Day: July 17, 2018

Today will start the meat of the trip.  We will travel to meet with the Sanctuary working group, encourage them, interact with them and collect any messages they might want to send back to their prayer partners.  Then we will visit some youth businesses that have been started and hopefully connect with some previous graduates.  We will be eating lunch with Lillian.  You will remember her video where she has opened her own small restaurant.  We have visited her twice since she has opened and she is doing very well.  In addition to her restaurant trade, she has begun catering events and has developed a good reputation.  We will be presenting her with a couple of water filters that have  been graciously donated by Kohler.  One of the trip participants and church members works for Kohler.  All of us on this trip work together in some capacity or other and while on a visit to the Kohler headquarters we noticed  a product that they have developed, the Kohler Clarity water filter.  It takes unclean water, filters it and provides clean drinking water in a resivour.  The company has a stewardship program where they offer this product in areas that are in need of clean drinking water across the world.  They have donated 100 of these filters and we are very grateful.  You can learn more if you google Kohler Clarity.

The water issue is always one that is of concern here.  We take for granted that when we turn the faucet handle that water will come out and we seldom worry about leaving the tap running.  Think about how much water you use on a daily basis, volume and what you use it for.  Now think about waking up and deciding where you will go to get water for the day.  You’ll have to account for cooking, washing the dishes, bathing, brushing your teeth, etc.  Now after getting the water and using it, you hope it is clean.  You hope you don’t get sick, because if you get sick, you can’t work. You don’t work, you don’t get paid, you don’t get paid, you don’t eat.  You don’t eat, you don’t get well. You can see the pattern.

Larry Brown

Our vision of being a Vibrant Family is rooted in 3 key elements we value: worship, multigenerational connections, and service/mission. We continue to see and hear stories from our church family that demonstrate these 3 elements! One story we’d like to share in particular is recent mission work over at the Reeves Campus.

Over the past several weeks, the Reeves Campus has been alive with activity! The University Carillon UMC youth group, Converge, came by several days to clean, organize, paint, garden and help set up the Trinity Christian Academy (TCA) Preschool – which is set to open at Reeves this August!  Their lively spirit was contagious as they worked alongside each other to help be the hands and feet of Jesus. Each day a different group from this week-long camp came by and simply said “We’re here to help, what do you need?” What a great example of not only Christian community and service, but a huge testimony to the hearts of our United Methodist youth.

Our very own youth group Elevate followed the Converge team the next week by taking it a step farther! Elevate even stayed overnight at the Reeves Campus for a week-long mission to serve the community. The Elevate theme and mission for the week stemmed from the scripture found in Matthew 25; “When you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!”

Elevate brought new life to the Reeves Campus by tackling the large project of weeding and laying mulch on the campus during 90-degree days. Each day  Elevate broke into smaller groups; some going out to feed the homeless, others to bake and bring cookies to our first responders, while others headed to Clean the World and Rise Against Hunger.  They worked selflessly and passionately during the day before ending with a beautiful worship service led by Michael Leblanc, Director of Student Ministries.

When you look at these teens you see the future. The future of not only the United Methodist Church, but of our world; of what it could be if we truly strived each day to be the hands and feet of Jesus and love “the least of these.”