Mission trip was a blast! I had so much fun! The best part for me was the look on the peoples faces when they saw their church after we worked! It was a great feeling knowing that the hard work we put into it was really appreciated!

This journey was incredible! I learned how to handle different tools and I got to know people much better! My favorite work was probably either building the swing set or getting those dang tree stumps out! It was surprisingly fun!

I had such a great time that I’m sad its over and already looking forward to next year! Jason: Thank you so much for the life changing experience. This trip was amazing! I really hope you help organize another trip next year! :)

Thank you everyone that helped make this trip a great one!
It really made my summer! :D
- Emma Barber :)

Davilyn: “The way you make me feel!… The way you turn me on!… You knock me off of my feet!… You lonely days are gone!” The Way You Make Me Feel By Michael Jackson OUR SONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol

i look back at this experience just wanting to continue what we started. i asked my mom if maybe next year we could go back because St. Andrews was so welcomeing and sweet, they deserved every ounce of work we put into their church. ok so a breif summary…the first day was you know, everyone was anxious and just so full of energy the ride there was just weird because everyone wanted to get going. so we made it throught that night.
the next morning however was i think my best day of work. i went all out and i know everyone else did we were pumped until about two hours of hard work.
the next day was a bit more layed back.
wendsday hit everyone with a suprise after a winding dead end lead by MIKE! we arived at one of the most breathtaking views. and i think that night really touched me and others because the other visitors couldnt help but sing-along and join in.
Thursday was a panicking day for some or for my group the BEST work day. full with tons of laughs includeing the beautiful bruno. plus we got a special visit from kirks friend matt and we all got to share times with him. :)
the last day seemed as though it wasnt real.The work day flew by as we painted and finished the playground and gravel. i had so much fun painted the rainbow and tree in our room. altough meagan fell off the ladder on accident we rushed and fixed her up! hehehe that night at st. andrews was very good because we got to mix in with our fellow methodists. i had fun with mikes big fancy camera taking the most random pictures. (im pretty sure he deleted half of them) :)
all packed up ready on our way. it was all so awkward when we missed our turn to st. andrews but we were anxious for next year and the year after.

thanks jason and everyone that helped make this trip possible

WHOOOOO BETSY!

Davilyn Rohr

Today was our last day and it was sad because I had a great time when I was up there. I was sad and also glad when we left because I enjoyed working at the church. We accomplished a whole lot while we were there like painting two rooms, boxed up 50 boxes of food for the needy families, built a playground, pulled weeds,washed windows, and worked and worked to pull out two stumps to build a flower garden. Even though we worked hard and got all sweaty and stinky we also had alot of fun too like swimming, going to the zoo,and teasing Bruno(Wayne). Our worship services were pretty awesome too.Thank you Mike for teaching me how to play some notes on the guitar. Friday we had a lunch with members of the church that we helped this week. So some of us like Emma, Davilyn, and I were sad that we had to leave because we liked working at a church that really needed help. We finally got home around 5:00-5:30. Thanks for reading what we have been doing bye!!!!!!! My bed is going to feel so good tonight.
Ashly Hunt

So much has happened since Thursday evening. Friday usually consists of cleaning, finishing up a few odd jobs and getting ready for the evenings celebration. So what did we do? We started 3 new projects! Parts of Team 1 and 2 worked in the children’s Sunday School Room and added a garden scene complete with a rainbow to a wall that was originally painted by the work team from Oklahoma. Still others painted the back wall of the new food pantry office and added the Methodist cross & flame on the wall. We were just about to put the tools away when something very special happened. I’ll add what it is later, but I know Pastor Calderon will be reading this and I don’t want to spoil the surprise for her!

That evening we had a wonderful dinner with members of St. Andrew’s UMC. They also joined us for music, team reports, devotions, awards and a candlewalk that battled the wind. The evening was a wonderful success.

Saturday morning wake-up was at 7am. We cleaned the entire church, ate and held devotions in First UMC’s lobby. Some of our adults were in need of caffine, so we pulled a Ron Clough and stopped at Starbuck’s around the corner from the church. All members arrived safetly at Dove of the Desert UMC in Arizona between 5:30 and 6:30pm (we got a bit seperated, but no, Mike did NOT get lost).

Thanks for all of the support you have given us this week. I am proud of each and every missionary, from Ashly (age 12) up to Wayne (age %#) and everyone in between. We will announce the date of the Ice Cream Social/Slide Show for our stock holders shortly, and it will be posted on this website.

