Day 8

Hey this is Team Lightning again!
Today we got an early start to our trip home. After breakfast and loading the vans, we headed out and made our way over to Roswell for lunch. We weren't able to get out and see much because of the UFO Convention going on, but it was still neat to see all the aliens! We made it to Odessa around 7 and played some games before dinner from Subway. After devo tonight we will go to bed early so that we can get an early start again tomorrow and make it home to Webster!
Team Lightning, Over and Out!

Day 7

So this morning was another early morning. Today we woke up not to work, but to have some FUN! We had a early morning breakfast and loaded up the vans to head off on our two hour journey to Canyon De Chelly. Most of the group decided to take the two hour treck to the bottom of the canyon and back. At the base of the canyon we saw the famous White House Ruins, which date back to 1200 AD. The rest of the group took a tour of the scenic outlooks. After our tour we proceeded to the breathtaking Spider Rock lookout point, where we had lunch all together. After spending a wonderful day in the canyon, we loaded up the vans to head back to the First United Methodist Church. The ride home was a very quiet one for most vans, as everyone was exhausted and fell to sleep quickly. After getting showers, we had a lovely dinner of fajitas. And tonight at devo we will do our affirmation blocks and head to sleep. We look forward to returning home to our church families, families, and friends. We love y'all, and thank you for all your prayers and support.

Day 6 - LAST WORK DAY

Today was the last day of work here at the Navajo Reservation. It was an early day, we were up at 6:00 and we ate a delicious breakfast of biscuits and eggs. We then hit the road for a looooooong day of work. We all worked hard on our different projects, the outhouse, the roof, the 2 houses, and of course the community center!!! After a work-filled afternoon, we ate our sack lunches, and then continued our laborious work all the way to 6:00 in some cases! What a tough day! Due to our amazing, dedicated, youth, we wrapped up most of our projects, and left with a great sense of accomplishment! We are all very tired and looking forward to the hike tomorrow.The highlight of everyone's day of course, was Joe's Birthday!

Day 5

Today was the third day of work in Gallup! We had a successful day of work, until thunder and freezing cold rain ended our work day, but we continued to make great progress on our projects. For lunch, Rhoda made us all Navajo tacos. They consisted of fry bread, taco meat, cheese, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. They were amazingly delicious! Tonight, we traveled to downtown Gallup to watch traditional Navajo dances. The dancers moved gracefully along a gravel circle, as the strobes of lightning flashed in the distance. We watched in awe as they enacted the basket dance, the buffalo dance, and the hoop dance. At one of the homes the woman whose house we were working on, and who didn't speak english, went and got tools that helped us do our jobs faster. It was like she had read our minds. When we didn't have enough pry bars, she appeared with two extra, and when we were reduced to sawing on a small stack of boards, she found two saw horses in the woods and brought them over. Even with a language barrier, a connection was made that required no words.

Day 4

Ya'ta'hey (Hello) Webster Presby and St. Pauls Presby. Today is another beautiful day in New Mexico; there are clouds in the sky, providing shade for everyone working around the Navajo Reservation in the heat of the sun. Here is a brief rundown of our activities today.

Community Center:

We continued painting the trim and began painting the outer walls of the building, and also continued installing dry wall and spread mud on the dry wall. Progress was made on the outhouse and roof as well.

Rose's House:

We continued rebuilding Rose's roof and replaced the trim. Our generous host also provided us with frybread!

Helen's House:

We finished ripping out the rotten boards that needed to be replaced. We began putting new boards in and the painters started on the trim. We also filled gaps between floor tiles with grout. 

At dinner, a den of cub scouts fed us wonderful tacos and provided us with great entertainment!

The week is starting off with tiring work, but it is also very rewarding. We are having a great time and making many new friends. Please continue to keep us in your prayers and send us your love!

Group 2: Watson, Lisa, Marshall, Colleen, Alexis, Charlie, Jonathon

Day 3 First work day!

Today was the first day of work. There were many different work sites with many different jobs, such as painting, roofing, dry walling digging a hole for an outhouse, and building the outhouse. Everyone worked hard and stayed hydrated. The people of Gallup were so happy for our help.

Day 2

Hey this is Team Lightning! (AKA Elizabeth, Marco, David, Catherine, Brandon, Cortland, Jonathan, and John)
We got an early start to our 8 hours of driving today, leaving Canyon at 7:45. We had a great lunch at Rudy's Barbecue. "The world's worst bar-b-q" was actually pretty good! After crossing the Continental Divide, we arrived in Gallup at about 3:30.  After unpacking, we went to the Gallup aquatic center and took showers. They felt very refreshing after 2 days in a van! After showers we came back and relaxed. Tonight we are being treated to a very special dinner by the congregation of the First UMC of Gallup, NM.  After dinner, we will play some get-to-know-you games and have devotional before heading to bed to prepare for a long workday tomorrow.
Team Lightning, Over and Out!

Day 1 of Traveling

Hello all!

Today was the first day of traveling. We have 3 vans, 1 truck, and 2 mini-vans.

We covered almost 700 miles in 12 hours! After leaving at 7:00 am, we successfully and safely made it to Canyon at about 7:00 pm. Many fun stops were made, including Dairy Queen, Bucce's, and numerous gas stations. In the afternoon, we drove through Palo Duro Canyon, a beautiful, awesome, landscape that showed us a striking contrast between the rusty reds, beiges, and the powder blue sky topped with feathery clouds. Dinner was yummy pizza and fun get-to-know you games were played through the evening. We can't wait to finish our driving tomorrow and arrive at Gallup, NM!

Getting Ready For Mission Trip 2011

From June 25^th through July 3^rd the Sr. High youth (30) and adult sponsors (11) of our church will be driving to Gallup, New Mexico for our annual Youth Mission Trip.  And this year we will be joined by 4 youth and their 2 adult sponsors from St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Needville, TX, who have not been on a mission trip such as this before. We have planned several service projects such as sheet rocking, painting, building a covered walkway, digging, replacing flooring and other work for the Navajo Nation. This will be a unique opportunity for us all to experience a different part of the United States and different culture.  We are looking forward to a time of worship, fellowship, and service as we build relationships among our groups and with those we meet.  The youth and their leaders greatly appreciate the support, encouragement, and prayers you have provided thus far.

June 25, 2010

Last work day in Itasca.

One of our work groups finished up the garage we've been completing. We placed siding on the outside and an OSB ceiling on the inside. The other group painted a mural on the addition to a shed in the Children's Home property. We based it on our theme this week: Changing the World Two by Two.  Afterwards, all the youth put their hand prints on the other side of the mural. So, now, when the kids and residents of Itasca's Children's Home drive past the shed, they will see it and hopefully remember our trip and the message we taught them. After work, we played an enjoyable game of softball with the Itasca kids. It was really fun to meet the kids; they are extremely friendly and great at softball. Later, we were invited to tour one of the homes on the campus. The cottage parents explained how the children's home worked, and we got to see the kid's rooms. They were very excited to show us around. Currently, we are packing up to leave tomorrow and preparing to do devo blocks during devotional tonight. And God saw that it was good. It was evening; it was morning, Day 8.