Day 2: Landscaping 101

Today was a very busy day on our mission trip! All of our students went to the Simonka Place and did various jobs outside. Some painted new stripes in the parking lot (and some on their hands and clothes!), while other pulled weeds, spread new bark dust and wood chips, weed-whacked, or cleaned up trimmings from bushes. It was a very full day, but at the end of the day it was satisfying to be able to look at all we had accomplished. We're now halfway through our trip, so please continue to pray for us that we would continue to have the energy we need and the right attitudes as we serve. Also, parents and others, if you want to leave a comment to encourage our students, I (David) will be sure to share it with them. Just click on the link at the bottom of the post, choose "Name/URL," (or "Anonymous," if you'd rather), and write some words of encouragement. Thanks!

"Today I got to go to a place where there are great people..... and FOOD. Good food. God really touched my heart today after hearing BIG Mike's testimony (a good guy at the mission). I really want to come next year to see all the progress that we helped to happen. After this week I will cry more than a million times, I am so touched by the men at the mission, deeper than I think I have ever been before. It was spectacular! I am a lot closer to God and not only am I friends with more people, I feel like all the people that came are my family..... Well a good thing is I am not homesick because the cook is my mom! It is not only fun to help cook but to see my mom every day is so cool! And I know what we get eat before time :) ."
-Michael

"Well, today everybody went to Simonka Place to try to finish there. We worked on the hedges and the playground. The hedges were trimmed and we put down new wood chips in the playground. When we went to the mission for lunch our entire group went to eat with the men there. It was cool because no one was not by a man there (there were no woman, we were in the men's mission). I heard some stories about some of the people there. All of the stories involved bad choices which demonstrates the importance of good choices over bad."
-Alex

"I was certainly impressed with the work ethic of our middle schoolers.  Speaking as one who was recently at the same age as them, I can clearly remember NOT being as willing, determined, or persevering as they were today in working.  The main thing that they lacked were complaints, they were a little excessive in joy, and perhaps could have curbed their enthusiastic spirits to help and seek out work.  I'm proud that they have started finding their focus and realizing that these people they are helping are very real and in need of help.  I'm sure that they are leaving an impression on those at the Mission and in turn are being impacted by the experience and people they meet.  I, for one, am feeling the impact of both seeing the lives of the homeless men and women and the changing in attitudes and hearts of our students."
-Cameron

Repainting the curb at Simonka Place. (Next to the dumpster too. Hope it smelled good!)

Clearing out a flowerbed so we could put down new bark dust.

Cleaning up shrub clippings. 

Michael trimming the shrubs. After we were done working, he shared a very powerful testimony with us.