Oh What A – Beautiful? – Morning

Happy Monday, everyone! We are currently awake and packing up in preparation for our trip to Hazard. It’s raining like cats and dogs outside – I just stepped in a poodle! Ok, I’m already sleep-deprived. We’re waiting for a break in the storm to load up the van. I’m trying to institute a new rule this year that all first-year trippers have to load up the van, but Sarah, Erin, Shaylin, and Emily aren’t buying it. Darn it!

I’ll check in as soon as I can once we get to Hazard. As soon as we arrive we’re going to find a place for lunch, then head to headquarters and settle in before getting our first glimpse of the church where we’ll be working. Talk to you all soon!

Chowin’ and Chillin’ in Jeffersonville

Your fearless mission trippers have arrived at the halfway point of our journey to Hazard. Our trip down to Jeffersonville was a smooth one. We made one stop in Lafayette for restroom breaks and puffed Cheetos (Emily and Sarah hogged them all), frozen Cokes and energy drinks (several of the boys). We arrived in Jeffersonville around 7 p.m. local time (that’s 6 p.m. to you Chicago people). I drove the big van with eight youth in it. All I can say is: Thank the good Lord for iPods and headphones! It was the quietest youth van ride I’ve ever experienced.

When we rolled into town, the kitchen crew at First Christian Church in Jeff was waiting for us. Dinner included chicken and rice casserole, corn pudding, a salad bar, green beans, and a special Caramel Apple Salad (my personal favorite, made by my grandma). I actually beat up two youth members who tried to eat some of it. I won’t tell you which two.

Several of the youth group members from FCC came and hung out with us, as did several of my family members (my mom, dad, grandma, aunt, three half-siblings, and numerous cousins). It was great for me to have my two families together in one place. We figured that this was the first time I’ve had a picture with both my mom and dad since my wedding!

After dinner Tim lead the two groups in some ”get to know you” games, and we played basketball and cards as a way to wind down. We’re currently setting up our beds and getting ready to settle in for the evening. Wakeup is at 7 a.m. Chicago time, with breakfast at 8 a.m. We’ll hit the road after breakfast, and hopefully arrive in Hazard around noon. I hope to check in not long after that, but a lot of that will depend upon Internet access. So if you don’t hear from us right away, don’t worry! I’ll check in as soon as I can.

This is such a fantastic group of people, and I’m so excited to see how God uses us this week. I’m also excited to see the friendships that develop as we spend this time together. You create a special kind of bond with someone when they drip paint on your shoes or when you accidentally wear someone else’s underwear (ask Tim and Chris about that one).

Goodnight everyone. We miss you already!

Click here to see some photos from today…