Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Group 3 Friday Update
Friday June 27th,
Not as early, as the serving for the homeless at Palmer Episcopal Team 3 found themselves stuffing lunch bags for hundreds of kids below the age of 5 that might find no food for lunch that day. The site that we were at makes the lunches another sight delivers. Our pleasure this morning came as we accepted the challenge to make more sandwiches than any other crew this week or in recent time. We found a rhythm and an organization model to our work and we exceeded our goals and ended up making 1,346 sandwiches.
The spirit of God working in all of us was a thing of beauty. But seeing what God accomplished with us collectively was full of grace.
We consumed the sandwiches provided for us back at CSM... however, after 1,346 we had had our fill.
Friday afternoon we we were at Medical Bridges. A collection site for unused and able to be reused medical supplies of all kinds. Our jobs entailed sorting, boxing, and preparing for shipping someday down the road. We learned that over 9 billion dollars worth of medical supplies can be found in U.S. landfills. Again with a earnest spirit for the tasks in front of we worked thoroughly until our departure time. Just as the day before, at SEARCH, we left a fragrant bleach smell and clean distribution room. Amen.
-Kevin
Not as early, as the serving for the homeless at Palmer Episcopal Team 3 found themselves stuffing lunch bags for hundreds of kids below the age of 5 that might find no food for lunch that day. The site that we were at makes the lunches another sight delivers. Our pleasure this morning came as we accepted the challenge to make more sandwiches than any other crew this week or in recent time. We found a rhythm and an organization model to our work and we exceeded our goals and ended up making 1,346 sandwiches.
The spirit of God working in all of us was a thing of beauty. But seeing what God accomplished with us collectively was full of grace.
We consumed the sandwiches provided for us back at CSM... however, after 1,346 we had had our fill.
Friday afternoon we we were at Medical Bridges. A collection site for unused and able to be reused medical supplies of all kinds. Our jobs entailed sorting, boxing, and preparing for shipping someday down the road. We learned that over 9 billion dollars worth of medical supplies can be found in U.S. landfills. Again with a earnest spirit for the tasks in front of we worked thoroughly until our departure time. Just as the day before, at SEARCH, we left a fragrant bleach smell and clean distribution room. Amen.
-Kevin
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Group 1 Friday Update
Friday June 27, 2008
We started our last day by going to the Last Organic Outpost (LOO for short). This is a community garden site that was once a parking lot. They didn't even take out the parking lot, they just piled soil on it and planted stuff. Vegatables and flowers of all kinds are present here. Members of the community can come and plant, tend and then harvest
fresh produce. Sometimes when volunteer groups come to help out the produce that is harvested is donated to local charities. After getting all "sunscreened" up and donning our gloves we met the person in charge (for that day anyway). Being in a giant garden in the city with the morning sun, the humidity and the birds chirping was strangely surreal. We walked all around the garden, but couldn't locate anything that really needed to be done. This being the case we got back in the van and Amelia our CSM guide tried to make other arrangements for us.
We returned to the CSM housing site where Amelia was finally able to get in contact with the CSM city director Paul. He was able to set up for us to go to Food for Kids Ripley House and deliver... wait for it .... SANDWICHES ! What a perfect opportunity to frame the week. On Monday we had been at the other Food for Kids site making the lunches and today we were going to get to see where those lunches finally ended up. We met our contact at the Ripley House site and were given 106 lunch bags (plus a couple extra) and a list of addresses and instructions for delivery. We drove to the area and after waiting for a long, slooooow train, we started handing out the lunches. It was incredible the poverty and isolation in these neigborhoods. Even though the tiny run down houses were almost on top of one another, each place seemed to be like a miniature prison complete with fences, bars and gaurd dogs. A few places dared to have a flower bed or painted house. At times it seemed as though we were driving through a third world country instead of urban America. We carefully navigated the narrow streets and at times saw the actual children that came out to get their lunch. One small boy had all he could carry in taking 5 or 6 lunches back to the house for his family. This was probably one of the most challenging and heart wrenching activities that we performed all week. Everyone did a great job even though it was hot and chaotic work.
