of the church!
For the record -- this is going to be Grace
Presbytery's 15th summer youth mission trip and
18th overall. For me, it is #14 and #17
respectively and #36 overall. I am sure that I
have logged a couple of hundred thousand miles
doing this. It never gets old; in fact, it is
energizing. My spirit comes alive.
I am ready to hit the road. I am ready for some
happiness with 31 special travelling companions.
The next eleven days will be amazing!
Friday, June 26, 2009
We Made It!
At 5:35 p.m. today, the Grace Gang rolled into
the parking lot of Ankeny Presbyterian Church.
After two days on the road, we have arrived!
For the most part, the trip was uneventful --
hot, but uneventful. Thursday saw us stop off in
Oklahoma City, where Westminster Pres allowed us
to use their beautiful new, state of the art
youth room for our lunch and devotional break.
It was a wonderful place to get off the road and
chillax for a bit.
Rolling into Wichita, one bank's temperature
sign read 109°! Talk about your warm welcomes!
Covenant Pres in Wichita hosted us and we shared
in our traditional first night "passing of the
mantle". The recently graduated seniors who were
Grace Mission Trip vets, passed the mantle (trip
shirts) and commissioned the group with a charge
to be "beacons of hope and encouragement".
Friday's travels took us north to Salina, Kansas
where we found a highway rest area for morning
devotions. After that we continued north to
York, NE and then turned right! At lunch in
Lincoln, Rick and Jim offered to introduce the
group to a Nebraska tradition -- runzas -- but
only Marianne, Wes, Tricia, and Ainsley met the
challenge!
Upon arrival in Ankeny, we were greeted by our
hosts Mary and Doug Kohlsdorf who showed up
around. It turns out that Mary was one of
Olivia's advisors at GA last year! Small world!!
Dinner was another Nebraska tradition that has
spread over to Iowa -- Valentino's Grand Italian
Buffet. I think the group was well fed!
Saturday will be busy, so it is time to sign
off. Hopefully some of the group members will
join in the blogging as the week goes by! Peace
to you all from Ankeny, Iowa.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Day 3: It was packed, not a lot of dead time.
This was the team's schedule --
8:00 a.m. -- The Ankeny folks provided breakfast
that included some truly decadent cinnamon
rolls.
8:30 a.m. -- Morning devotions -- today's prayer
people were Alec, Kevin, and me.
9:00 a.m. -- The Service begins:
14 folks went to Des Moines and provided child
care at the Hope Family Shelter - would you let
your kids play with these folks?
18 folks stayed in Ankeny to do a "Good Neighbor
Project for members of APC - mostly yard work.
Got to meet some really neat folks. It was a
good way to introduce ourselves to the
congregation.
12:45 p.m. -- Lunch -- again provided by our
hosts! They have been so gracious. What a
blessing.
2:00 p.m. -- The Wal-Mart grocery blitz -- our
organization was great, but that did not stop us
from over buying some items. 5 containers of
mustard is WAY too much! We did set mission trip
history -- loaded the groceries in 4 minutes and
unloaded them in the same -- and it wasn't even
raining. The attraction of showers is a powerful
force.
3:45 p.m. -- Shower Time at the Y
4:30 p.m. -- Worship Rehearsal with the Praise
Team for Sunday's 11 a.m. service.
5:30 p.m. -- Worship Rehearsal for the 9 a.m.
service -- while Rick's crew was creating a
Mexican fiesta.
6:45 p.m. -- Dinner
8:30 p.m. -- Spirit Fest -- A Christian Music
concert under clear skies and 65° temps!
11:45 p.m. -- Trying to get the folks to bed! It
is easier to herd cats!
In between, there was some soccer on the back
lawn; writing notes to prayer buddies; and
general times of hanging out together. This is
really a very interesting group of folks! A few
pictures for you all from some of today's
actions -- sorry, we were not permitted to take
pictures of the children at the shelter... so
nothing from there! That's it for today! Good
night!!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Day Four -- Sunday, June 28:
It was a day of rest and re-creation. The team
led worship, received a briefing on the work
week, spent the afternoon bobbing in the waves
at Saylorville Lake, and ended the day hanging
out with the Ankeny Pres. Praise Team.
I continue to marvel at the great kids we have
in Grace Presbytery. They did a great job in
leading worship this morning. Jake brought out a
few tears when, as part of the opening of
worship, said the words "Children of God,
Welcome Home!"
Today was a lot of fun, but the group is eager
to get past this part of the trip and get into
the work! That starts in the morning!
