More reflections from those serving in Fort Worth this week:
Suzanne Ghianni:
Hopes and dreams, or lack of them, are what stick out in my mind so far on this Youth Rocks Mission Trip. Blank looks or looks of profound sorrow; loneliness, worthlessness, on the faces of people we are here to serve. They have no hopes and dreams. This is not an assessment we have made, but rather what they have told us they feel. The homeless, who wander. Those with AIDs who feel shunned. These are the faces of the people our kids and we adults are trying to help, a huge contrast to the faces of our youth with smiles and empathy as they tackle their assigned work with sheer determination. Our kids want to help. They want to make a difference in the lives and spirits of these people who have had spirits crushed by many circumstances.
I think we have made a difference. We have relieved tired volunteers and workers and brought smiles where there were blank looks.Our young people are awesome workers, cheered on by chaperones who love them and are impressed by them. These kids are kind to a fault and wonderful friends to all they meet. They have been told over and over that they have completed tasks in record time, whether it's working at the Food Bank, AIDs shelter, playing with children, reaching out and doing whatever they have been asked with willing spirits and determination.
Frustration, satisfaction, determination, spirit. Brenthaven Church be proud of your children.
Sheryl Day:
We are now into day 6 of our mission trip and although I have been thinking about what I would write to you, I still cannot put my words on paper to describe the experiences I have had this week. I am overcome with emotions, both for the people we have met in the shelters and our wonderful youth. I go back and forth with sadness for the new friends we have met in the shelters and happiness for the compassion and energy our youth has shown. It has been a blessing to be able to participate in this mission with our youth. We have just finished up a wonderful day at Six Flags, and it was a joy to watch all our youth have a great time after having worked so hard for two days. Fun was had by all even though it was hotter than I can ever remember it feeling. Several in our group rode roller coasters for the first time which made for a very exciting day for many. I am very excited as we begin our adventures today and tomorrow and look forward to meeting new friends who are in need of help and someone to just listen to them. Hope all is well back home, and we look forward to getting back and seeing each and every one of you!
In Christ,
Sheryl
Kip Rush:
OK, we have now been here for 4 days and as you have read the blogs from the youth, I am sure you have surmised that this has been an eye opening experience. Homelessness, poverty, AIDS, hunger, addictions,... Is it really that bad? Worse than one could ever imagine. But even more importantly, it is likely just as bad or worse in Nashville, yet we're in Ft. Worth, TX. The experiences we have encountered have opened the eyes of everyone. The work we have been doing is very different than years gone by and that is the reason for an urban plunge. We have been challenged with stuff we have learned in school, lived down the interstate from and now witness with our own eyes, working with our hands to make a difference in a most humbling and heart wrenching situation. I am also proud to serve with such a devoted and giving group of youth and adults. There is never a question of work ethic. Granted, living on a gym floor does not make for 5-star accommadations until you see the thin matresses that 544 people sleep on each night and then leave until the next night. At that moment, the First Presbyterian Gym becomes the finest Hilton. I almost feel guilty for having the blessings I receive from these 31 other folks on this trip. Guilty because many of you who read this will only hear in words what I have been experiencing first hand. Now, as we begin to wind down the work here, I immediately begin the process of trying to find a way to carry this ministry forward in our own backyard. Nashville needs help just as Ft. Worth, so why should we just allow others to come? Shouldn't we do our part as well? There is work to be done. Until we return home, keep praying!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Kip
Maegan Neufeldt:
I've had a great trip so far. On Monday, Stephanie and I sorted bread to take out the moldy loaves. I learned that mold can be a large variety of colors. The most interesting color was orange. While sorting bread I met a man who kept cracking jokes. He made the work a lot more fun. On Tuesday, I packaged cheese. Everyone else hated it, but I thought it was fun. Our assembly line of counting, bagging, and labeling demonstrated the teamwork our youth group possesses. We also went to the lake Tuesday!!!!! Yesterday we went to 6 Flags. It was pretty tiring, but I had tons of fun!!! The Titan rules!!!!!!!!!