Our afternoon was spent with the Open Door Mission. This center houses and feeds a lot of homeless men every day. We were shown to the kitchen and split into two groups. The first group stayed in the kitchen and made, you guessed it, SANDWICHES ! Only this time we made just enough for the ODM to hand out to certain guests. The sandwich here was comprised of 2 slices of SPAM (not the email variety) and 2 slices of bread. Each lunch got 2 sandwiches, crackers or pretzels, and a can of ice tea. The other group was shown to the dining room and got set up to chop onions. Once the sandwich lunch group was done we joined the dining room crew for some TEARFUL onion chopping fun. We made short work of that huge (50 lbs or more) bag of onions each larger than a softball. Everyone's eyes hurt and many pounds of onions were chopped. We cleaned up the area and ourselves and then waited until it was time to serve the meal. We assembled and handed out trays of food and beverage for the dining room. A man named Zacharius got us involved in some Bible trivia lessons which the participants enjoyed greatly. We left the ODM, our last mission site of the week with a sense of tired accomplishment and relief.
Then is was off to eat Thai food at Thai Spice with the other groups. We didn't linger here too long and we were off to a huge park for wrap up. We spent a while in the park taking group photos and then split back into our groups.
We sat in a circle in the grass reflecting on our week and talking about the ways that we had seen God at work through us and our mission sites. We shared affirmations of each other and prayers. After this we took our group photos near a statue. We loaded up and went back to CSM housing, we did some skits of our favorite moments from the week and evaluation forms were filled out. For a special treat each group got to do something fun, we went for treats at a nearby Sonic. When we came back everyone chipped in to clean and pack for the early departure for the trip home. What a great week it was.
We started our last day by going to the Last Organic Outpost (LOO for short). This is a community garden site that was once a parking lot. They didn't even take out the parking lot, they just piled soil on it and planted stuff. Vegatables and flowers of all kinds are present here. Members of the community can come and plant, tend and then harvest
fresh produce. Sometimes when volunteer groups come to help out the produce that is harvested is donated to local charities. After getting all "sunscreened" up and donning our gloves we met the person in charge (for that day anyway). Being in a giant garden in the city with the morning sun, the humidity and the birds chirping was strangely surreal. We walked all around the garden, but couldn't locate anything that really needed to be done. This being the case we got back in the van and Amelia our CSM guide tried to make other arrangements for us.
We returned to the CSM housing site where Amelia was finally able to get in contact with the CSM city director Paul. He was able to set up for us to go to Food for Kids Ripley House and deliver... wait for it .... SANDWICHES ! What a perfect opportunity to frame the week. On Monday we had been at the other Food for Kids site making the lunches and today we were going to get to see where those lunches finally ended up. We met our contact at the Ripley House site and were given 106 lunch bags (plus a couple extra) and a list of addresses and instructions for delivery. We drove to the area and after waiting for a long, slooooow train, we started handing out the lunches. It was incredible the poverty and isolation in these neigborhoods. Even though the tiny run down houses were almost on top of one another, each place seemed to be like a miniature prison complete with fences, bars and gaurd dogs. A few places dared to have a flower bed or painted house. At times it seemed as though we were driving through a third world country instead of urban America. We carefully navigated the narrow streets and at times saw the actual children that came out to get their lunch. One small boy had all he could carry in taking 5 or 6 lunches back to the house for his family. This was probably one of the most challenging and heart wrenching activities that we performed all week. Everyone did a great job even though it was hot and chaotic work.
Our afternoon was spent with the Open Door Mission. This center houses and feeds a lot of homeless men every day. We were shown to the kitchen and split into two groups. The first group stayed in the kitchen and made, you guessed it, SANDWICHES ! Only this time we made just enough for the ODM to hand out to certain guests. The sandwich here was comprised of 2 slices of SPAM (not the email variety) and 2 slices of bread. Each lunch got 2 sandwiches, crackers or pretzels, and a can of ice tea. The other group was shown to the dining room and got set up to chop onions. Once the sandwich lunch group was done we joined the dining room crew for some TEARFUL onion chopping fun. We made short work of that huge (50 lbs or more) bag of onions each larger than a softball. Everyone's eyes hurt and many pounds of onions were chopped. We cleaned up the area and ourselves and then waited until it was time to serve the meal. We assembled and handed out trays of food and beverage for the dining room. A man named Zacharius got us involved in some Bible trivia lessons which the participants enjoyed greatly. We left the ODM, our last mission site of the week with a sense of tired accomplishment and relief.