The following reflections come from group
members. Enjoy!
A Reflection by Calvin...
Today was one of the most remarkable days of
this mission trip that I have experienced. In a
small church in Ankeny where there is a
traditional and contemporary service, the heart
of the people here are monumental. The two
services were entirely youth-led, and the
sermons all showed a small part of the grace
that God so often pours into our lives. Out of
all the beach fun and church services that we
participated in, the greatest moment was our
evening worship time. Today I surely saw a bit
of God's amazing grace in the bonds that have
been created in our mission trip already. I can
only hope for more true blessings from this
group of loveable people.
A Reflection by Kevin...
Today was a day to remember. In all the mission
trips I've gone to thus far, there has never
been a day that I have truly enjoyed so early in
a mission trip. The day started off with two
services that were incredible. I believe people
liked my sermon and I am glad that I got to make
a little difference in someone's life. The
people in Iowa are incredibly kind and they look
out for each other. I thought I'd be scared
coming into this community, but they make me
feel like home. We went to the beach today. I
didn't get to swim, but I spent a great
afternoon getting to play games with my new
family. A true God moment for me was getting to
discuss the day, both good and bad. It was a sad
moment, but I think it brought me closer to the
group. God was here this Sunday.
A Reflection by Christine...
Today was an AMAZING day!! We were able to
interact with many of the church members and
listen to their praises about the group going to
help out in their houses yesterday. We were able
to go to the lake and Kellie and I ran into the
water quickly because it was freezing cold.
There were many chicken fights and there was a 3
person stack on Jason's shoulders. Once we were
finished swimming we had a great cook out that
was filled with fellowship and a game of Wa. I
feel like everyone really connected today and I
can not wait for the connections that will be
built tomorrow!!
Dave 5 is done and Day 6 has begun!
This was truly a long day. We finally got back
to APC at 11:00 p.m., and as I write this, it is
going on 1 a.m. on Tuesday and 10 of our folks
will be heading into the city in less than four
hours! Words cannot describe today, but I have
not had time to download pictures, so words are
all we have! Today, they come from 4 youth.
Racheal --
"Today is the fifth day and also the day we
started working. I worked at the Door of Faith
Center cleaning the Chapel and washing windows.
There, I met a man named Dutch that was living
in the center and going through a recovery
program. We quickly struck up a conversation and
became good buddies. However, the man that
impacted me most today was a man named Larry. He
was talking about the relationship with he had
with his son and the words that stuck to me
were, 'You can't change others, you can only
change yourself.' They stuck with me because it
reminded me of my relationship with my father
and how I can't change him. I can only go down
the right path and set an example of the way I
hope that he should want to live. I was so
awestruck that a man I just met could connect so
deeply with me."
Mary --
"Today we met a homeless couple (Tina and David)
who had recently gotten married. They had
received donation after donation to make their
wedding a reality and it wasn't until close to
the end that the man in charge had realized that
after the wedding, all they had to go back to
was the tent camp on Raccoon River. So, once
again, the man in charge (David B) asked for
donations, but what he received was more than
anyone expected. The landlord of an apartment
complex had a tenant who was willing to pay
first month's rent if she accepted them. She did
with no questions asked and others (including
our group) have donated money for the second and
third months as well. We all decided to go and
help them move into the apartment today and
afterwards we blessed the apartment. I even
decided to pitch in myself, so I gave Tina a
twenty dollar bill. The look in her eyes when we
did all of this for them was so touching and so
thankful, and by the end, she was almost in
tears. That touched me so much, and I was
grateful that we were able to meet them."
Taylor --
"Wow is the word for it! At first when I found
out I was working with homeless people I was not
happy at all. I have never really gotten a great
connection with them, and when I go any where
like Church Under the Bridge, it just never
works out for me that great. But when I got to
the mission center today, it was amazing and I
connected with a few people and they were normal
people like you and me. It amazed me that they
were so similar to me and that we connected so
easily, and I don't know why that was so
surprising to me. Today made me so happy for
what I have in my life that I take for granted
everyday."
Kody --
"Today was amazing. I don't if any of the other
mission trippers have told this yet, but there
was one couple who really touched me. It really
was a reality check. The couple's name was David
and Tina Friend, and they have been living in a
tent camp since February of '09. Since then they
have both accepted Christ Jesus in their lives,
they got married, 2 weeks ago today. With
donations and help from Hope Ministries have
both gotten jobs. Also, with a little help from
us and others, the have moved into an apartment
complex. But that wasn't really the touching
part. The touching part was to see how the works
of God have unfolded for this couple after
accepting Christ in their lives. We were
blessing the apartment and in the middle of
singing 'Sanctuary' four 4 military jets flew
overhead. It was almost like God was sending his
version of a fireworks show finalizing the move.