Kristin Wattenbarger:
My trip has been really great so far! Tuesday group B went too the Samaritian House. It was a real eye-opener. The people there were so open! Im actually suprised that they went up there too tell all of us about their life, and everything. It was also reallly sad. This one lady started crying. That's how bad the stories were. I wanted too give her hug, but i didn't know what she'd say. And we also worked at a foodbank. That was fun. On wednesday I rode my frist rollar-coaster!!! It was awesome! I was so scared. But I went up there anyways! Even though Zoe and Matthew kinda dragged me anyways. But i'm glad they did! Six flags in Texas was soo much bigger than the one in Kentucky. But I had a really great time!
Ryan Lipe:
The whole experience of this trip has been awesome. We have done many things including working at a homeless shelter, a food bank, and working in a storage center. But of those I had the most fun working at the food shelter. I liked it so much because we were packaging cantaloupes and we had to take them out of this giant box and stick them in littler boxes. I jumped into the box when the cantaloupes were so low to the ground and passed them up to the ofter people. Yesterday we went to 6 FLAGS!! it was so much fun. I became the money man of the day because i won a money hat,tie,cape, and ball. Most of the time I am just hanging out with the middle-schoolers. The game that we do here the most is gotcha. But so far its been really fun.
Otis Allen:
Alas, it's been 4 days here, including the travel day, and the only thing that has come to my attention is that Texas like just about every other state, and almost even every other country has at least one problem in common. The poor. The poor and included in the poor the flat-out homeless. The fact that so many mission trips go to extreme distances instead of helping those at home in their own backyard indicates both ignorance and arrogance. Not to mention in all likelihood a massive waste of Capital in the form of money on extreme travel fees. One must take care of your own problems before presuming to fix another independent and sovereign nation's. It hurts us both in the fact that we still have issues and that a lot of countries that might be targeted by a mission, such as some portions of South America and Africa don't have either friendly governments to the US, or no structured government at all, as such risking American lives when there can be just as much work done here.
Hopes and dreams, or lack of them, are what stick out in my mind so far on this Youth Rocks Mission Trip. Blank looks or looks of profound sorrow; loneliness, worthlessness, on the faces of people we are here to serve. They have no hopes and dreams. This is not an assessment we have made, but rather what they have told us they feel. The homeless, who wander. Those with AIDs who feel shunned. These are the faces of the people our kids and we adults are trying to help, a huge contrast to the faces of our youth with smiles and empathy as they tackle their assigned work with sheer determination. Our kids want to help. They want to make a difference in the lives and spirits of these people who have had spirits crushed by many circumstances.
I think we have made a difference. We have relieved tired volunteers and workers and brought smiles where there were blank looks.Our young people are awesome workers, cheered on by chaperones who love them and are impressed by them. These kids are kind to a fault and wonderful friends to all they meet. They have been told over and over that they have completed tasks in record time, whether it's working at the Food Bank, AIDs shelter, playing with children, reaching out and doing whatever they have been asked with willing spirits and determination.
Frustration, satisfaction, determination, spirit. Brenthaven Church be proud of your children.
Sheryl Day:
We are now into day 6 of our mission trip and although I have been thinking about what I would write to you, I still cannot put my words on paper to describe the experiences I have had this week. I am overcome with emotions, both for the people we have met in the shelters and our wonderful youth. I go back and forth with sadness for the new friends we have met in the shelters and happiness for the compassion and energy our youth has shown. It has been a blessing to be able to participate in this mission with our youth. We have just finished up a wonderful day at Six Flags, and it was a joy to watch all our youth have a great time after having worked so hard for two days. Fun was had by all even though it was hotter than I can ever remember it feeling. Several in our group rode roller coasters for the first time which made for a very exciting day for many. I am very excited as we begin our adventures today and tomorrow and look forward to meeting new friends who are in need of help and someone to just listen to them. Hope all is well back home, and we look forward to getting back and seeing each and every one of you!