Then is was off to eat Thai food at Thai Spice with the other groups. We didn't linger here too long and we were off to a huge park for wrap up. We spent a while in the park taking group photos and then split back into our groups.
We sat in a circle in the grass reflecting on our week and talking about the ways that we had seen God at work through us and our mission sites. We shared affirmations of each other and prayers. After this we took our group photos near a statue. We loaded up and went back to CSM housing, we did some skits of our favorite moments from the week and evaluation forms were filled out. For a special treat each group got to do something fun, we went for treats at a nearby Sonic. When we came back everyone chipped in to clean and pack for the early departure for the trip home. What a great week it was.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Group 1 Information Update
Monday June 23, 2008
Our first assignment was at Kids Meals, a food kitchen that provides sack lunches for children all over their area. Volunteers take the lunches from the kitchen to the community. We packed hundreds of sack lunches in a short amount of time by running two very fast assembly lines. Sandwiches that had already been made were used to pack into the sacks. Once we had used up all their pre-made supply of sandwiches we switched into sandwich making mode. The group performed as a well-oiled machine churning out stacks of fresh sandwiches to replenish their store for the next time a group comes to pack them. The kids really got to see the people their efforts helped, as when we left this place the lobby was filled with needy families that needed food for their children.
The afternoon session was a more interactive experience at the Sheltering Arms daycare for patients with memory loss disorders or Alzheimer's. We were given a brief orientation and then invited into the area where the guests were involved in a variety of activities. We found seats to join in with the guest and talk to them. A birthday party was held for a guest and everyone got cake and punch. We were treated to interesting conversations and learning experiences. A Hawaiian dancer entertained the group and a trivia session was led by our students. Everyone thought that this was a fun and interesting activity.
Tuesday June 24, 2008
Early on Tuesday morning we served at the Waystation food line for homeless at Palmer Church. This beautiful church feeds 300+ on any given day and our students jumped right in to help out. Various jobs were assigned including food preparation, and setup. As the guests arrived our students set about serving them with a smile. Eggs, ham, grits, rolls, juice and coffee comprised the menu and the kids were very efficient and courteous. In addition to food the guests could see a doctor and other counseling services. This day the line hosted about 350 guests which stretched the amount of food to the very limit. It was extremely hot and tiring busy work, but as before our kids handled it with ease and grace. As we started early, we also finished early and returned to the CSM housing site for some needed rest and refreshments.
We prepared to get wet at the Salvation Army Family Residence for homeless women and children in the afternoon. During our orientation they explained that homeless women and children could be housed for 6 months or a year to try and help them get their lives back on track. This place had a full time day care facility, library, laundry, apartments, a central kitchen, playgrounds, a computer lab and probably a whole lot more. We met several younger kids and they turned on the huge sprinklers our students jumped right in again and played with the children. After play time we read stories at the daycare and then did some service projects, they treated us to a fantastic turkey dinner in the dining hall. After we ate, we prepared to serve. We served dinner to all the residents then left.
Since no other activities were planned for Tuesday, everyone went out for
ICE CREAM ! We loaded up the vans and went to Amy's (like a Coldstone , only waaaay "hip-er" ). Everyone got to pick their hand mixed flavor and the other patrons were very patient with our LARGE boisterous group. Tuesday was a great day.