David and Tina were glad to find out that 3
months rent has been paid for, This will help
get them on their feet and save up the money
from their new jobs. They were truly thankful
and it was just one of the best feelings I've
ever felt."
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Greetings from the land of cool temperatures
(today, it did not hit 80°) and cheaper gas (89
octane gas is $2.27) At noon today, we hit the
midpoint of the trip. Things seem to be going
very fast around here. I suppose that's a good
sign, as I guess that it means things are going
well, but at the same time you want to slow
things down an savor the moments that you have
with such a terrific group.
Taylor 's Reflections from Tuesday...
WOW each day keeps on getting better and better!
We went to Freedom for Youth and it was awesome.
The youth that go their don't stay there at
night but spend the day there for something to
do. We went up there in the morning, and at
first I didn't feel like I was doing much. Me,
Jake, and Kellie were working together, but what
we were doing I couldn't do very well, so I felt
useless. Our morning devotional and scripture
this morning was about having patience, the Lord
will find you something to do, and everything
you do is important. Much later in the day,
still feeling useless, I saw a little boy and
went up and talked to him. His name was Ahmani
from Tanzania. He was very shy at first, but
after a while he warmed up to me and started
talking to me about his background. He ended up
working as much, if not more, than some of the
mission trippers. It's just amazing to me that
someone who has lost so much, could be open to
so much, and do so much to help others. He was
only 12, but I've learned so much from him, and
I'm getting so much more thankful for everything
I have every day I'm here.
Kevin's Tuesday Reflection...
At 4:45 AM I had the pleasure of going to help
the Salvation Army feed homeless people around
downtown Des Moines. It was great weather and I
was ecstatic to get started. Inside the truck, I
got to cook quiche and give out all types of
food to different homeless people. Although I
felt bad for just giving handouts, I learned
that to some, I was giving more than just a
meal. I was giving them warmth and love with
simple words as "hello," "how are you," and
"have a great day." The next place to do God's
work was at a place called "Freedom for Youth."
There I met a great person named Gary who was a
professional drummer at age 13. The work they do
there, which is helping refugee kids get bikes
and helping homeless kids make it out into the
world on their own was...Phenomenal.
Fulton's Tuesday Reflection...
I crawled my tired butt out of bed at 4:15 am,
got dressed, and climbed in the van to deliver
meals to people in Des Moines, Iowa. I had the
pleasure of meeting a wonderful person, Jim, who
was the Salvation Army Disaster Relief Van
Driver. Even though we only visited a total of 3
or 4 sites we spent about 30-45 minutes at each
talking to and filling orders of the needy
customers. Quiche, cereal bags, cinnamon rolls,
granola bars, yogurt, and lemonade cartons were
the choices for the people. Since I'm such a
people person I got to work the window and talk
to the people face to face greeting them, giving
them their bags of food, and reminding them to
have a blessed week. After having an amazing
talk with Jim I asked him how I could get his
job, his response was "why?". I just laughed. I
explained in the past my family had been in the
same position as these people standing in line.
Life doesn't always go as planned and even
though asking for help may be degrading to some,
its needed. I told him I could honestly wake up
every morning at 4:15 for the rest of my life if
it meant helping people like this. The smiles
and "God bless you" responses made my heart skip
beats. I'm going to college in Missouri in the
fall to major in missionary work and this is
exactly what I want to do. He gave me a number
to contact and the first chance I get I'm going
to contact a Salvation Army near me. This is my
calling, this is what makes me happy and what I
have my heart set on. I knew there was a reason
I lucked out and got a chance to do this job
this morning. Out of 32 people I got to go. This
is my 4th and final mission trip with Grace and
I wanted it to be the best, maybe to the point
where my expectations where high, but this day
made a wonderful finale to my mission trip that
isn't really even over until Sunday when we get
back home. The people we served said they were
blessed, but I think it was the other way
around, I was blessed with this amazing
experience. Thank you God and Rick.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Wednesday in Iowa
Greetings from the Land of Corn, Corn, and more
Corn!
The group continues to have an adventure here in
Cyclone Country (we are 25 miles from the Iowa State University campus).
