Spring Break Service Trip 2008

Atlanta, GA

 

 

Sunday, March 16, 2008

 Sunday morning we enjoyed a traditional interactive Palm Sunday worship at Christ Lutheran Church in Nashville, our home for the night. So off we went, for our final leg to Atlanta.  Along the way,  We enjoyed a quick run into Alabama with a scenic back road drive connecting us back to the interstate. As we drove into Atlanta area, signs of spring were everywhere.  Our first stop was the Atlanta Children’s Coalition – out at the camp! We were greeted by Miss Kathy, the ‘boys’, and everyone with big smiles and hugs. All of us were thankful to have arrived and excited to get things going. We spent the remainder of the day touring the camp grounds and getting acquainted. After our 30 minute drive across town, our new host church was located. Pizza Hut delivery arrived with our late late dinner (10:00pm), so we unloaded, ate up, and then headed off to bed.

 

Monday, March 17, 2008

It’s a beautiful afternoon, 3pm on Monday… I hear there is snow back home. I’m almost hesitant to report it must be almost 70 here in Atlanta. Perfect working weather …no bugs either! The team is all hard at work. (As I sit on the porch writing to you). Everyone is busy!!! Our current works in progress are: fence building along the main property line, building hot beds for an organic garden, building & organizing a recycling center (It wasn’t his idea, but surprise…Steve is on that project.). Other crews are detailing the ministry’s van, organizing the gardening trailer, and building a deck next to the future site of the waterfall baptismal pond. There are a variety of other Spring cleaning and organizing projects going… keeping our team of 35 hard at work. Just saw a Swallowtail butterfly float by… can’t say I’d rather be anywhere else. It’s wonderful to be God’s hands and feet… a part of the work He is doing here. By the way, thanks to the small groups….we thoroughly enjoyed the goodie travel  bags, some of the homemade brownies, and look forward to enjoying the rest!
--Kristen

 

 Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Beep beep beep, the sound that was really hard to wake up to this morning.  Still sore and tired from all the hard work we put in yesterday, we slowly made our way to a wonderful breakfast of bagels and fresh fruit.  That gave us just enough energy for another exciting day of service for our awesome God at the Camp.  Today is a bit cooler out, and overcast. Good for working. It was so rewarding to see everybody so hard at work and determined to do the best job possible.  The deck started looking more and more like a deck.  The forests were getting cleaner and clearer by the second it was a hot afternoon but was well worth it.  Then at around 5 we started to clean up and clear out.  After putting in a hard-days-work we got back in the vans and slowly made our way back into the heart of Atlanta.  It was so rewarding seeing all the work we accomplished and how we were being a part of the awesome creation that God was building out of this camp.  We spent the late afternoon and evening at the Edgewood neighborhood. We had a hotdog cookout with about 50 or 60 kids and played football, jump rope, baseball, and just ran around! It was tons of fun. This is one of the housing complexes that Miss Kathy has worked in for many years. About 8:30 we left Edgewood and headed toward home. We found  a China Buffet for dinner. [Our opportunity for using the kitchen at the church hasn’t worked out like we planned.] But, the food was very… enjoyable? (No just kidding, it was very good!)  After the big scrumptious meal we headed back to the church where we called it a night, every one very full physically and spiritually!  
-Josh S.

  

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Salutations, my fellow children of God!  We started this beautiful, rainy day with a wonderful breakfast of pop tarts, nutri-grain bars and water. But it was better than the bagels, oranges and apples that we have had all week. Then we left for Miss Cathy’s 13 acre camp estate to pick up some food for the homeless people that would enjoy it later.  We left from Miss Cathy’s for an abandon building next to the run down gas station where we would be serving food; this is on the SW side of town just up the road from the camp. On our way there, we took a wrong turn and had to find our bearings.  When we arrived at the gas station we set everything up and started conversations with some of the people that were around the area. Then a couple groups were sent out to invite more people.  We met and talked to many amazing people.  We were enlightened with some truly unique and inspiring stories.  After a mishap with the police, we had to vacate the premises and headed out to Miss Cathy’s new home to enjoy some delicious lunch. The house is just a mile or so down the road from the camp. Following all of that we went back to the church and had some R & R time along with a devotion.  We had a fantabulous dinner at Cici’s pizza!!!  Then we went to bed and hoped to sleep like a baby.
-McKenzie, Maggie,  Josh P.        

 

 Thursday, March 20, 2008

Well, it’s our last day with Miss Kathy and company. How time flies when you are serving the Lord with a joyful heart. Today is cooler but sunny and clear. We started off our morning with a few energizing praise tunes – Every Move I Make and Mercy is Falling. Everyone is tired, but still energized to accomplish as much as possible here. Our drive to Miss Kathy’s everyday is about 40 minutes, crossing through downtown Atlanta. So, we arrive and begin working about 10am each day. Our focus was to make as much progress as possible on the projects we have started. The deck, hot boxes, and more brush clearing were our focus. We worked until 6pm. Then quickly packed up and went back to Edgewood for one more outing there. We were met by the same crowd of kids and spent the evening playing and enjoying another hot dog cookout. It was around 9pm when we left and went searching for dinner of our own.

 

Friday, March 21, 2008

Today, we are packing up and heading out. After cleaning up at our host church, we loaded the vans… 2/3 of the crew made their way to a southern favorite, the Waffle House.  One van headed back to a nearby Farmer’s Market and recycling center. We cleaned out our recycling piles and found breakfast inside. Then, we all met up and headed downtown for a couple hours of free time in the city. Currently sunning outside the Underground mall… It’s another beautiful day in Atlanta! We met back at the vans at 2:30 and began our trek to Nashville. We arrived just in time to first enjoy a quick cold meat sandwich in the church’s shelter before attending Good Friday worship. Their service included readings, singing, and extinguishing candles; a sure reminder of worship at  Zion.  After worship, we had some team debriefing, sharing the ways God had worked in us this week, ways we were challenged, and moments that impacted us. It was good to look back and reflect on all that God had done in and through us. Tonight was our earliest to bed since we left. I think lights were out shortly after 11pm.

 

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Today is the day we finally head home after a good week of 30%driving, 50% working, and 20% of sleep and goofing off and eating. Everyone is happy to be going home but sad to be leaving Miss Kathy’s and the beautiful Atlanta weather to go to cold north Iowan weather. We are currently around 5 hours from home and it’s currently 4:15. We are all having fun in the vans by playing games and discussing our feelings about the trip. We are almost home so if you read this and have family on this trip, be at the church in five to five and a half hours. God is so good! We are excited to share about our trip and what God has been doing in our lives while in Atlanta. See you soon.
CJ

 

Click Here for Pictures From the Trip.......