Wednesday June 25, 2008
In the morning we drove downtown to do the Downtown Urban plunge. We were given cards with objectives and a map. The idea of this two part scavenger hunt is to immerse the students into city life from the perspective of a new immigrant or homeless person, and also from the perspective of a business person or visitor to the downtown area. After hiking all over town and getting all hot and tired the kids enjoyed a quick drink stop at BK. We got to go the 60th floor of the Chase building and look out over the city and the landscape, then off to the Houston Visitors bureau for some "touristy" time. We rode the light rail metro train system twice and walked the rest of the way back to our van. We felt sufficiently urbanized. One interesting thing is what the kids took away from this, a item in the cards was to stop and talk to a "business" person and ask them 3 questions, "What do you like about Houston", "What don't you like", and " Why do you think there is poverty and homelessness here". The person we asked replied that, he liked the low cost of living here, he didn't like that Houston was too far from other cities in Texas because to take a short vacation he had to drive 4 hours, and he didn't really think there was any poverty relative to other places. Interesting...
A quick stop at Caninos market place for an immersion experience where we got to see a huge open air market with several family vendors was really eye opening. Everyone was amazed at the quality, variety, and value of produce, nuts, flowers and other stuff. We also got to go to a "Mexican" bakery for a treat afterwards. Everyone in the group was so eager to share what they had found and picked out to eat and drink.
We served the evening meal at the Harbor Light Salvation Army shelter for homeless men which we learned is only one of the 17 Salvation Army sites in Houston. This site provides beds and food along with long term housing and other programs for a large number of recovering substance abuse clients. During orientation here we learned a lot about the history of the Salvation Army. We left after serving and ate dinner with the other groups and then everyone returned for an incredible concert complete with testimonies with Harbor Light Salvation Army Choir.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
At the READ Commission we spent the morning tutoring adult GED students. The students were broken up according to their skills and the center's needs. It was very enjoyable to put my old math skills to the test again while tutoring an mother of two in the subtraction and division of fractions. Her concern was that she needed to learn these skills in math and reading and get her GED so she would be able to help her young children with their homework and struggles in school when the time came. The kids were tutoring adults in reading, and language and math. After that we attended their awards ceremony where several of the adult students recieved their GED certificates.
Our afternoon activity was at the Julia C Hester House community center which provides food, clothing and training resources to many families. Our students were put to work hauling clothing in from storage, and then sorting, folding and putting away neatly in a very disorganized mess of a closet. A couple of our kids helped in a food pantry area, culling the old food and reorganizing shelves.
Thursday night late....
I can only hope that tomorrow(today) is as rewarding as the last few days have been. Your students are incredible in so many ways, I thank the Lord that I have been able to witness this and get to know them better. This group has not complained about any task, they have been excited and willing jump right in, they make the most of the tasks they are assigned, it has been an incredible pleasure to work along with them. I KNOW that in between the cracks of hard work and fun, sleep deprivation and relaxation, exhaustion and rest; the Lord is seeping in and changing their hearts and minds for his greater purpose.
I'm sorry this was so "information laden", hopefully we can blog more about the "fun stuff" soon.
Cal & Darcy
Our first assignment was at Kids Meals, a food kitchen that provides sack lunches for children all over their area. Volunteers take the lunches from the kitchen to the community. We packed hundreds of sack lunches in a short amount of time by running two very fast assembly lines. Sandwiches that had already been made were used to pack into the sacks. Once we had used up all their pre-made supply of sandwiches we switched into sandwich making mode. The group performed as a well-oiled machine churning out stacks of fresh sandwiches to replenish their store for the next time a group comes to pack them. The kids really got to see the people their efforts helped, as when we left this place the lobby was filled with needy families that needed food for their children.The afternoon session was a more interactive experience at the Sheltering Arms daycare for patients with memory loss disorders or Alzheimer's. We were given a brief orientation and then invited into the area where the guests were involved in a variety of activities. We found seats to join in with the guest and talk to them. A birthday party was held for a guest and everyone got cake and punch. We were treated to interesting conversations and learning experiences. A Hawaiian dancer entertained the group and a trivia session was led by our students. Everyone thought that this was a fun and interesting activity.
