Saturday, 31 March 2012
HOME ON SUNDAY!!
Just a correction--the schedule says we arrive home Saturday--it should say SUNDAY. Sorry for the typo!!
On Our Way Home!
We have spent a lot of time on our bus! We are in Dillon, Montana for a quick break before we continue on to Great Falls, Montana. Last night we stayed in Cedar City, Utah for a very short but much needed sleep.
Friday, 30 March 2012
Slept on the Roof
Lots of sirens, hard ground, but a nice warm sleeping bag. Last night we had a small taste of homelessness. A little tired but everyone is good.
Thursday, 29 March 2012
Conquering Hate With Love
A Story from a member of our team:
"On Monday we made our way to the Union Rescue Mission building for the first time. I have to admit I was a bit worried about what I would see. Our team separated into groups, and I went and talked with a woman. When we walked in to talk with them they were just starting their Church service. I got more out of that service I think than any other service. The Pastor put a whole new twist on the saying "walk by faith not by sight," with two stories: Job and the story of Peter walking on water. He taught me that God can take everything away and give it back, and that if you take your eyes off Him you will sink. Later on, me and another girl went and talked with a lady named Shannon. She goes to the URM for lunch but lives at a different shelter. When I inquired about how long she had lived there, she couldn't put a number of years on it. My heart went out to her when she practically relived her old life through words in front of me. She moved into what she thought was a good apartment. A short time after she moved in she noticed that kids were breaking in while she was teaching. they ruined her carpets, at least 20 different pairs of shoes, tore her clothes and stuck heroin needles in the floor so that she wouldn't see them but would step on them. The whole time she explained this she laughed. She was so passionate when she explained why. She said that these kids came from parents or broken homes who didn't care about them, didn't rein them in and let them do what they wanted. Further more she knew they were still children of God and she loved them. the one thing that she said that made me want to live my life differently was that the only way to conquer hate was with love. I was so amazed that through all the grief and pain these kids had caused her, causing her to move out of her home and to the streets, she still loved them! It made me stop and do a major look over of my life and I realized that I needed to make that my motto. I need to love the people I hate the most. To look beyond our differences and the pain they have caused me and love them because they are children of God no matter what. A verse came to mind after this, one about turning the other cheek and another about doing unto others as you would do unto me (God). This trip has changed my life. People say that a lot, but it's true. Many other experiences have happened that theres not room to talk about, but regardless of who it involved, pastors, the kids, even watching from a distance, they have all opened my heart and eyes and made me want to create a better life and to look and definitely think about things differently. From now on I'm going to try and remind myself that the only way to conquer hate is with love and walk by faith not by sight."
Megan Valstar
"On Monday we made our way to the Union Rescue Mission building for the first time. I have to admit I was a bit worried about what I would see. Our team separated into groups, and I went and talked with a woman. When we walked in to talk with them they were just starting their Church service. I got more out of that service I think than any other service. The Pastor put a whole new twist on the saying "walk by faith not by sight," with two stories: Job and the story of Peter walking on water. He taught me that God can take everything away and give it back, and that if you take your eyes off Him you will sink. Later on, me and another girl went and talked with a lady named Shannon. She goes to the URM for lunch but lives at a different shelter. When I inquired about how long she had lived there, she couldn't put a number of years on it. My heart went out to her when she practically relived her old life through words in front of me. She moved into what she thought was a good apartment. A short time after she moved in she noticed that kids were breaking in while she was teaching. they ruined her carpets, at least 20 different pairs of shoes, tore her clothes and stuck heroin needles in the floor so that she wouldn't see them but would step on them. The whole time she explained this she laughed. She was so passionate when she explained why. She said that these kids came from parents or broken homes who didn't care about them, didn't rein them in and let them do what they wanted. Further more she knew they were still children of God and she loved them. the one thing that she said that made me want to live my life differently was that the only way to conquer hate was with love. I was so amazed that through all the grief and pain these kids had caused her, causing her to move out of her home and to the streets, she still loved them! It made me stop and do a major look over of my life and I realized that I needed to make that my motto. I need to love the people I hate the most. To look beyond our differences and the pain they have caused me and love them because they are children of God no matter what. A verse came to mind after this, one about turning the other cheek and another about doing unto others as you would do unto me (God). This trip has changed my life. People say that a lot, but it's true. Many other experiences have happened that theres not room to talk about, but regardless of who it involved, pastors, the kids, even watching from a distance, they have all opened my heart and eyes and made me want to create a better life and to look and definitely think about things differently. From now on I'm going to try and remind myself that the only way to conquer hate is with love and walk by faith not by sight."
Megan Valstar
Union Rescue Mission Pictures
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| The cutest little girl whose family lives at Union Rescue Mission ... She did have a lot of attitude, this is her "leading" the girls in a game, one that she just so happened to make up herself :) |
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Long Beach Rescue Mission
On Tuesday we spent most of our day at Long Beach Rescue Mission, here is the story from our team:
"We went to Long Beach Rescue Mission and painted four big rooms (dormitory's). It was really cool that we were able to come together as a team and paint these four big rooms with over 40 of us ... it was a little crazy but lots of fun. We also went to Seal Beach which was windy and the water was kind of cold, but the sun was shining so it was nice. We helped lead the chapel service for Long Beach Rescue Mission. We sang some songs with Cody, Haley, and Megan and Jerel shared a message, and Cody gave his testimony. It was a fantabulous day."
Kara Casper
"We went to Long Beach Rescue Mission and painted four big rooms (dormitory's). It was really cool that we were able to come together as a team and paint these four big rooms with over 40 of us ... it was a little crazy but lots of fun. We also went to Seal Beach which was windy and the water was kind of cold, but the sun was shining so it was nice. We helped lead the chapel service for Long Beach Rescue Mission. We sang some songs with Cody, Haley, and Megan and Jerel shared a message, and Cody gave his testimony. It was a fantabulous day."
Kara Casper
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Our Day at Union Rescue Mission
To describe all that Union Rescue Mission does to alleviate poverty in downtown LA is a difficult task. They provide services for men, women, and even families. They have a clinic and a dentist office, they offer a banking system, mental health, and legal aid as well as their housing and rehabilitation ... It is incredibly comprehensive. As we served food, toured the facility, visited and played we witnessed hope in the midst of incredible hardship.
"Even though I have witnessed people doing drugs and living in the streets before this trip, I was still unsure of what the Union Rescue Mission would bring. I was greatly impressed that most of the people we met were extremely nice, generally happy, and willing to share their stories. What affected me the most was the children. Their unconditional love and trust gives me hope that there is a better life ahead of them as they and their families get the help they need."
Katie Driver
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