Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Dungannon Mission Trip 2012 -- Day 4

It was an early Tuesday morning for us Dungannoners.  We didn't know what awaited us, but what found us were many milkshakes, paint spills, tiger blood snow cones, deck demolition (and construction), broken fingers, and a long day of diligent work.  All of these things combined to create a typical Dungannon day.  Each of these days add precious memories that will remain in our hearts for years to come.  Some teams have already finished their first tasks and some will take all week, but we know that every day will bring different triumphs as well as challenges at our work sites.  The night brought a Eucharist service at the local Methodist church with beautiful music that was played and sung by our very own missioners.  One of the best things about Dungannon is that every day is different, and we can all learn and grow together while working toward our common goal.

-- written by Cara Minnix, Joey Bruenemann, and James Castro

Dungannon Mission Trip 2012 -- Days 2 and 3

Greeting from Dungannon. We had a wonderful Sunday, splitting our group among three local churches for Sunday morning, flowed by a hike and swim at the waterfalls. Downright freezing!

We have been able to get started on our job sites earlier than usual this year. We have nine job sites including decks, cool sealing, and lots if linoleum. Now its time for lights out. 
-- sent by Betsy Watts at 11 p.m. on Monday (7/23)

Dungannon Mission Trip 2012 -- Day 1

Eighteen youth and four adults from St Anne's join a total of 67 participants from St. Thomas, St. Timothy, Holy Cross and Leeds, for a week in Dungannon Virginia. Today began with travel and getting to know each other.

The day began with an early morning wake up that not many of us were prepared for, but the knowledge of traveling to Dungannon to commit good deeds with both old and new friends would outweigh our tired eyes. The morning proceeded with a prayer we all shared for a safe and successful trip. After several hours, we had arrived in Dungannon! What a surprise, beautiful new bunks awaited us! Soon we shared a few words of prayer and began the process of cleaning up and preparing dinner for everyone else here. In a few words, our adventure had begun. 



-- written by James

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Home at last! Some images from Stenton Family Manor

As we conclude another incredible and life changing year at Stenton Family Manor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania we would like to share a few images from our time at the shelter.

At St. Anne's before we left for Philly - we spent Friday afternoon organizing balls

and bathing suits and towels


At Old Swedes church Brodie visited the graves of his family members

A group snapshot of all of us outside the church
Mr. Paul Gracie putting down the felt which would hopefully help keep the playground maintained

A favorite for shelter kids and our missioners the "sliding thingy"
Our friend Umar (Ooo - mar) showing off the new playground

Our new pal Eric on base in a great game of tag

Emma in search of her friends in the slide

Chris, Kami, and Grace playing Uno with Jeremey and Ishmel

Scott making sure that Mrs. McPhie really was cleaning off those picnic tables.

In less than a week we were able to manage a football sized field with only two lawn mowers and two weed whackers

Kami and Jeremy just chillin'

As you can see we did resort to sitting in the shade in 100+ weather


Juan and Scott cleaning out Ms. Stephenie's game closet

Sidewalk chalk is a big hit at the shelter

Trey and Brodie in Bright Space which is a day care for kids of the shelter who are under 5 years of age

Chris working hard at mowing

Mr. Paul decided on the last day to make a huge breakfast


In our downtime we prefer to sit back, relax and enjoy intense games of foosball

The group

Momma Hall and her babies Trey and Scott

Kami and Noelle

When the weather is so hot Scott gets the water for us all to enjoy

a dazed Trey and his buddy Jeremy

Scott and Ishmel

BASKETBALL!!!

Knockout games went on for hours and hours

Talented kids could play many sports

A freshly mowed field

Brodie and Ishmel planning an attack on the other soccer team

We would have never guessed what talented frisbee players we had at the manor

Scott and the boys trying to get some tunes working

Grace needed some artistic help making a name tag and this is what she got

Lunch was the most quiet time of the day because we stuffed our mouths

With sweltering heat we decided to cool off with some water

The crew and the staff as we say good bye and farewell until 2013

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Day 4: Oh Happy Thursday

Alleluia! The playground has been completed, with the help of all. It was so special to see kids who have been faced with so much adversity come together and complete such a loaded task. From the little boys who worked through their lunch to the janitors who came out to clean the equipment, it was really a group effort. Even toddlers singing 'The Bucket Song' filled beach pails to spread the mulch around their new playground.