Tuesday June 24, 2008
Early on Tuesday morning we served at the Waystation food line for homeless at Palmer Church. This beautiful church feeds 300+ on any given day and our students jumped right in to help out. Various jobs were assigned including food preparation, and setup. As the guests arrived our students set about serving them with a smile. Eggs, ham, grits, rolls, juice and coffee comprised the menu and the kids were very efficient and courteous. In addition to food the guests could see a doctor and other counseling services. This day the line hosted about 350 guests which stretched the amount of food to the very limit. It was extremely hot and tiring busy work, but as before our kids handled it with ease and grace. As we started early, we also finished early and returned to the CSM housing site for some needed rest and refreshments.
We prepared to get wet at the Salvation Army Family Residence for homeless women and children in the afternoon. During our orientation they explained that homeless women and children could be housed for 6 months or a year to try and help them get their lives back on track. This place had a full time day care facility, library, laundry, apartments, a central kitchen, playgrounds, a computer lab and probably a whole lot more. We met several younger kids and they turned on the huge sprinklers our students jumped right in again and played with the children. After play time we read stories at the daycare and then did some service projects, they treated us to a fantastic turkey dinner in the dining hall. After we ate, we prepared to serve. We served dinner to all the residents then left.
Since no other activities were planned for Tuesday, everyone went out for ICE CREAM ! We loaded up the vans and went to Amy's (like a Coldstone , only waaaay "hip-er" ). Everyone got to pick their hand mixed flavor and the other patrons were very patient with our LARGE boisterous group. Tuesday was a great day.
Wednesday June 25, 2008
In the morning we drove downtown to do the Downtown Urban plunge. We were given cards with objectives and a map. The idea of this two part scavenger hunt is to immerse the students into city life from the perspective of a new immigrant or homeless person, and also from the perspective of a business person or visitor to the downtown area. After hiking all over town and getting all hot and tired the kids enjoyed a quick drink stop at BK. We got to go the 60th floor of the Chase building and look out over the city and the landscape, then off to the Houston Visitors bureau for some "touristy" time. We rode the light rail metro train system twice and walked the rest of the way back to our van. We felt sufficiently urbanized. One interesting thing is what the kids took away from this, a item in the cards was to stop and talk to a "business" person and ask them 3 questions, "What do you like about Houston", "What don't you like", and " Why do you think there is poverty and homelessness here". The person we asked replied that, he liked the low cost of living here, he didn't like that Houston was too far from other cities in Texas because to take a short vacation he had to drive 4 hours, and he didn't really think there was any poverty relative to other places. Interesting...
A quick stop at Caninos market place for an immersion experience where we got to see a huge open air market with several family vendors was really eye opening. Everyone was amazed at the quality, variety, and value of produce, nuts, flowers and other stuff. We also got to go to a "Mexican" bakery for a treat afterwards. Everyone in the group was so eager to share what they had found and picked out to eat and drink.We served the evening meal at the Harbor Light Salvation Army shelter for homeless men which we learned is only one of the 17 Salvation Army sites in Houston. This site provides beds and food along with long term housing and other programs for a large number of recovering substance abuse clients. During orientation here we learned a lot about the history of the Salvation Army. We left after serving and ate dinner with the other groups and then everyone returned for an incredible concert complete with testimonies with Harbor Light Salvation Army Choir.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
At the READ Commission we spent the morning tutoring adult GED students. The students were broken up according to their skills and the center's needs. It was very enjoyable to put my old math skills to the test again while tutoring an mother of two in the subtraction and division of fractions. Her concern was that she needed to learn these skills in math and reading and get her GED so she would be able to help her young children with their homework and struggles in school when the time came. The kids were tutoring adults in reading, and language and math. After that we attended their awards ceremony where several of the adult students recieved their GED certificates.
Our afternoon activity was at the Julia C Hester House community center which provides food, clothing and training resources to many families. Our students were put to work hauling clothing in from storage, and then sorting, folding and putting away neatly in a very disorganized mess of a closet. A couple of our kids helped in a food pantry area, culling the old food and reorganizing shelves.Thursday night late....
I can only hope that tomorrow(today) is as rewarding as the last few days have been. Your students are incredible in so many ways, I thank the Lord that I have been able to witness this and get to know them better. This group has not complained about any task, they have been excited and willing jump right in, they make the most of the tasks they are assigned, it has been an incredible pleasure to work along with them. I KNOW that in between the cracks of hard work and fun, sleep deprivation and relaxation, exhaustion and rest; the Lord is seeping in and changing their hearts and minds for his greater purpose.I'm sorry this was so "information laden", hopefully we can blog more about the "fun stuff" soon.
