Footprints in the Sands...

Day 5- Friday - The Mission Team 2010 has left their footprints in the lifes and community of Swan Quarters, North Carolina....

The team was up bright and earl to leave their Youthworks site and head to Ocracoke Island. It was a great morning and they were able to relax on the deck of the ferry - a good 2 hour ride. I'm sure there will be lots of pictures. After eating lunch at a local establishment, they were off to the beach. "Ocracoke Island, accessible by water or air, is part of Hyde County. It is one of the barrier islands of the Outer Banks of North Carolina where the pirate Blackbeard is known to have once roamed. The Cape Hatteras National Seashore, with the Pamlico Sound on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other, its 16 miles on sun-swept wilderness beaches." It was a great afternoon being on the beach, looking for shells being inthe water (THERE WAS A LIFEGUARD ON DUTY), and playing volleyball in the sand. They did have to more from the area as there was some lightning at about 4 O'clock. Th National Park is not to far from the sight where they will be camping so...

They need to be in line for the ferry about noon and plan to meet SL's parents around 2:30-sih and then head home. they will see how far they drive before stopping and finding a hotel. More tomorrow on their mission of being "the Hands and Feet of Christ".

Day 4 -The team was again at Kid's Club and Outrageous Sports Camp. Kayla and Shelby really enjoyed working with the kids and were all smiles as were Samantha, Brooke, and Serena who worked there. Seth did a basketball workout with the kids today and was acknowledge for his willingness to step in and help where needed. Ian and Steve were in there helping the kids with drills not sure if today was football or soccer. Tonight was the community cookout and the kids from the clubs and camp along with the homeowners were there, there was lots of people and lots of food consumed. After the cookout was the footwashing done by Kari and Liz who made each "washing" personal for the kids and the chaperones. Then back to pack up their things .. Throughout the week Deerfield Lutheran again did an outstanding job and did it with positive attitudes and showing respect to those they met. They've worked hard and will have stories and experiences which they will carry with them for a long time. Thanks to all you parents who made this trip possible! Tomorrow they will pack the vans at 7:15 am to make sure they get in line at the ferry for their journey to the island, some R&R, and camping.

Hands and Feet of Christ at Work...

Wednesday, June 23rd

Day 3

It is very hot and humid in North Carolina. Our boys were involved in Outrageous Sports Camp - Ian and Steve set up courses and did drills with the kids for football; the kids were very impressed. Seth helped with football and also basketball; tomorrow he will be doing more with basketball drills. (BIG QUESTION--did Pastor take part in the drill?) Yes, Pastor Lar took pictures of them doing sports with the kids.

The women were off to Kid's Club and had a great day. They all enjoyed the chance to interact with the younger kids; they really did an outstanding job with the kids. A couple notes: Kari has a wonderful picture of Sam reading to a young child; Brooke did a great job with the little kids who loved riding on her shoulders (and she said she was not fond of little kids but the kids did not know that). There were kittens and a donkey for the kids at the club to see and enjoy. Kari & Larry ate lunch together today because both the groups started out at the same rural country store. Later on Claudia brought all of them Ice Cold Root Beer and Popcicles which was very appreciated! It was a good day.

Tonight after supper they attended the local Baptist Church which they had worked on earlier in the week for worship. The Pastor and his family were very gracious and appreciative of the group- this was the church that had found dry bedding for our team the first night. Everyone seemed to be looking forward to this experience. At Church Time for the team, Kari and Liz have been leading them.

Tomorrow evening is the footwashing service...it should be quite moving. Your kids can fill in some of the blanks here as to how it went for them.

Oh, the crabbing went very well. I know Kari got some little ones but had to release them...not sure what others caught.

Tuesday, June 22nd

Day 2:

Another hot day that even sunscreen did not save some from getting burned.

Shelby, Serena,Tammy, Kari, and Samantha spent the day in the hot sun painting deck rails and floors. It was a bit disappointing as the homeowners were not around so there was no interaction...tomorrow in Kid's Club will be better. Claudia, Liz, Kayla, Brooke were at the church doing work. Larry and "the boys" were cleaning and scrubbing, priming and painting. (they were done early and after taking trash to the dumpsite wound up at the convenience store watching the World Cup for about 20 minutes...)

Tonight was an Olympics game ... our group looked good even though they came in last. THE STYLE AND FLARE OF CLAUDIA AND SERENA HAD THEM TAKE FIRST PLACE IN THE KLEENEX PULLING CONTEST!

Tomorrow the boys and Larry will be in the outrageous Sports Camp while all the girls will be at Kid's Club.

Monday, June 21st

FIRST DAY:

After discovering that many of the sleeping bags got wet in the down pour, the local church brought in blankets for the tired kids last night. They were tired last night, but what a difference a night's sleep makes.