This Wednesday was the first day children had played on the playground for over three years, and their joy was uncontainable. Smiles abounded. Kids who were skeptical at the beginning of the week now run to greet us at our arrival. Even the mothers have noticed the positive change in their kids, praising our work as the work of angels.

Tomorrow marks the end of a rewarding, difficult, and sometimes dirty week at the shelter. We have learned about the struggles of those we came to help, along with the challenges of group work. We feel blessed to have been able to create happy memories for these kids. A grand Field Day has been planned for our last day to commemorate the playground, celebrating the joint effort between our mission group and the work of the children.

In a world there these kids have so little stability, we hope the playground will serve as a reminder to them of good times and of the community that cares about their longterm success.

Thank you all for your continued prayers this week, they were certainly felt and put to good use. God Bless, The St. Anne's Philadelphia Mission Team.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Day 3 at the shelter - Done with the playground... kinda

Day 3 - Done with the playground... kinda
By: Brodie "B-Town" Edgerton and Scott "S-Pups" Waters
Today, was a hectic and exciting day here at the Stenton Family Manor. From a freshly mowed play field to a freshly mulched playground, the kids at the shelter had a lot to be excited about when the day was done. After a day full of hard work that included mowing grass that was 3 feet high, spreading 12 cubic yards of playground mulch, and taking staff, adults, and children on the tour of their born again playground, the members of the shelter had a lot to look forward to. However, without the help of countless children, our progress would've been severely hindered and we would not be in such good shape as we approach the end of the week. In years past this would not have been our problem because the playground and field are the responsibilities of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the City of Philadelphia, the building contractors of Stenton, and the County of Philadelphia.
Instead, budget cuts and a worsening economic climate has caused these groups to only be able to do the bare minimum that they have to do to help maintain the building's integrity. One of these cuts was a city ordinance that states only the front law of a building needs to be trimmed by a mower. Thanks to the new rules and laws the areas where kids play at in the shelter have heavily deteriorated and have been compromised by invasive foliageand animals.

Personal Reflections:

Scott (four year veteran):
Yesterday, the young women on the mission trip pulled a "prank" on me. The "prank" was to hide my lunch in the freezer. Unfortunately, the freezer ruined it. The generous Ms. Stephanie gave me two of the shelter box lunches (they happened to have extras that day) that the kids will be eating all summer. This lunch included a Turkey and Cheese sandwich (1 piece of meat and 1 piece of cheese), a plum, and a juice box. After two box lunches I was still craving food, which made me really think about how tough it must be for those kids. Given only one box lunch a day (which isn't a definite as the next day when there was not enough box lunches for all the kids) the kids who are going through growth spurts, missed breakfast for whatever reason or are just hungry may have to go hours, or even a day, before their next meal. This could be the tip of the iceberg for the kids because on top that they have many indefinites in their lives and they live in such close quarters (some as small as a five by seven room for a multi-person family). That humbling experience really made me think how blessed and fortunate we are and how little many others have. Next time I complain about some inconvenience in my life I hope the thought of the instability and misfortune these people are going through will really make me realize how lucky I really am.