Cal & Darcy
Group 3 Information Update
Monday June 23, 2008
Caninos
Immersion into the open markets representative of other markets throughout the Houston Area. Kids had a set of cards that expected them to observe and interact throughout the market place. At the conclusion, across the street we enjoyed pastries at a cultural bakery.
We traveled to a seniors home, our tasks were to engage in play and banter. Some of us learned dominoes, other organized, called and played BINGO and Sam Fuller found his soul mate and bantered.
Monday afternoon we traveled to an Open Door Mission that served men Our task was to prepare cold lunches for later in the week(these would feed som of their outreach clients) and the other task was peeling and cutting potatoes for tomorrow's night meal. Dutifully, we worked all learning how able Yuri Berger is at potato preparation... for 2 1/2 hours, non-stop, with great proficiency... potatoes were at his command. We all stayed to serve the men of the Open Door Mission their evening meal.
Tuesday June 24, 2008
The state of Texas has some dollars encouraging literacy. So, we found ourselves at the READ Commission. Voluntarily individuals commit to classes 1st grade through GED level. These are all adults. We spread out into math classes and reading classes and GED classes. Supporting the adult students in any way that they would request. Some of our kids were thought to be "College Students" by the adult students.
Monday night we had taken a prayer tour of Houston. One of the stops was a Boys and Girls club... Tuesday Afternoon... we were there. In a chaotic open doubled room... we found ourselves thoroughly engaged in card table games, basketball and braiding. Kirsten has been so generous with her braiding skills.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Downtown Plunge. Leaving our van with two sets of cards. We are in little mini-groups of 3 walked prescribed streets of Houston. We experienced some of the logistical and informational struggles tha the homeless experience. Along the exploration, we also were able to ascend to the 60th floor of the JPMorgan/Chase building and see the panorama of Houston.
Wednesday afternoon was when we entered the locked gates of a Houston project where we played outside or inside with kids that came. Playing in either location made no difference because the heat was incredible. We brought a container of games and sports stuff. By and large the most popular event was water balloons. Kelly had so many kids laughing and getting cooled off ... for hours...
Thursday June 26, 2008
Early to bed... early to rise... yes to the 6:10 am wake up. We travelled to the Palmer Episcopal church. This ministry serves the breakfast to 300+ homeless Monday - Friday. They send an access bus to pick up and deliver the homeless to the site and at the conclusion return them. A skeleton crew was supported by our efforts... serving line; runners; and every customer was greeted by a "Hello".
A change in the itinerary... we went to an organization, SEARCH... they provide resources to the homeless. SEARCH supports the individual finding work, if you have a job then you are eligible for housing and so on. We had 2 orientations. One by the passionate director Holly and the other by Joseph who gave as his testimony which included SEARCH impacting his life. After this, we were truly joyful servants clearing space for storage of food and cleaning and sprucing up portions of the building.
Kevin, Dave, & Chelsea
Caninos
Immersion into the open markets representative of other markets throughout the Houston Area. Kids had a set of cards that expected them to observe and interact throughout the market place. At the conclusion, across the street we enjoyed pastries at a cultural bakery.
We traveled to a seniors home, our tasks were to engage in play and banter. Some of us learned dominoes, other organized, called and played BINGO and Sam Fuller found his soul mate and bantered.
Monday afternoon we traveled to an Open Door Mission that served men Our task was to prepare cold lunches for later in the week(these would feed som of their outreach clients) and the other task was peeling and cutting potatoes for tomorrow's night meal. Dutifully, we worked all learning how able Yuri Berger is at potato preparation... for 2 1/2 hours, non-stop, with great proficiency... potatoes were at his command. We all stayed to serve the men of the Open Door Mission their evening meal.
