Day 4

Willard, David, & Kirk putting the finishing touches on a newly installed window!

This new ministry opportunity on a mission trip has been hard at work. They have made 7 pairs of curtains, 6 valances, 4 receiving blankets, and 7 pillows so far. This blanket they are auctioning off tonight for the bus ride home since the bus is rather chilly. Now, if anyone wants to make a bid you have until 8:00 p.m. tonight. Simply email Bill at bcroy@maplegroveumc.org before 8:00 tonight.

Pat Uhrick on behalf of the Sewers

MG Crow Creek Mission Trip

Day 3

Wow!  After an uneventful negative, but very eventful positive trip to Crow Creek our first workday was wonderful!  Our crew chief, Peter, began the day with an impressive bit of sharing about himself as a member of the Dakotas.  During the day we formulated several workcrews based on the work needing to be done.  We were the gardeners, the mudders, the clothes sorters, the plumbers, and the siders.  It was a great day.  Tonight we enjoyed lasagna made by trip participant, Leah, and are looking forward to a standup comic, Milo, sharing with us.
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On the road again

There are thirty-one of us on the trip - 8 men and 23 women.  Another interesting fact is that 2 0 missioners are members of MG and 11 are guests.
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Crow Creek Mission Trip - Day 2

We're on our way to Sioux Falls to pick up a van and our final missioner.
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We're on our way! We successfully pulled out of Maple Grove's parking lot at a little after 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 27.

After a very pleasant all-day drive we arrived in Iowa City and spent the night at a Best Western. We have had breakfast and are preparing for our second 10-hour drive arriving at Ft. Thompson on the Crow Creek Reservation around 7:00 p.m. Pictures will follow when we work out our connection issues.

Preparation

It's two days before launch and the excitemeny is building.  All health and liability forms are in and people are busy making final preparations.
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Crow Creek Mission Trip

Thirty-one adults from Maple Grove UMC are leaving on Saturday, June 27, at 7:00 a.m. We will be working on the Crow Creek Reservation in Ft. Thompson, South Dakota until Saturday, July 4. Be sure to check back frequently to follow along.

Three sets of t-shirt twins today.

Some lunch at a Sonic in Nashville. We plan to drive by the headquarters of United Methodist Communications, Cokesbury and the General Board of Discipleship on our way out of town. We should be home just after 8:00.

Hot, hot, hot. Tell us something we don't already know!!!

My 18th Birthday!

So today I celebrated my 18th birthday. And though having your eighteenth birthday during a mission trip may not be your typical party site, I can definitely say it was one of the best birthdays I’ve ever had. My mom and the rest of the group went above and beyond to make my day as special as possible. The festivities began right at midnight (central time) when everyone came running up the steps to shower me with tons of empty water balloons yelling “Happy birthday!”. Just to give you an idea of how shocked I was, I was in the middle of doing yoga positions on the wall when I heard a stampede coming. This morning (after many happy birthday wishes, of course) I came back from my shower to a wrapped present on my bed and a pin-on ribbon that said “Very special birthday” which I proudly wore on the worksite all day. On the site we had a great workday and a great closure to our project. Afterwards we enjoyed an awesome day at the beach, yummy dinner, and a game of capture the flag- one of our favorite group games- perfect for massive old churches like the one we are staying in. As if the day hadn’t been great enough, the group surprised me once again! We stopped our game early to go do our nightly devotions. Little did I know I was being led to a surprise birthday party. I walked in to streamers, noise makers, and lots of “happy birthdays.” We celebrated with ice cream cakes (my favorite kind), and my present. I can’t wait to play with my gift which was the game Mad Gab, which they tell me is great for groups and even car rides since there is no board. All in all, I had an amazing day, one that I will not soon forget. This week, and today especially, I am reminded how blessed I am to have such an awesome group of people to grow in my faith with, share the love of God with, and just hangout with. I love them all so much, and can’t thank them enough for making my birthday so special!
-Rachel Renick

Cooling off and having some fun after a good week of work.

