I am not in the groove

Well, I guess I might be in the groove. My back is feeling better after a week of pain and horrrer (my back was out due to sleeping on an air matress for 7 weeks, and it really really hurt). The unfortunate part about it is that I felt really disconnected from this group all week long. Besides monday and some part of tuesday I wasn't really able to interact with the youth all that much. I was going to sleep Wednesday evening, but then Jen didn't know I did not come to the evening actvity, which of course meant that the alarm went off... while I was trying to take it easy. But, luckily I decided to go to the chiropractor on Friday, and that really helped. One of the very positive things this week was that I was able to look in at kids club a bit more. I was able to kind of see what was going on and that was really encouraging.

There are a few really adorable kids and a few just crazy ones and together they make for an awesome bunch.

Logan is 3 years old, and he loves the attention, especially from young ladies like Saige

Alaska is a really quiet, but sweet girl her older sister Paris also comes to Kids Club and they live right across from our building, so often they are around the building looking for us.

Tamara is also a sweetie and a trouble maker, she is really sweet though.

As I was saying it was really cool to see Kids Club for a bit, it is encouraging to see all these kids have a fun time in the summer, and to see their mothers being so releaved to be able to drop of their kids for the afternoon. Cheryl is here for the weekend, which is always exciting news. Yesterday we went out for Indian and Thai food which was really good. Tonight we are going to be going to O'Conner church for a campfire. Just a time to relax and spent some time before tomorrow's youth come in again.

Next week is the first week we don't have any Minnesota natives, and in fact we have people coming from Winsconsin, Arkansas, and Alabama. The people from Alabama left yesterday morning already... wow what a long drive. The team and myself included in that would really appreciate prayer as this coming week feels like it is so much routine, and we are quite tired. Pray for God to do the stuff through us that we can not do ourselves anymore. That these from all over the states may have an awesome time.

I guess when I look at it, I am in the groove. This summer has been very exciting and challenging. A lot has happened in my personal life, within my family, while working at YouthWorks, and and so many different levels. I am learning that I don't know that much at all yet, that there is much, very much to learn. I have the feeling I am just on the edge of some of the things God is going to show me immeasurably more of.

Another Dave Walker Cartoon

I really appreciate this guy's humour.

Check out his blog

Sunday afternoon

Well, we are halfway through our mission trips. Today group #5 comes in, which means that we will be in for an other exciting week. This is the first week that we will have some Canadians here, which is kind of exciting. This week there will be 61 youth, and I am excited. Our last week was very encouraging. We had groups from all over the states, and it was really cool how God brought them together.

This morning I had the chance to go to First Christian Reformed Church in Thunder Bay with Steve. And we both felt that is was kind of like a homecoming, being in a reformed church surrounded by dutchies. After being in so many different churches in the last months, it was kind of nice. It was so reformed that we even had an elder reading the sermon that the pastor had written. It all ended with a great "Praise God from whom all blessings flow" and a "three-fold Amen". It was a great reformed morning.

This weekend was all in all very relaxing. We listened to the blues festival from a distance, we watched a movie in our new van with DVD player (I don't know why it is there, but it is). We had our own church service on the top of the bluffs in the rain, overlooking Thunder Bay. We had Panzerotti's, Thai Green Curry, Samosa's, Persians, and leftover BP from adult leaders. We went to a second hand bookstore, picked up some books there. All in all it was a great adventure.

The Blues festival from a distance...

Mid-Week Mania

Well, it is the forth week of mission trips, and that means that after this one there are only four weeks left. Right now we are already starting mid summer evaluations for ministries and our own development and stuff. To me that is always a sign, that summer is almost gone.

This week we have an awesomegroup, we have got Baptists from Colorado, a Faith community from Winsconsin, and Lutheran's from Minnesota. All together there are probably 60 youth here, and things are going really well. Monday was a really crazy day, because of July 1st many of our ministry sites were not able to have volunteers and so we had a group of about 20 go through marina park and pick up trash. I was really praying for nice weather and good spirits. But God surpassed my imagination, because it was a tiny bit rainy that morning, but not cold. And never have I seen so many youth excited about serving their community by picking up garbage. We must have had close to 20 garbage bags full by lunch time, with hundreds or cigarette buds, and many other pieces or garbage, you imagine it, they probably picked it up. The park people really appreciated it, and the youth had an awesome experience.

The rest of the week has moved along great as well. I have been able to give a lot of the events that have been happening recently a place, and even though I will have lots and lots of reflecting left to do at the end of the summer. God is taking care of me. For those who want to pray for us as a staff, we would really appreciate it. At this time we have been busy with YouthWorks for almost 7 weeks, and there are only 4 more weeks left after this. A lot of us our really tired, and all 4 of us don't feel 100% fit and healthy, it would be really awesome if you would pray for continued strength as we try to engage these youth.

For some more random information about YouthWorks
You can find some pictures here
You can find some videos here
You can find our team blog here
You can find YouthWorks info here