In Christ,
Sheryl
Kip Rush:
OK, we have now been here for 4 days and as you have read the blogs from the youth, I am sure you have surmised that this has been an eye opening experience. Homelessness, poverty, AIDS, hunger, addictions,... Is it really that bad? Worse than one could ever imagine. But even more importantly, it is likely just as bad or worse in Nashville, yet we're in Ft. Worth, TX. The experiences we have encountered have opened the eyes of everyone. The work we have been doing is very different than years gone by and that is the reason for an urban plunge. We have been challenged with stuff we have learned in school, lived down the interstate from and now witness with our own eyes, working with our hands to make a difference in a most humbling and heart wrenching situation. I am also proud to serve with such a devoted and giving group of youth and adults. There is never a question of work ethic. Granted, living on a gym floor does not make for 5-star accommadations until you see the thin matresses that 544 people sleep on each night and then leave until the next night. At that moment, the First Presbyterian Gym becomes the finest Hilton. I almost feel guilty for having the blessings I receive from these 31 other folks on this trip. Guilty because many of you who read this will only hear in words what I have been experiencing first hand. Now, as we begin to wind down the work here, I immediately begin the process of trying to find a way to carry this ministry forward in our own backyard. Nashville needs help just as Ft. Worth, so why should we just allow others to come? Shouldn't we do our part as well? There is work to be done. Until we return home, keep praying!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Kip
Maegan Neufeldt:
I've had a great trip so far. On Monday, Stephanie and I sorted bread to take out the moldy loaves. I learned that mold can be a large variety of colors. The most interesting color was orange. While sorting bread I met a man who kept cracking jokes. He made the work a lot more fun. On Tuesday, I packaged cheese. Everyone else hated it, but I thought it was fun. Our assembly line of counting, bagging, and labeling demonstrated the teamwork our youth group possesses. We also went to the lake Tuesday!!!!! Yesterday we went to 6 Flags. It was pretty tiring, but I had tons of fun!!! The Titan rules!!!!!!!!!
Kristin Wattenbarger:
My trip has been really great so far! Tuesday group B went too the Samaritian House. It was a real eye-opener. The people there were so open! Im actually suprised that they went up there too tell all of us about their life, and everything. It was also reallly sad. This one lady started crying. That's how bad the stories were. I wanted too give her hug, but i didn't know what she'd say. And we also worked at a foodbank. That was fun. On wednesday I rode my frist rollar-coaster!!! It was awesome! I was so scared. But I went up there anyways! Even though Zoe and Matthew kinda dragged me anyways. But i'm glad they did! Six flags in Texas was soo much bigger than the one in Kentucky. But I had a really great time!
Ryan Lipe:
The whole experience of this trip has been awesome. We have done many things including working at a homeless shelter, a food bank, and working in a storage center. But of those I had the most fun working at the food shelter. I liked it so much because we were packaging cantaloupes and we had to take them out of this giant box and stick them in littler boxes. I jumped into the box when the cantaloupes were so low to the ground and passed them up to the ofter people. Yesterday we went to 6 FLAGS!! it was so much fun. I became the money man of the day because i won a money hat,tie,cape, and ball. Most of the time I am just hanging out with the middle-schoolers. The game that we do here the most is gotcha. But so far its been really fun.
Otis Allen:
Alas, it's been 4 days here, including the travel day, and the only thing that has come to my attention is that Texas like just about every other state, and almost even every other country has at least one problem in common. The poor. The poor and included in the poor the flat-out homeless. The fact that so many mission trips go to extreme distances instead of helping those at home in their own backyard indicates both ignorance and arrogance. Not to mention in all likelihood a massive waste of Capital in the form of money on extreme travel fees. One must take care of your own problems before presuming to fix another independent and sovereign nation's. It hurts us both in the fact that we still have issues and that a lot of countries that might be targeted by a mission, such as some portions of South America and Africa don't have either friendly governments to the US, or no structured government at all, as such risking American lives when there can be just as much work done here.
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