Today saw the group split again into an "older" and "younger"
arrangement. The
older group worked with Habitat for Humanity, and the younger team was back at
the Freedom Center of Freedom for youth. The Habitat group is working on
"punch list items for new homes, while the Freedom Center group did work on a new
decorative garden for the Center's campus. While there seems to still be
some good energy at this hour, the group is tired and a bit sore. The overall
spirit is good, in spite of some minor aggravations.
Our visit is winding down, but many good
memories are yet to be had! Tonight we
have just one youth post - from the youngest
member of our group!
Talk at you all tomorrow!
Paige Brummett's thoughts...
I never realized how easy I have life! I have
wonderful parents that love me! And an amazing
church family and wonderful friends! This trip
has honestly opened my eyes a little more than I
thought was possible. I saw a couple that went
from nothing, to accepting Christ, falling in
love and and having their whole lives change in
an instant! There have been men that have
problems in life that are hard to deal with so
they live on the streets until they decide to go
into a temporary home to get them on the right
track in life. I never realized how much I have
and how much I take for granted. Last night at
our evening fellowship and worship we walked the
labyrinth that is here at the church we are
staying at. As I was walking through it, I was
praying for
everyone: people that were having problems,
people that wanted to change and everything else
I could think of! I saw someone crying and it
hit me how I never really thank God for all he
does for me and what all he gives to me and
blesses me with. So I cried, I saw young men cry
that I didn't think I would ever even see think
about crying. It was the most touching thing I
have experienced this trip and I thank God for
providing me this opportunity and leading me to
do his work and let his light shine through me!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Catching Up
Ankeny, IA
Friday, July 3...
Sorry for not having an entry on Thursday, but
there was a good reason for it.
One of the things that comes with living in a
group like this is that things don't always go
as planned. The group gets tired and loses
focus, leading to those moments when you have to
step back and take stock of who we are as
individuals and a team. We had one of those days
on Thursday. We needed to step back and make a
mid course correction. The result was an early
night for the whole group and no time for
blogging.
The group entered into this day better rested
and with an improved focus, which was important on this, our last day in Des
Moines.
To recap our activities:
Thursday -- Group 1 (those old enough to work
with Habitat) spent another day with Habitat in
the north central part of Des Moines. They were
engaged in a landscaping project at a home that
would be occupied by a family of Sudanese
refugees. Group 2 (the younger folks) did a
triple-header: work projects at Door of Faith (a
men's recovery center) -- building a limestone
stairway, washing windows, and clearing brush;
serving lunch at the Hope Cafe in the Bethel
Mission (a men's shelter), and finally hosting a
group of children from the family shelter on a
mini-golf adventure. The evening saw the Grace
group and the Ankeny Pres folks playing Capture
the Flag in the back yard of the church. Whew!
Today -- Group 1 finished two landscaping
projects at Habitat in the morning, and in the
afternoon, they completed the garden project at
Freedom for Youth. Group 2 started the day
working a the Central United Men's Shelter in
Des Moines, before doing the lunch shift and
assorted cleanup projects at Hope Cafe. Tonight
was "Clean Out the Fridge Night" followed by
some fellowship and reflection time, as well as
saying goodbye to our Ankeny friends, the
Kohldorf's and the Rodman's.
Tomorrow we begin the two day trek home. I don't
know if we will have internet, so this may be
our last blog until we do a wrap up after return
to Texas.
A group entry from Alec, Ainsley, Sarah, Eric
and Leanna:
A mere ten days ago we were a loosely knit group
of diverse individuals. After what now seems
like a confusing blur of a journey, we have
emerged as a family.
This is not to say that the past ten days have
been free of petty drama. In fact quite the
opposite is true. There certainly was a fair
amount of bickering – standard teen fare. A
small rift divided the “West Virginia” gang and
the “Colorado” group. Immature alliances formed,
feelings were hurt, and names were called. But
notice how this is all in past tense.
On this last night in Iowa, we remain imperfect
and flawed, but touched and transformed by
Christ’s love. Pranks and gossip are things of
the past. The profound work that we have done
over the past days has allowed us to focus our
attention to the things that matter: love and
kindness, humility and grace, and (as our trip
scripture reminds us) hope and encouragement. We
cannot claim perfection. But we can claim
profound and sincere friendship. The cement that
we mixed will crack, the closets we cleaned will
clutter, the trees that we planted will wither
with age, but the bonds we have formed will
remain.
Hopefully you have been vicariously touched by
our experiences. Thank you for reading about our
travels.
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