Today was very warm but the work crews were busy..up at 5 or 6 and off to work. They were scrapping decks, cleaning walls of a local church and weeding. Yea, Claudia was weeding someone else's garden as Sigurd takes care of her flowers here (the rain makes his watering easy). Ian and Steve were busy scrapping decks and Seth put the Borgrud talent to work with power tools in hand and putting on a screendoor. They've been interacting with the other kids and the home owners, hearing stories and realizing that they are "just like my grandmother". There is lots of enthusiasm even though the temps are high. Larry is amazed at the amount of food the kids (boys) can consume; the food has been good. Samantha walked by with her book.....more later

TONITE: CRABBING AND STORYTELLING WITH CAPTAIN MARTY. Tonight they are off to listen to stories and do some crabbing and take pictures of some wonderful sunsets.

Sunday, June 20th

The Mission Team arrived at Swan Quarters about 7 o'clock. They hit heavy rains but made it through and were not the last group to arrive. ( Deerfield is often known to be late arrivers but not this time.) All the drivers seemed in good spirits and were getting ready for their adventures tomorrow. They had a wonderful supper when they arrived and though it had been over 100 today, it was down to 70 because of the rain. Oh, a couple notes of interest...this is the mosquito capital of the area and the air conditioning in the school will hopefully be fixed tomorrow. The kids are busy tonight meeting the other groups.

Saturday, June 19th

Their bags were packed and they were ready to go...two vans of smiling teens and adults left the lot. Besides their own belongings they had school supplies for the children of SwanQuarter. The team arrived at Dunbar - midnight (One o'clock their time). They hit bad construction - 45 minutes stand still. Things are going okay and everyone seems to be in good mood despite the LONG DAY! They hope to leave for SwanQuarter by 9:00 am - tomorrow will not be as long a day for them. Hope they all get a good night's rest.

Coastal North Carolina ... YAY,GOD!

Our Mission Team...

Hands and Feet of Christ from Deerfield Lutheran

After a change in vans ... everything got loaded and off they go!

Our Chaperones..Kari, Pastor Lar, Elizabeth, Claudia, and Tammy..Thank you!

Save driving...We keep you all in our prayers...

Sent off with a circle of love and prayer

Look at the smiles ... have fun on this journey

Will it all fit? Parents are great!

With a change in vans, a great packing team of parents, hugs and kisses, a circle of prayer and several Yay Gods the Mission Team 2010 was off on Saturday, June 19th. This groups of 8 young men and women along with 5 chaperones began their journey to be the Hands and Feet of Christ in Swan Quarter, North Carolina.

Thank you Steve!

Have you noticed how great our lawn looks? Next time you see Steve, remember to thank him for the wonderful job.

Til we meet again...

The Naperville Bikers of 2010.....

The Naperville Bikers were hosted by several families in our congregation who let them have a hot shower and place to sleep. (After the last couple of rainy days it was nice for them to relax a bit.)

In their mission statement this group of high school students from Naperville Central HIgh School and other schools describe themselves as "striving to share the love of Jesus Christ with those around us...aspire to be shining lights for God in this dark and broken world." Take a moment and check out their website : http://www.redhawkfca.org/mission.htm

Fellowship of Christian Athletes - Naperville Bikers

For a number of years Deerfield Lutheran Church has hosted a Fellowship of Christian Athletes group from Naperville, Illinois. These high school bicyclists, and their adult leaders, bike 300 miles in 5 days! Along the way they stop and visit elderly in nursing homes and grace us in Deerfield with their presence for a night.

This year11 students and 6 adults are making the pilgrimage. They arrived Wednesday (June 16th) in Firemen's Park, joined host families for dinner at the Ice Cream Social, and lead us in song, fellowship and fun at the Community Center. This is a wonderful group of young adults who live their faith. Next year, you might think about being a host or joining in with the fellowship!

"

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9
When God's hosting, it's always a party!

Ice Cream Social 2010

Would it ever stop raining? Yes, it did in time for the annual WELCA Ice Cream Social held on June 16th. The menu of BBQ and Hot Dogs, Lois's beans, WELCA's special potato salad, plus homemade pies and ice cream were a big hit. The Fireman's Park had people lined up to eat these wonderful treats. Jenny served as the hostess, collecting trays and directing people to get their ice cream from Roberta (finally got a picture of her at work). There were so many who worked a long day to make this event a success and they even still found time to enjoy a great meal. The Naperville Bikers came all the way from Illinois for the event. A special thank you to all who helped make the pies and salad, and those who set up and served this annual fund raiser. This year the H.E.L.P. Fund will be the recipient of the proceeds. (The fund continues to grow as we strive to make our church accessible to ALL people!)