Nathan and Mark using a miter saw on some quarter-round.

Melissa using a nail gun to install some baseboard.

The last two pieces of siding are complete!!!

Nathan's Blog

A lot of work was successfully completed today. One of the first jobs done
today was finishing a second coat of paint on the front side of the house.
In the middle of the front there was a hole with no siding so after we
finished painting we put up a new side panel. Then of course we put two
coats of paint on it. Almost the entire house had siding but around the
door and that was our next task. We measured and cut pieces to fit around
the windows around the door. The two pieces we cut fit like a glove and
were perfect. While this happened another team worked on the gable. After
a few set backs like slightly off cuts and a side panel being upside down
they were to get all the siding up except for two panels. It was a very
successful fulfilling day.

Steve

Let me tell you about Steve...

I don't know his official title but Steve is essentially the building
manager for our host church, First United Methodist Church in Lake
Charles, LA. Steve is in his mid-50s; he married late in life, at the age
of 43, and inherited 3 step-children with his marriage. His wife and he
also have a daughter of their own, age 11. I believe Steve has lived in
Louisiana for most of his life and he has worked for First UMC for 11
years.

Steve greeted us on Sunday night, after dark, having rushed to the church
before our arrival to insure the air conditioning was on in full force.
This was an unexpected intrusion upon his Sunday evening because he was
informed we were to arrive on Monday. He not only greeted us but called a
local pizzaria / Italian restaurant (the owner of which is originally from
Urbana, OH), placed a pizza order sufficient to feed all of our group and
gave us a guided escort to the restaurant to insure we would not get lost.
From there, he drove to the Lake Charles Airport to pick up Brett
Radulovich, on of our adult leaders, and deliver him to the church to join
us. As if that wasn't enough for one night, he then navigated Kathy,
Daniel and Brett to Walmart to pick up some necessities delayed by the
luggage problems that have plagued our trip.

On Monday morning, he made us breakfast. On Tuesday morning, he made us
breakfast. Tonight, he made us dinner. These meals were elaborate and
prepared with such heart and sincerity. He regularly asks if we need him
to make a trip to the grocery store or perform any other task. His
actions are accompanied with a gentle kindness and personable nature as
warm as the Louisiana sun. He selflessly serves us as we serve others.

Steve celebrates in our efforts, offering everything he can to sustain us
in God's work. He embodies radical hospitality and extravagant
generousity.

Thank you for your prayers and support. Please, lift up a prayer of
thanks for Steve.

Alison Gill

Inside Job

Today we endured yet another hot, Louisiana day but everyone kept on working hard. While siding was going up outside, I had the opportunity to work inside with the Americorps group. Painting trim definitely takes some skill and got frustrating at times, but conversing with the Americorps group really helped ease the pain. It amazed me how well we all got along. At different ages and from all across the country, we shared common interests such as vegetarianism and musical taste. So even though the work done inside wasn't as physically demanding, I am glad I got to connect with other people.

-Courtney Foster

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling...

Brett supervising the work. Great one-handed detail work with the roller Cami!

Day 4

Today we worked on a different house, this time doing a lot of painting. Most of us worked on the exterior of the house. We painted the trim on the windows, put a second (and sometimes first) coat on exterior walls, painted the trim that will be put up on the soffit and facia (tomorrow’s work) and caulked the entire exterior. Several of us worked inside – painting nine interior doors. We were working alongside a group from AmeriCorps. It was a pretty big house and it was very hot again today. We were thankful we got to wear shorts on this job.

We came back to the church to shower off the paint and sweat and then headed off to Cajun Charlie’s for dinner. Most of us ate from the buffet, but 5 ordered off the menu. Some of the foods we ate were etouffe (or A-2fay - a spicy seasoned stew on rice), boudin (Louisiana sausage), alligator, crawfish, catfish, back-eyed peas, carrot soufflé, hush puppies, jambalaya, and banana pudding. It was really good and we were stuffed.

