FRIDAY MIDDLE SCHOOL UPDATE

Day two was once again fantastic! I am so proud of our team, how well they are coming together, and for all of their awesome work. I am truly blessed to be a part of what they are doing. We spent the morning with the High-School team at Center for the Homeless. We began by listening to some of the staff talking about what the center does, listening to a story from one of the residents and then working in the kitchen and in the garden. After we finished working we had the opportunity to eat with some of the residents. I was amazed by our team and how well they did at being outgoing and engaged with the different people they met. They were quick to introduce themselves and start up conversation. Some of the boys gathered around Giovanni while he shared his artwork, while others spread out around the cafeteria to meet and hear stories from the other residents. They were fantastic and you could tell that the people of the shelter were thrilled to have them there. They fit in with complete ease, while at the same time opening themselves up to new opportunities and allowing themselves to be stretched. It was great to see them learning about how the choices they make today will affect them in long-term ways. They were just soaking up the wisdom that the people had to offer.

After we finished our work at Center for the Homeless, the Middle-School team headed over to GCC for the afternoon. Next time you sit for a service take note of how clean the auditorium chairs are.  We spent the afternoon doing multiple different cleaning projects that included chairs, stair rails, baseboards, pillars, walls, and more. The students were able to learn a lot about the standard of excellence to which our church holds itself. There were a couple of times when they had to repeat spots they had already cleaned, but they did it with great attitudes and learning hearts. They are an awesome team!

In the evening we headed off to Coveleski stadium for a Silver Hawks game and fireworks. We had a blast! I am continually amazed by the amount of energy that they all have to offer, during and outside of work. They had a well deserved, relaxing evening.

Tomorrow we head out to Crooked Creek Ranch in Wakarusa. Crooked Creek serves the community in many ways, including free horseback riding lessons for those who could not typically afford it. While we were at the Center for the Homeless today we actually met a young man who had been over to Crooked Creek to ride. It’s great to see how all of the organizations in our community are connected and working together, and we get to be a part of it! Keep us in your prayers as the team finishes off strong! See you at the 5:00 service tomorrow!

Fun fact for the day: When we say our team is like a big family, we are talking literally. Out of the 32 people on the trip, 16 have a relative here with them! It’s awesome to see siblings, cousins, etc. serving here side-by side!
-Kara Weaver