Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Mission Trip - Day 3

We got to sleep a little later - until 8:00 am - before beginning our work at SAMM. This is the same ministry we worked at on Friday, but we were working in their administrative offices today.

Our group was split in half and given different tasks to complete. One group cut tags off of donated clothes and sorted them. They also shredded LOTS of paperwork!

The other group assembled 235 Father's Day giftbags that included toiletries such as toothpaste, soap, deodorant, mouthwash, razors, and kleenex. These bags would be given to all of the fathers served at the homeless shelters on Father's Day, many of whom would not see their children at all.

After these jobs had been done, our group came back together for a creative task...designing 235 cards to go inside the gift bags! The kids were given construction paper and crayons, and the rest was left up to their imaginations! There were some interesting cards, no doubt... Our favorite was made by Haley. In a hurry, she wrote on the front "Be Exited!" instead of "Be Excited!" After we laughed, we told her that it really was an appropriate sentiment - it's our hope that all of the fathers are exited quickly from the shelters! The kids did manage to make all 235 cards in about an hour and a half - they moved a little faster when I told them time at Sea World was on the line!

All in all, the work was productive and valuable. Though we never saw the faces of those who will be touched by our efforts, we know that God used us to do important ministry. And we know for sure that God did a mighty thing in all of our hearts over the weekend!

After finishing our work we returned to the house for lunch and an hour of rest before donning our spiffy orange t-shirts and heading to Sea World! There were quite a few of the kids who had never experienced Sea World before, and it was fun to see their eyes light up when seeing the animals for the first time. It was quite warm when we arrived - right around 100 degrees - but the heat gradually diminished throughout the day.

We began by visiting the dolphins - some got to touch them! Then we headed to the rides. The kids chose to do Journey to Atlantis first, where they got thoroughly soaked! A few roller coasters and a log ride later, it was time for a BBQ dinner. We finished our evening with none other than...Shamu!! Dante, Fred, and I found comfortable seats at the top of the stadium, but the kids were on the bottom row in the splash zone! Shamu got them a few times with his tail, and they got a taste of 52-degree salt water.

After closing down the park, and a stop at a gift shop for souvenirs, we headed to the parking lot and had our devotional there. We talked about God sightings - where we have seen God in our time here, and what we have learned from the experience. The last question was, "Are you satisfied with what we have done?" We were extremely proud to hear the kids say "No." When asked why, their response was "Because God's work is never done." Amen to that...

It was another good day spent doing God's work and enjoying His creation. The bonding that has taken place among the kids is amazing. They were already close, but when you live together for 3 days you truly become family.

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