Then we hit the road (again) and headed to the Sabine Nature Preserve along the coast. The wetlands were really incredible. We saw cool birds including roseate spoonbills, and many alligators. There were millions of flies swarming our heads, and they were totally undeterred by the insect repellant. In retrospect dusk maybe isn’t the best time to visit the bayou! But we did see a spectacular sunset, and it was a highlight of the trip so far. Our coasatal drive took us along the Gulf of Mexico and on an unexpected but enjoyable ferry ride. Stay tuned for more about this later!

We invite you to post some comments on this blog. We are touching base via the blog each evening and would love to hear from you.

Signed,

Revvy J (Reverend Jeff), A-Dog (Alison), B-Rad (Brett), Camelot (Cami), K-Dog (Kathy), Mark, Caitlin, Rachel, Courtney, Melissa, Daniel, Will, Richard, Tyler, Nathan, and Jenna

Guess who's painting???

First Day of Work

Today was our first day of actual work, and there was a lot of work to be done. Our mission today was to repair a Lake Charles resident’s home. We put all new shingles on their roof and had groups nail them down using both power tools and hammers. Every person in the group was working hard and working well together to complete the project. Even though it was a challenge working in the VERY hot sun, on top of a roof, the Maple Grove Youth came together and got some great work done. We managed to complete the whole roof by about six in the evening, and we returned to the church to recuperate, cool down, and eat some well anticipated food.

-Jenna Sprouse

A roof complete in one day!!! Call the Maple Grove youth team when you need something done!

Roofing!!!

The Indigenous Wildlife Report

On our thousand-something mile journey aimed toward Lake Charles, we witnessed various forms of wildlife that you just can’t find back in Ohio. Unfortunately, a good portion of the exotic life we saw could not exactly be called living. This category included an unfortunate armadillo and an alligator that got into some sort of accident… Or was it a crocodile? What living things we did see consisted of some oddly colored pigeons and, until we got bored counting them, at least fifteen egrets and one other strange bird below probably the longest bridge ever built on our way from New Orleans to Lake Charles. We have not been able to identify any insect species, however; the remains were destroyed by the windshield of the Van Helsing, A.K.A. the “Man Van.”

--Richard Blocher

Why Are We Here?

High school mission journeys are about unity, coming together both as a youth group and as a global Christian community: an indisputable sentiment for sure, but it still carries the baggage associated with most glittering generalities. If not supported with a tangible experience, this statement becomes nothing more than a fleeting moment in a one-hour Sunday School class. Not to diminish the value of Sunday School in any way, but I think it is clear that today’s teens need something more.

A mission trip presents itself as an obvious solution to our how-to-realize-the-benefits-of-a-mission-trip question, and Louisiana emerges as a prudent choice of destinations. We return both to aid the residents of Lake Charles and to visit again New Orleans [after our 2006 mission journey] to experience firsthand the city’s rebirth. Just to make it interesting, we will also try to tackle that whole issue of Christian unity. And what better way to learn about unity than nearly twenty-four hours traveling in vans together… each way?

-- Mark Schmidley

Day Two - The Two Sides of New Orleans

Mugshots

While staying at the University of Alabama Wesley Foundation in Tuscaloosa, we had the pleasure of dining at the delectable restaurant known as Mugshots. With a wide range of food choices from the Peanut Butter Burger (crunchy or smooth) to the giant “Mugshot” there were choices for everyone. The wait was long and we did not get to eat until 11:00 p.m. (Ohio time). That was all eradicated when the food arrived. On sweet hawaiian buns with crispy french fries the burgers can only be described as appetizing to the point of making me drool as I think about them. That does not happen too often. My experience, and I hope the experience of others, was one I would wish to repeat. That is if I ever find myself in Tuscaloosa, Alabama again. I would give Mugshots 4.5 out of 5 stars.