God is Good
All the Time
All the Time
God is Good

God Bless All,
-Jason Delfing

All,
Your postcard are on their way and should be there soon. Today was a very productive day at the site. Team 1 was able to assist and meet some of the families that came to the food pantry at St. Andrew’s to recieve their food package. Team 3 completed running railroad ties down the side of the church (where the aforementioned bushes used to be) so they can create a flower garden. they also dug 3 ft. deep holes, inserted the playground set into them, bolted the set into the ground anchors (and Gary’s thumb) and are nearly finished with the set. Team 2 worked outside the front leveling off the path that had been created earlier in the day. After Lunch, the team cleaned out and organized a room that was a storage closet and will become an office for the food pantry.
Today was a great day for the teams in general. For the most part we were able to work as single units and have a wonderful bonding experiance while getting much needed work accomplished. I am very proud of everything we have accomplished so far and look forward to a great last day and a terrific celebration dinner at St. Andrew’s on Friday evening.

Good night, and God Bless
-Jason

Today we woke up at the usual, crazy time of 6 AM. After we got to the work site, team three worked on building the playground. Yesterday, we found out that we need to dig 3 foot holes to anchor the playground. So, with that we spent almost the whole morning digging four holes and making sure they were all level. After our holes were complete, we continued building the playground. By the end of the day, we were soo close to finishing but we decided to stop for the day.

Once we were all packed up, we went to the community pool. Some people got thrown in the water by Gary and Kirk. I have to admit, it was really fun but I was kind of scared. haha.

After our cold showers, the adults surprised us by taking us to sonic for some ice cream. On our way home we stopped at seven eleven to get Gary a slurpee as a joke because he scammed me and kelli into giving him our cups last night. he told us that he hadnt gotten a cup so we both gave him ours.

Until devotions, Torrey and I worked on making WHOAs. once it was time for devotions, MacKenzie, Mike, Megan, Torrey, David, Kelli, and I all gave Gary his slurpee :)

Well night guys!

Mom: I finally wrote a blog:DD Love you!

-Jordan Zurn

So today….
after our EARLY wake-up.. can tiring start off to the day…
some of the girls helpped out in the food pantry, and gave food
boxes to the lesser fortunate. and other helpped assemble the playground with
a full slide, 2 swings & a steering wheel!
also one of the groups finished the walkway path in the backyard.
tons of work with moving rocks!
while i was in the food pantry we moved BIG
boxes of cans, and also we packed baggies of spaggetti for next month’s
boxes for the lessER fortunate.
later that day……
we went to the community pool and swam when
i got thrown into the pool against my will! and airplained in too.
:) by kirk and gary…. those meany heads :P
andddddd we took cold showers (as ussual)
&&&&& we also got special money from an elderly couple from
jason’s old church; that bought us ice cream. (: at sonic!
Thennn we got back to the church and allot of people
werote W.O.E.’s to everyone else! (:
(gary says hi)
durring devotions we sang songs andd well yeahh thats all i kinda remember..
and right now kirk (the meany) gave me a wet willie… ewwww! :(
well nighttttt lights out at 10!
love you mom….
Torrey Keen! (:

hello! mission trip is awesome! we have received lots of help in the kitchen and in serving and cleaning up! Food is plentiful>>food is appreciated>>food is yummy! God has greatly blessed us with Jason, trip director, adult helpers, and youth workers! I know that we will make a huge impact in other’s lives! Kelli

6:00 AM.. to early, period. No human being should be up that early! Everyone here is so tired that most of us are falling asleep at breakfast! But, i guess its a sacrifice we all are making to be on the wonderful work mission!
Yesterday was our half day, WEEE!!!! We all went to the zoo! he-ey! (hey) Some of us (meaning davilyn, ashly, me and most of the adults) traveled on a train to the Aquarium! It was huge! We sat in portholes, took pictures with fish (davilyn even kissed a fish, through glass dont worry), and had a great time. Later that night we drove up to a mountain were you could see all of albequerque (i dont think i spelled that right oh well).. The drive there was well interesting. With wayne critizing mikes driving and us twisting and turning up a mountain we all had a great time! That night as we sat at the top of the mountain freezing our butts off we sang a few songs (even some tourist joined in which was really cool!) and had our devotions. It was very fun and a nice break from all the stress and difficulty on the mission trip.
Well thats all for now. More later,
Emma :)

this is regarding yesterday!
so…..we went to the zoo….and we saw animals…..oh and we went on a train and so on…..but then. we went in a gigantic aquarium like the size of a billion school busses heheheeee…. i dont know how but we somehow got caught up with the adults (yay) hehehee and they desided to have a photo shoot with us the beautiful models..Davilyn, Emma ,and Ashly of coarse we got some with the traditional beauty stance and our faces press up against the glass while sharks were swimming.. but i couldnt help thinking that lisa was trying to make us look weird..like the time she had me make a kissy face to a big fat pufferfish while asly got the beautiful angelfish! how rude hahaha love you lisa!…anyways. you ought to hear mackenzies wild storys haha there good oh and i almost forgot. the mountain trip was breath taking espessially when emma was freaking out becuase we went close to the edge so yeah and boy was the music beautiful alright g2g

tootles,
Davilyn