Brodie (Rookie):
Throughout my first mission trip to Philadelphia, I have repeatedly felt sorry towards the kids that we work with because of the obstacles they have encountered at such a young age; obstacles that I can't even fathom. Despite the constant difficulties that these kids face, I have constantly been impressed at the positive attitude, theconstant willingness to do hard work to better themselves and the shelter, and the never-ending smiles on their faces. Today while the missioners worked on fixing up theplayground, I was approached by two little boys who appeared to be about 7 or 8 years old and they asked me if they could help out. Due to all of the dangerous equipment in the area I reluctantly told them no. However, they kept at it and finally I caved in and told them that they could pick up trash and balls in an area that we were about to mow. After doing that they came back to me and asked what else they could do to help. I said that they could go help the other kids unload the mulch onto the playground. While many other kids at their age would have detested the laborious work in the hot sun, these kids enjoy bettering their shelter and the place around them for others. This selflessness to do work willingly just to help out one another makes me realize how lucky I have been to work with these kids and that no matter what obstacles they may face, they always approach the day with a smile and a positive attitude. These are truly the best kids I could've possibly wished to have worked for.

Pictures of today:

During and after pictures
After
During






Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Day 2 - The Playground Emerges!

June 26 -
Title: The playground emerges

Today was a busy day!
We again supplied two people to work in Bright Space (Noelle and Grace). We also played with the older children, continuing to work on basketball, knock-out, Uno, coloring, sidewalk chalk, and other fun childish activities!
The major "work" of the day (as opposed to playing with the kids) was to clear the overgrown area behind the fence that allegedly held a playground.
Two lawnmowers, two weed wackers, several people pulling weeds, carrying branches, and five hours later a playground emerged from the jungle!
Elder Harrison and Miss Bailey were stunned when they walked out of the building and saw that the playground had been cleared.

The other half of the playground

We worked so hard that some people passed out from exhaustion


This afternoon Paul ordered the mulch for delivery tomorrow and picked up the weed barrier to be ready for tomorrow.

Tomorrow we will lay down the weed barrier and spread two truck loads of mulch. Note: Two truck loads is twenty four (24!) cubic yards (YARDS) of mulch. That's six hundred and forty eight cubic feet!

Day 1 at the shelter!

Suprises
Today, we woke up, ate breakfast (just cereal), and headed to the Stenton Family Manor, a shelter on 1700 East Topulhogan Drive. We soon met Ms. Stephanie, the activities supervisor, and learned that unlike prior years, there would not be any camp after we left, as well as severe budget cuts to the programs. These cuts were very evident due to the un-mown foot high grass in the play area, as well as the 2-3 foot high weeds covering the playground. Sadly, the playground was unusable due to the lack of an appropriate layer of mulch, locked with a chain and padlock. As a group, we hope to rectify these issues as soon as possible, mowing tomorrow. 
While the field was in bad shape, the kids were not deterred. From the moment we arrived, Umar (one of the boys) came out to greet us. The boys love basketball, while the girls tended to stick to the artsier activities, such as sidewalk chalk, drawing, and Uno games. Everyone helped make themselves nametags, as well as decorating ours.
Condensed Status Report:
Christoph-- played 5 hours of basketball, and really enjoyed it
Noelle-- she felt especially happy when a small boy said "we really have something to do today"
Grace-- felt especially empowered when a small boy (Deshayn) quit a game when he lost, she intervened, telling a story of how Michael Jordan never quit, despite losing; she also loved a boy (Ischmail) who drew probably at least 10 beaches
Kami and Emma-- they both loved spending time in Brightspace, the area for 2-5 year olds, and interacting with the younger children in the morning; Kami also remarked how although Ms. Stephanie had been there for only a few weeks, she had already developed a connection with the kids, calling them her "horns", who spread the word about our program this morning.
Brodie and Trey-- they also spent some time in Brightspace, in the afternoon, tiring the kids out before their nap, playing as the 'monsters'; Trey also had fun giving high fives to Deshayn after he cheered up, showing how high fives can make anything better
Ms. Emily-- when Umar's mom came as we were leaving, and stated how much fun he had.
Scott-- a high was when a small 8 year-old asked if we were paid for this. Scott replied no, and the boy simply said "you are incredible"
Mr. Paul-- he spent time and talent working on both the computers and helping with the mowing difficulties to get started tomorrow
Ms. Susan-- she worked on the challenge of the lack of mulch, and hit it right on the head, taking over. the mulch will arrive wednesday (Thank You Susan)
A low point for us though was when a young girl said "i remember you from last year", making us realize that she had spent a year or more in this shelter. Also many of us noticed that a large majority of the kids have issues with 'losing', and how that will be something we work on this week.
One final thing: we are all dismayed when Ms. Stephanie had no staff at all - Mr. Al mentioned that we could start 'training' the older kids to help out later this summer. She loved the idea!
Courtesy of:
Justin Burns and Al
"Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime."