--Caitlin Dillehay

The first day of the journey...

We had a great first day on our journey to Louisiana. Our two 12-passenger vans were filled to the brim with people and gear. The weather was perfect and the road straight and mostly smooth. We enjoyed a lot of laughs as we made our way south. We stopped for lunch in Louisville, KY then drove on to Birmingham, Alabama. In Birmingham we stopped at the scene of the 1960s Birmingham freedom walk and toured a park commemorating the events of the civil rights movement. The theme of the park - Revolution, Reconciliation. Here is a picture of the group in front of the 16^th Street Baptist Church which was firebombed by the KKK at the height of the civil rights turmoil here. After the tour, we made our way down the to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, home of the University of Alabama and the Crimson Tide. (Their Bear Bryant stadium rivals Ohio Stadium, folks!) We are enjoying perfect Christian/southern hospitality tonight at the UA Wesley Foundation, a Methodist student organization.

More tomorrow!

Kathy and Alison

Playin cards somewhere in Tennessee

We're on our way!

Annual Conference - A larger picture

Yesterday morning, before our work began, we participated in worship. The service was very similar to ours at Maple Grove. We sang the Gloria Patri, hymns, there was an organ playing and a great postlude. The difference was the number of people present. A thousand people singing together, responding together, communing together. Today we all participated in a contemporary praise service. Again, a thousand people. How wonderful to be a part of such a large worship experience. Not only are we part of a large body, we are all different and the all the same.

At our work sessions, we have discussed everything from the UMC constitution, to supporters of occupation of Palestinian territories, Casinos in Ohio, the residence of the Bishop, etc. Currently we are discussing a change to our amendment about wording in the discipline to include ALL people, in lieu of a list of people eligible for membership. It has been an interesting discussion with equal speeches for and against. The discussion has been civil and respectful. It is a learning experience to hear the varying points of view. I see so many differences, but we respectfully agree to disagree.

This week I have realized I am an individual from a little area called Clintonville, but I am also part of something larger. Through the amount of people worshipping and discussing, and the topics of debate, I feel a part of something bigger and powerful. When we join together, we can do many things. We are being inspired to change the world and it is possible with this larger body. So yes, we are individuals, but we are also the United Methodist Church where great things are happening and people are dreaming of tomorrow.

Even though we may not agree on all aspects of life, as United Methodists we are still joined together to serve one God. With this we can do anything.

Sherri Scholl

Annual Conference - First Blog

We’re midway through the second day of Annual Conference.  There have been times of great joy, times of intense discussion and debate, some powerful worship experiences and some outstanding and inspiring teaching.  In the picture, you’ll see (from right to left) Sandy Freer, Sherri Scholl, Pastor Jeff, Alison Gill and Dawn Nauman as they consider one of the proposed constitutional amendments.  Pay attention to the blog…we’ll have some updates from our team later in the week.

-Jeff

Columbus Dispatch: Blessing of the Animals Picture

From the Columbus Dispatch 6/1/09, Page B3

Yeah, right there, that’s the spot

Lulu the guinea pig is actually getting a blessing from Associate Pastor Jeff Allen while owner Lola Nauman, 7, holds her at Maple Grove United Methodist Church’s “Blessing of the Animals.” About 30 pets and their owners were present yesterday to receive the blessings at the Clintonville church.

NEAL C. LAURON DISPATCH

Children's Concert a HUGE Success!!!

This year’s children's concert was a huge success!!! We estimate attendance at this year’s event to be around 600 people. That accounts for hundreds of families who were engaged and thoroughly entertained!

From the children pushing boats around in the side yard, to our own train ministry engaging with kids in Room 8, to the kids dancing with the band, it was a perfect, perfect day! Seeing the members of Maple Grove give their time to welcome the community was a reward in and of itself.

A big thanks also goes out to the concert planning committee who coordinated volunteers, worked artist management and helped promote the event throughout the community!