Tuesday June 24, 2008
The state of Texas has some dollars encouraging literacy. So, we found ourselves at the READ Commission. Voluntarily individuals commit to classes 1st grade through GED level. These are all adults. We spread out into math classes and reading classes and GED classes. Supporting the adult students in any way that they would request. Some of our kids were thought to be "College Students" by the adult students.
Monday night we had taken a prayer tour of Houston. One of the stops was a Boys and Girls club... Tuesday Afternoon... we were there. In a chaotic open doubled room... we found ourselves thoroughly engaged in card table games, basketball and braiding. Kirsten has been so generous with her braiding skills.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Downtown Plunge. Leaving our van with two sets of cards. We are in little mini-groups of 3 walked prescribed streets of Houston. We experienced some of the logistical and informational struggles tha the homeless experience. Along the exploration, we also were able to ascend to the 60th floor of the JPMorgan/Chase building and see the panorama of Houston.
Wednesday afternoon was when we entered the locked gates of a Houston project where we played outside or inside with kids that came. Playing in either location made no difference because the heat was incredible. We brought a container of games and sports stuff. By and large the most popular event was water balloons. Kelly had so many kids laughing and getting cooled off ... for hours...
Thursday June 26, 2008
Early to bed... early to rise... yes to the 6:10 am wake up. We travelled to the Palmer Episcopal church. This ministry serves the breakfast to 300+ homeless Monday - Friday. They send an access bus to pick up and deliver the homeless to the site and at the conclusion return them. A skeleton crew was supported by our efforts... serving line; runners; and every customer was greeted by a "Hello".
A change in the itinerary... we went to an organization, SEARCH... they provide resources to the homeless. SEARCH supports the individual finding work, if you have a job then you are eligible for housing and so on. We had 2 orientations. One by the passionate director Holly and the other by Joseph who gave as his testimony which included SEARCH impacting his life. After this, we were truly joyful servants clearing space for storage of food and cleaning and sprucing up portions of the building.
Kevin, Dave, & Chelsea
Houston Update
As we go about the week here in Houston we are divided into 3 serving groups. Each group goes to a different site during the morning and also during the afternoon hours. There are times when groups overlap. Most evening meals are eaten together although a few have been divided due to the size of the restaurants.
Group 1
CSM Rep: Amelia
Leaders: Cal and Darcy
Nathaniel
Cole
Andrew
Weston
Ashley
Holly
Carolyn
Alexa
Group 2
CSM Rep: Kelli
Leaders: Paul and Sue
Travis
Zach
Adam
Jake
Lauren
Kayla
Miranda
Jordan
Group 3
CSM Rep: Matt
Leaders: Kevin, Dave, Chelsea
Kelly
Kersten
Madaline
Yuri
Sam
Will
Connor
Luke
Michael
As we blog this we may refer to the "group" so hopefully this list will help in understanding where the students are.
Group 1
CSM Rep: Amelia
Leaders: Cal and Darcy
Nathaniel
Cole
Andrew
Weston
Ashley
Holly
Carolyn
Alexa
Group 2
CSM Rep: Kelli
Leaders: Paul and Sue
Travis
Zach
Adam
Jake
Lauren
Kayla
Miranda
Jordan
Group 3
CSM Rep: Matt
Leaders: Kevin, Dave, Chelsea
Kelly
Kersten
Madaline
Yuri
Sam
Will
Connor
Luke
Michael
As we blog this we may refer to the "group" so hopefully this list will help in understanding where the students are.
Thursday Morning
This evening we should have a slower evening so I am hoping to get a sizable update going. Since I have a little extra time this morning I wanted to show a video of our time at Harbor Light last night. Everyone was feeling God and enjoying a time of praising Him!
It was exciting to see everybody (seriously, everybody) get up in front of the group and clap and sing along!
Our groups also had some opportunities for fun times, walking around downtown Houston and seeing the sights. I still need to get pictures from one of the groups but here are a few pictures of the fun and a still from Harbor Light:
It was exciting to see everybody (seriously, everybody) get up in front of the group and clap and sing along!
Our groups also had some opportunities for fun times, walking around downtown Houston and seeing the sights. I still need to get pictures from one of the groups but here are a few pictures of the fun and a still from Harbor Light:
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