Thursday, July 30, 2009

The summer

Hey everybody, sorry I haven't found time to blog, but here I am now. I wanted to say hey and write a little something about the summer. First of all, it was wonderful!!! I miss the SOUL staff already, they left yesterday. They were all so amazing the whole summer.

It was a challenge, but wonderfully so, to host our largest group ever for Sports Camp. Sports Camp was a great success with many many kids running around the center playing all the different games. Our first year with volleyball went wonderfully.

Work Camp was amazing, but maybe I say that because I was in charge. No, I really say that because we had wonderful groups that completed some pretty big projects. Two roofing projects, the painting of a house, and the building of a porch. Plus, when some groups finished up they did various things around the center including, but not limited to, cleaning up trash and some yard work. I want to thank everyone for their hard work. We were blessed to see the gratitude of the homeowners and to see how much our work did for them.

As for Vacation Bible School, I didn't understand a thing that went on the whole week!!! Well, for those of you that don't know, I guess that was because I was in Mexico for Bible School. Thats right, I was blessed enough to have the opportunity to go to Mexico this year for their Vacation Bible School and blessed enough to have a crew here in Alabama that had no problems carrying on Vacation Bible School without me. Mexico was wonderful, and I would love to go back sometime.

All in all, the summer was wonderful and I hate that it's over. I hope everyone that came enjoyed themselves and I hope that you truly came face to face with Jesus.

New Pictures - Sports Camp

Hi All!

Posted on the Right side of this page are tons of photos from Sports camp. I will be posting more photos later on today and tomorrow from the other two weeks (work week and VBS week). If you have any photos that you would like to share please send those to me at york@ncym-fum.org and i would be glad to post those on here as well.
Please make sure to continue to pray for the center and the upcoming school year along with all the many people who will be involved from the community and from all over the country here at the center over the next year.

Corey and I would like to thank everyone who took part in SOUL 2009, from our amazing staff, the caring and energetic volunteers from NC and Indiana, and all the wonderful helpers from the community and of course all the Kids (155 different children from this area). God has greatly blessed us here this past summer and we pray that those blessings will be continued on and shared back at home.

Keep an eye open for our next post of pictures ..cause you never know who might show up in them.....

Love Jenn and Corey

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Jungle YeAH!!!

Hey. Sorry we've gotten behind a little on the blogs an all. What between the storm cutting the Internet off, an "work-week" keeping us crazy busy. Its been pretty tough finding time to get on without having something else that needs to be done asap. I'm here though, and I just wanted to say hey and let you all know kinda whats been going on down here at SOUL 2009. Oh yeah!!! THIS IS EDNA!!! ^^

So.............. work week was AWESOME!!!!
All four projects we set out to do were completed, and they look totally amazing! We had two different roofing projects: the tin roof, and the shingles. Then there was a painting project and a porch project. The roofing took the longest, but everyone had fun. We got really icky and sweaty every day, especially being so close to the sun on the roofing projects, and it was pretty warm. Lyndsey and I helped work on the house with the shingles. It seamed really high up looking down, but Sterling showed us how short a fall it would be from roof-to-porch just by reaching up and touching the edge. We didn't try jumping off though, just left that to one of the kids who always seamed to drop a broom off the edge several times in a day. I'll have to admit that I wasn't that much better what with setting my hammer down and forgetting the word called....

...

.... gravity. ^^

It was awesome getting to work up on the roof. I think we had one of the most hard-working, and toughest group a shingle roof ever required. Everyone put in a hundred percent, and it came out looking pretty good. The worry of rain kept us on our toes for the first day or two, but then we started praying to God asking him to hold off the rain until we were done and He did. God's protective hand was on us. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured or hurt throughout the entire time. I could feel God's presence throughout the week: holding back the rain, keeping everyone safe, and also keeping the Mexico and friends disaster teams safe on they're way through Alabama and the MOWA Choctaw Friends Center. Oh yeah. And another thanks that no one up on our roofing project swallowed a nail. ^^ *Bryce.

We had a "wasp-war" with the non-friendly residence at the shingled house. Sadly enough, a group never seamed to die an was always bringing back others. Thomas(2) plural, were the co-directors on the shingle-roof project, and they totally helped us figure out how to do everything. Some of us got to be pretty good at pulling out nails in record time. We tended to leave behind a trail of nails like some roofing graveyard.

So, time has passed. ^^

The groups for JUNGLE VBS arrived Saturday evening. One of the vans was slow. They say it was probably doing 40 all the way down. Sunday, Sterling an Bryce were there to meet the sad fate of "Ol' Betsy". But Bryce and Nate tinkering around with it this afternoon might lead to a working vehicle. They say it only needs a couple of easy parts. The slow van might have a problem similar to "Ol' Betsy", but that would need a little help from all of you. You see, we really need every vehicle we can to pick up and drop off kids. Two are now trying to leave the picture. Any help you can give or send would be incredible right now.

Oh yeah. Everything has to have "JUNGLE" before it. Just to keep us in the spirit of things. Like "Jungle" Someone, or "Jungle" fun, or "Jungle" awesome.^^
Well, its kinda late and I'm going to need all the sleep I can get for tomorrow. Bye!!!!!! Hope you had fun reading.
-Edna (SOUL STAFF 2009)

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Work Projects Moving Along Despite Lightning Storm!!!

I know many of you have heard reports about storms moving through our area Monday afternoon. We did have a rough storm blow through with some rain and lightning, but all is well! The male staff trailer went without air conditioning due to a small power problem from a lightning strike, but luckily, Charlie Routh was down that day to fix it for us! The Friends Disaster Team joined us that night on their way to Mexico, and their timing couldn't have been better!

The Work Projects teams are doing a great job so far. We're working on two roofs, painting a house, and have already finished building a porch for a trailer next to the center! Everyone is doing well, and I know that at least I am having a lot of fun! Remember us and the Mexico teams in your prayers as we work and travel - there will be another group traveling through on Thursday. Corey will be joining them for the Mexico VBS trip as they continue down on Friday.

Thanks everyone for all of your concern, support, and especially your prayers!

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Oh Bama

Hey all, its Lyndsey again.
Well we made it through sports camp.  Because I have never planed or even been to anything like this previously, I had nothing to compare it to.  But I thought it was absolutely amazing.  Though we had different challenges throughout the week, I really felt overall it was a successful camp.  I was really pleased with how well volleyball worked, especially since it was the first time we have done that sport.  Most of all, I was so excited to see how God had his hand on the sports camp all week.  
Throughout the week there were different challenges and setbacks, but overall we were ready and willing to adapt to the changes.  In fact I believe that God used the entire week to teach some of the staff how to adapt and be flexible.
I also saw how God used some 'emergencies' to teach us how to step up and lead.  Now seeing it in hind sight, I am blown away by how amazing our God is.  He has everything under control, but he still chooses to use us, not for His sake, but for ours.
I am completely astonished and amazed when I look back on last week and see all the work God has done.  He has touched me in so many ways already, I cannot wait to go back and see what else my precious savior will do in the future.  
Please continue to pray for this ministry, for the groups coming down, for the community, and especially for the staff.  Last week, I realized quickly that we, the staff and our work, are so little, but our God is extremely BIG.  Pray that God will continue to do His work, and that we are willing to listen to His leading.  

Blessings!

Lyndsey