There are many great things about Vacation With A Purpose. One of which, is that it is a Vacation! So today the team took the day off. Ellyn Baeszler put together a little excursion to some nearby caverns and the team spent most of the afternoon exploring 300 feet underground! Pictures are coming soon. I, personally, can’t wait because I heard from several people that it was just absolutely beautiful and breathtaking.
On their way to the caverns, the team stopped in for some lunch and used that as an opportunity to continue a celebration that began early in the morning. Will Reid turned 16 today! Some members of the team woke up early and decorated his room in order to surprise him first thing. Happy Birthday Will!
The team ended their day the same way they’ve been doing every day: in worship. Every evening, various members have been leading the group in a short devotion, followed by a time of singing lead by Will and Kim Baysinger. These have been powerful times of experiencing the Lord’s presence, giving thanks for the Lord’s provision, and committing the follow day to Him.
Thursday, the team will move to the new job site. So let’s pray for wisdom as they take on this new task. Let’s also continue to pray for team unity as the week continues and against anything else that could be a distraction, such as the heat.
Also, continue to check the link "2011Gallery” to the left of the screen. There will be a whole bunch of new pictures coming soon. If you’re on FACEBOOK you can check out some great pictures from the trip so far at this link:
Day 2 is officially in the books. This evening I received this note from Angie Simmons about her experiences over the last couple of days. So instead of me giving you all the details, I’ll let her incredible testimony speak for itself!
“VWAP 2011 has been a great experience so far. We're a good mix of people, both who were on the trip with us 2 years ago as well as folks we didn't know very well. It's been great to get to know some of the kids who come to our youth group. They've all been really good workers, whether on the worksite or at VBS. Our challenges have included a first-day power outage in the area (all day), a multitude of wasps & hornets, and a second day early thunderstorm that threw our work schedule way off. The blessings in these were the ability to work with battery-powered tools (and still replace a bedroom window), flashlights for all to see in the dark bathrooms, only one wasp sting that has healed completely, and a re-aligning of some folks from the worksite to VBS, which turned out to be fun for all. One of my best moments was visiting with one of two young deaf girls at VBS...I signed to her "Jesus loves you" to which she nodded and grinned; then I signed "I love you" and got a HUGE hug in return! All this in two days...day 3 awaits!”
Update and Prayer Request:
On Tuesday evening the team received word that on Thursday morning they will be relocated from the Vest family home to a different job site for the remaining two days. The new site will be the home of a lady named Liza who has two small children. Please be in prayer for the team as they regroup and prepare to make the adjustment to the new site.
There’s nothing like hitting the ground running!!
Early this morning, Ken, Ellyn, and Chris lead their group to the home of the Vest family. They spent the day preparing to install a number of new windows in the their home.
Conor along with Anna, Grace, Emily, LeeAnn, and Alexandra began their first day of Vacation Bible School. It was an encouraging day with over 50 children from the community attending the event, many of whom had never experienced VBS before. Tomorrow they are expecting an even greater turn out. Throughout the morning, each of the “Jr. Leaders” lead a group of 8-10 kids through “Home Town Nazareth,” teaching children about Jesus’ hometown and early life. Then, on the way back to dorms, Conor decided to take his team to McDonalds for an after-VBS dessert!
As the entire VWAP team regroups Monday evening to debrief their first day, please pray for rest tonight and wisdom as they prepare for tomorrow.
Prayer Request: Early Monday morning Conor received news that someone very close to him had passed away. Addie James, who was like a grandmother to Conor, passed away on Sunday evening after suffering a heart attack. So let’s lift Conor to the Lord in prayer, praying for Peace, comfort, and clarity as he leads his team throughout the coming week while grieving the loss of his friend.
Let’s praise the Lord that the VWAP team has arrived in Philippi, WV safe and sound! According to Conor they got in around 3:30 on Sunday afternoon, after a fairly smooth and uneventful drive.
The team spent the evening settling in to their dorms, attending the opening orientation, and preparing for an early start in the morning.
They’ll leave for VBS and their worksite at 8am.
Tonight, let’s pray for rest, energy and safety on work-sites. Most of all, that the team will experience the Spirit’s presence in mighty ways, bonding the team together in love and showing the love of Christ to the people of Philippi.