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Sunday's Sundaes

Philly Mission Day 2: Sunday's Sundaes


Today started off with a wonderful breakfast of pancakes courtesy of the beautiful Scott Waters with his sous chef exquisite Trey Aiello. After enthusiastically cheering on the triathlon bikers, St. Anne's mission headed to church.  Gloria Dei, the episcopal church, is located in a small graveyard in the middle of the city.   We had a warm welcome from the congregation, who also recognized bountiful mission member Brodie Edgerton who was baptized there.  His great grandfather, a former rector of the church, is buried in the church graveyard.  After coffee hour and a quick change of attire, we headed off to the popular Reading Terminal Market.  Branching off we covered the world, indulging in an assortment of delicious food. All of our lunches combined varied from Greek to Cajun to French.

Next, feeling stuffed and content, we suddenly found ourselves behind bars!! (the Eastern State Penitentiary that is). The stabilized ruins provided many hours of eerie entertainment, ranging from Al Capone's lavish prison cell, to the underground klondike (solitary confinement) cells.  Our group was then treated to a special tour of the kitchen and dinning area which is currently being restored to its former 1960's "glory". (see picture).  After a much needed ice cream run and some italian dinner from Noelle, Emily and Susan; the group is ready for some down time. A.K.A. Toddlers & Tiaras, intense foosball games, and beautiful nametags. As we prepare for our busy day tomorrow, we are thankful for all of your prayers.

Written by the Spectacular Grace Gillen, Magnificent Emma Toomer, and Radiant Noelle Muha. 
Brodie with his family plots at Old Sweds church in Philadelphia

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Our first day in Philly

Dateline - Saturday - June 23, 2012. The Philadelphia mission trip begins. The trip left on-time at noon. Chaperones: Susan Ficklin, Emily McPhie,Alvarez LeCesne, Paul Gracy Mission Teenagers: Emma, Kami, Noelle, Grace, Brodie, Scott, Trey, Christophe, (Justin due in tomorrow). The trip was completed safely, with a stop at the Maryland House for Starbucks and junk food. We're staying in the Chamounix Youth Hostel. (www.philahostel.org) Upon arrival, we unloaded the vans and checked in. The hostel is a converted antique mansion, complete with creaky floors and even creaky-ier bunk beds. The boys have been banished to the third floor loft. There will be no jumping contests in this room! We made the grocery run to the local grocery store. The starting grocery run set us back $393.96. Which doesn't include the extra Nutella and Marshmallow Fluff runs in the foreseeable future. Scott and the boys fixed hamburgers and hotdogs for our first dinner. Emily and the girls made a salad after The Great Expedition to Find a Cutting Board. Despite the lack of Ketchup, it was a wonderful meal. Much discussion after Compline about where to go after church tomorrow. The Redding market seems to be the winner for lunch. Tourism opportunity of interest seems to be Eastern State Penitentiary! Hopefully everyone will make it back out... the boys seem to be planning some slight misdemeanor mischief. We'll bring your well wishes with us to Al Capone's former hangout! By: Paul Gracy and Noelle Muha

Friday, June 22, 2012

And... they're off!

The first team of Summer 2012 is heading for Philadelphia on Saturday, June 23. Watch this space for stories, and maybe some photos, from the St. Anne's mission team headed to spend the week in Philly.

The shirt slogan says it for all of us as we pray for a week of fun, work, and the sharing of God's love from here to there and back again! Have a great time, team, we'll be praying all week!