Youth Mission Trip - 2008 - Final Update

Day 7 Update (Friday)…

Every day of a mission trip is long. No matter if it’s overseas, regional, or local; no matter if it’s with children, adults, seniors, or teenagers; no matter if the focus is construction, children’s camps, Bible studies, social services, or disaster relief. Mission days are long because you are intentional about spending the whole day in service for others and God. While no days of our trip have been exceptions to this rule, this day has particularly confirmed it as true!
Today was our free day…our last day…our celebration day. We celebrated the work we’ve accomplished by sleeping just a little bit later and sharing stories from each mission site. We celebrated the city of Charleston by walking around the Market, which is set in the midst of downtown Charleston. We celebrated our Gayton Youth Group by wearing our brand new Gayton Youth tees (perhaps you’ll see them around very soon!). We celebrated our newfound and deeper established friendships by enjoying a delicious meal together at Bubba Gump. We celebrated the beauty of God’s creation by playing on the beach and in the ocean for several hours this afternoon. And tonight, we celebrated the leadership and personalities of our high school seniors, as well as the emerging presence of younger and new youth to Gayton. The day was memorable from the kind-of late start to the very late finish, and it has been very rewarding to be a part of such a meaningful trip. May the experiences of our students and adults spark interesting conversations, continued prayers, local mission opportunities, and further discipleship for our whole Gayton family.

Along the Journey…
Casey

PS – For all parents, the estimated time of arrival at GBC is between 4:30-5:00 pm.

Youth Mission Trip - 2008 - Day 6 Update

Day 6 Update (Thursday)…

Today was our last day at the mission sites. I don’t think there was a single person in our group who wasn’t motivated to try to get their site completely finished…and for the most part, that’s how we ended up. But this was also a community that holds many more projects yet to be undertaken, and simply taking a walk a few blocks from the church reveals the need for more and more service opportunities to be initiated. However, in light of the expansive visible needs, we have affirmed with our group that the real call of Christ is to serving others as you would hope one would serve you. Following the steps that Jesus took won’t solve all of the problems in the world – much less a small part of the community – but it will lead to proclaiming and expanding the Kingdom of God right here on earth. Jesus Prayed, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This week – and prayerfully the 20+ weeks left in 2008 and then beyond – our students and adults have been able to make this ‘Kingdom of Mankind’ a little more like the Kingdom of God. We’ve done this alongside the friends of Metanoia and Saint Matthew Baptist Church (and of course many unknown others), and it’s been an incredible experience.
Classrooms, hallways & stairwells of Metanoia’s building were painted. Bookshelves were built. The interior walls of two brand new homes were painted, top to bottom, and are just a day are so from being completely finished. Two or three vacant lots were cleared of all the brush and trash. A long-abandoned basketball court was discovered, cleared and cleaned; a new goal was put up, lines were painted, and it now waits to be a place for kids, teens & adults to play [it’s right beside the church!]. A duplex that was stripped of all plumbing, windows, and paint was completely rehabilitated, and we now leave this future apartment for Metanoia interns with working plumbing, patched and painted walls, installed windows, a removed rotten awning, and many more things that bring it closer to being inhabited again. Children’s chairs were painted. The town signs were beautified. Sidewalks were rediscovered and cleared. Parking lots lines were painted. Faulty electrical work was fixed and new lights were installed at Metanoia. But there’s more than just these: friendships were formed, eyes were opened, borders were crossed, commitments were made, relationships were strengthened, and faith was deepened. I hope you will find an occasion to talk to some of our students and adults, and to hopefully come hear our YMT Report on Sunday evening, August 17th.

Along the Journey…
Casey