27hrs Later

I started my journey Friday afternoon, around 12:30pm. I left Kansas for the airport in Missouri. I arrived way too early due to the fact that there was no traffic and security took about 2 minutes to get through. But that was ok, I had some time to relax.

I had a lay over in Minnesota before I got to Philly. It turns out there was a big storm in MN so all flights going there were delayed. An hour or two later we got on our plane and headed toward MN.

The storm got so bad that while we were flying the airport shut down and we had to circle in the air. After about an hour or so we had to land in Iowa to get more fuel. We got off the plane for dinner and we tried it again. We had to fly up to South Dakota and around the back way to land in MN.

We arrived in Minnesota around 10:30pm only to wait in a long line that told us not flights were going out tonight. The next one was Saturday at 10am. All the hotels were totally booked so I had a choice of sleeping at the airport or calling friends. I chose to make a few phone calls but because it was so late, no one was awake to pick up their phones.

Then I remembered the group I was leading in KC was from MN and they had just gotten back. I called the leader and they were willing to pick me up and let me sleep at their house for the night. It is nice to have connections. Got back to the airport the next morning for my 10am flight which turned out to be a 12pm flight.

I arrived back in Philly at 3pm, my team picked me up and drove back to the church. There was so much traffic going back to the church we did not get back until almost 5pm.

Long day of travel but I made it and now it is time for a nap.

Small World

At Rosedale Church in KC on Sunday, Africa came up in conversation. I then mentioned I spent some time in Ghana. Well this church supports a missionary couple in Ghana. I was really excited and asked where they were. They said in a village called 'Q'. I had no idea where that was but they kept saying in the northwest corner of Ghana. I was in the northwest corner of Ghana. I was in Wa and the surrounding villages. And the Russells knew all the missionaries in the area and I met most of them but I could not put my figure on 'Q'.

Last on in the week I was talking about it with the pastor and found out that these missionaries are in Wa, well rather they are in a village of Wa that you can only get to by dirt bike.

After asking what their names were I realized I had met them! Crazy. A few people from the church are going to visit these missionaries; I wish I could go with. I am going to brush up on my Braille and send some notes to my students along with some school supplies for them to drop off while they are on their way to the village.

Crazy! Usually people have never hear of Wa but they not only know people there, they are going there! Way cool.

MN group shot

Pastor Matt is in the orange and Pastor Alan is in the white from Rosedale Church

Art is in the middle with the gray shirt: he was our cook for the week

Dana is in the green in the first row: she was one of our worship leaders.
John, who is not in the picture was our other worship leader.

Leaders of group: Brian, Dan, Kyle and Julie

Kids: Alyssa, Chase, Grand, Hannah, Kassi, Jared, Lucas, Clay, Lauren, and Jared

KC has come to a close

Wow has God worked this week.

VBS, jr. high youth group, organizing, eating, senior high youth group, cleaning the church, pool party, Rescue Mission, prayer walks, cleaning out the dungeon, running through the fountain, debriefing and always of course bowel movements...

God has shown His compassion for us so that we were able to show compassion to others.

So, let me tell you a little story: It is really hot and humid here is KC and I told the group they needed to drink a lot of water. Well, I found they were just not drinking enough water so I turned it into a game. It was a competition of who could pee the most in one day. The least was the first day at 2 but once we started counting they were going 5-8 times a day. That means they were drinking water. That was good. The total record for most times peeing in one day was 12.

This was a great group and I wish them well as they go back to MN.

What a great week. Now back to Philly.

Pictures bottom to top: songs at VBS, Lucas and VBS kid, organizing the jr. church room, assembly line while cleaning out basement (dungeon), debriefing/praying at the end of a long week

City of Fountains

Look it is the fountain just as I remember it. Well when I was here 11 years ago the water shot way higher in the air but it is still really cool!

First Day Gone Smooth

Breakfast at 7:30, packed vans, dove to church and had devos and worship

Helped out around the church by cleaning basements, closets, buses, vans, organizing things and mowing the grass

Went door to door and gave them fliers for VBS, lunch, VBS set up and go round up kids.

VBS was great! Had a family from Vietnam, Kenya, Mexico, Minnesota, we had a Muslim family come out, a boy with autism and most of them were kids that had never been to church before.

Walk kids home, pack up, quick dinner and off to the Rescue Mission (for the homeless of KC). Got lost on the way but made it just in time for the service.

Set up for the skit, which was a lot of work... big frame, lights, sheet... but oh many was it powerful. They men at the mission really appreciated it. One even said that he had never read or really heard about the bible before but he completely understood it by the skit.

Back to the college right after a quick walmart run and then debrief, a few songs. Ok - now time for bed.

Kansas City

I am now in Kansas City. The group will be here in a little over an hour. Our main purpose of being here is to do VBS and build relationships. The group is coming from MN and is very excited (I am very excited too...I'm becoming a professional at leading day camp).

I was so excited when I found out we were staying at a college. I get a real bed!! I have not slept on a real bed since before graduation. But I not only get a real but I also get my very own room! I made name tags for all the kids coming and it just reminded me of being an RA. Mark Hannah (the resident director at Trinity) has taught me a lot about dorm life that will really come in handy while I am here. (Thanks Mark Hannah).

Well I put my sheets on my very own bed, my towel on the little rack, my suitcase/dresser by the wall and now the room is full of orange, it is just like home :)

SD Group Shot

Here is the group that was in Philly this past week!