To top it all off, I will say that I am very exhausted. I haven't really had time to totally decompress following the trip, and this is one very important way of doing so. First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who prayed for us during the past week, and I have to say that prayer works! We had safe travels and no injuries. Many people gave financial assistance to the members of our team to enable us to go. I'll post our adventures in segmented paragraphs to kind of keep it all neat and tidy instead of scattered. If you followed my posts on Facebook, this will pretty much fill in all of the spaces.
The Purpose:
The purpose of our trip was to minister and work with the Grace River church of O'Fallon, Missouri, which is a small suburb of St. Louis. The pastor's name is Chris Highfill, and he planted this church here 2 or 3 years ago. Further along in this post, you'll get more information as to how we helped this church.
Accommodations:
The Staybridge Inn & Suites was our home away from home, and our crash pad during our stay. 5 stars! They were so nice to us, and even gave us a deep discount when there was a mix-up with our rooms. The daily breakfast was totally awesome. It was definitely a comfortable place to land at the end of the day. The Staybridge is a sister hotel to the Holiday Inn. When the Staybridge's outdoor pool was closed for the season, the Holiday Inn (right across the street) welcomed us to swim in their indoor pool. I'd recommend the Staybridge in a heartbeat!
Takeovers:
One of the way we ministered to the community was to stage a laundromat takeover. We took a few hours on a couple of days to pay for everyone's washing and drying. We stepped up to pop quarters into their machines and blessed them. Some turned us down, saying they had enough, and to help someone who really needed it. One lady was pretty much in tears, as a pet accident had soiled a lot of bedding, clothing, pillows, etc, and it was going to cost her almost $25 to wash and dry everything. She felt very blessed. During the takeover, we handed out invitations to Grace River church, and to the upcoming Easter services. While one group was helping out at the laundromat, another group was walking through area neighborhoods hanging invitations on doors. Another group was handing out Starbucks gift cards and invitations at an area Starbucks. Several hundred invites were dispersed throughout the week, and God only knows how many people will be reached as a result. We also put on an ice cream truck takeover at the local YMCA, and gave out free ice cream to everyone who came by. The ice cream truck takeover was on Saturday while soccer games were being played, so many kids and families came by for a refreshing ice cream treat...for free! The parents were given an invitation to attend Grace River services.
Grace River:
Grace River church is a very friendly church. It's only a few years old, so they don't have a building as of yet. The YMCA, which isn't open until 12:00pm on Sundays, has graciously allowed Grace River to hold services in their gym. There is a storage shed outside of the facility that houses all of the equipment needed to hold church. It is an enormous undertaking to unload and set up all of the chairs, stage, tables, sound system, light towers, etc. Then it's taken down and put away when it's all over. All of this is done with a cheerful attitude, and they have it down to a science. However, Pastor Chris is praying about soon purchasing a building so that this massive job (and it is massive...and tiring) won't be necessary. On Sunday, they needed someone to work in the elementary room, and I joyfully volunteered. I love to see how other children's ministries work, and this church actually let me jump in and do some teaching. They made me feel very welcome. I enjoyed interacting with these great kids and dedicated teachers. If I were a resident in this community, I believe that Grace River would be my church home.
Recreation:
Friday was our fun day. We took a trip to see the arch. Although the arch tram was closed, we were able to go beneath the arch to the gift shop and museum. Going into the arch is very similar to airport security. We had to take off belts, watches, contents of pockets, etc, and walk through a security checkpoint. I wasn't expecting that! From there, we went to lunch at Pappy's Smokehouse, who was the center of attention during an episode of Man vs. Food. Pappy's has seen the likes of Cardinal ball players, Ram players, Hugh Jackman, Wendy Williams, Henry Winkler, and many, many more. This is amazing BBQ! I got a pulled pork sandwich, and had to take half of it with me, as it was that big. Afterwards, we headed to the City Museum, which has 5 floors of bridges, tunnels, climbing walls, and an outdoor maze of the same. It is incredible! I kept wishing that my kiddos from back home could have been a part of this. The place was crazy busy, too. There were people everywhere! I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Afterwards, we visited some shopping centers, where I got a Starbucks mocha that was definitely not sugar-free. I almost passed out. I was able to take it easy for the rest of the evening, and drank a lot of water to flush myself out, and I was fine after a few hours.
In conclusion:
We took a great bunch of teens with us, and most of them are kiddos I taught in Sunday School years ago. It's pretty neat to see them growing up and serving the Lord in this capacity. They worked so hard! I enjoyed fellowshipping and interacting with them throughout this trip. I have learned so much during this time, and I am grateful that God saw fit to send me on this life-changing mission trip. Mission work is my heart, whether it's in-country or in another country. I again thank everyone that helped, whether prayerfully or financially. You made an impact in these kids' (and mine) lives.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. If your have any questions, feel free to post them, as I'm sure I missed something. God bless and good night.
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