East Chicago

During our first few days of meetings someone explained to us that when the word “free” is used, people flood in. The amount of free things given not just to the communities around but also to us has been overwhelming. The communities in which we have worked have not just been accepting of us, but have gone to great lengths to provide us with all the resources we could ever dream of. We have met people generous beyond our imaginations. After less than a week in Blue Island and only a few hours in East Chicago, we feel at home. In fact, we were even given a key to our own office in East Chicago! The people with whom we have worked are completely transparent and we see God in each of them.

With only a few minor setbacks, we have already welcomed and said goodbye to our team of 28 from Atlanta, Georgia, spent time developing the community garden, helped collect a donation for the Salvation Army, made a multitude of friends and a great support team, attended the Harvest Festival at Circle Urban Ministries, and become more familiar with The Salvation Army. We are currently preparing for a Vacation Bible School in East Chicago, with expectations of 100 children. Despite constantly being on the go, we have found sanity in people that have taken the time to love us before even getting to know us. Seeing God in everything makes our work easy.

Team Chicago

June 2010

Note: Experience Mission is sending our many more great trips to Chicago and many more great communities throughout the summer of 2010! Check out our website for more information at www.experiencemission.org.

Chicago

Our first team from Atlanta, Georgia has truly been a blessing. The work projects assigned were completed in a timely manner, with one group even finishing an extra painting project at Circle Urban Ministries. On our last night together, we enjoyed a worship service followed by an activity of encouragement in which we all anonymously wrote something positive about each other member. This seemed an appropriate way to send them off to the return portion of their week-long road trip.

Before the team left on Wednesday, we were fortunate enough to spend a day downtown relaxing with them and getting to know many of them on a higher level. We were able to go to the top of the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower), eat Dues Pizza, visit Navy Pier, and go window shopping briefly. We had many great experiences, including meeting a boisterous waitress named Shaun who used her notepad to write down some Bible verses relayed from one of our team members so that she could study them later and running what seemed like a mini marathon through downtown Chicago in efforts to catch our train. We became quite fond of each person from Mt. Pisgah Church, and were sad to see them go, but we have high hopes for each of them in their spiritual journeys.

Team Chicago

June 2010

Experience Mission is offering summer 2011 mission trips to Chicago. Learn more at www.experiencemission.org or by calling the Office at (360) 554-8060.

“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” -Romans 12:9-10

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church Group

Week one of work in Atlanta has officially begun. Throughout the week the large group from Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in Houston, Texas has been running kid camps, digging trenches, and navigating the highways of south Atlanta with one goal—to build real relationships.

The students of Memorial Drive’s youth group are no strangers to hard work. Many of the students have served on mission trips both domestically and internationally, so the team came ready for a week of physically demanding work. Although they have tackled several tough, meaningful projects—painting and digging an irrigation trench at the Initiative for Affordable Housing’s newest worksite, most of their Atlanta projects have been an exercise in developing relationships.

Trevor, a summer intern at Memorial Drive, spent Monday morning playing Bingo and chatting with an elderly man at Hapeville Care Home. Although the conversation seemed difficult and forced at first, Trevor was persistent—he wanted to be a real friend to the wheelchair bound man with a fading memory. He succeeded.
One of the adult leaders, Mary, said that she was impacted by the kids at the Kroc Day Camp because of the way they responded to a Bible lesson. The kids seemed genuinely interested in the skit and story that the team presented—grasping pieces of truth from the simple Bible message. When the afternoon ended, the team was sent off with a round of hugs from the campers. Another success.

Despite the successes of the team, they admit that doing relational ministry is difficult because you don’t always get to see the results. In fact, sometimes it might feel like you’re failing. Unlike a building or painting project, you don’t always get to see the difference you’ve made in the life of another person. You might walk away from a kids’ camp or a nursing home wondering if you made a lasting impact. But one thing the EM staff and Memorial Drive team has learned this week is that building relationships is rewarding work. At the end of the day, loving people and reflecting Christ into their lives is what matters most.

Atlanta, GA

Heather D. Moline

June 2010

Note: Experience Mission is sending out many more great trips to Atlanta and many more great communities throughout the summer of 2011! Check out our website for more information at www.experiencemission.org.

Making a cement volcano at karen's

Karen's husband takes part in construction of his house

At the end of every work day this week our group has been winding down by identifying the high and low points of our day, and especially times when we saw Jesus.  Today was a great day for everyone here and we even got to spend the second half of it together, playing in the river with the local kids.  All of the projects were successfully wrapped up and the team members have regretfully said most of their good-byes with the people they’ve met.

After a week’s worth of work, the team feels good about the projects they have accomplished and the relationships they have built.  Karen is a very proud owner of a home that she can call her own, and she and her family moved in today.  Our community partner now has a covered porch where his family (and many other members of the community who spend time at his house) can relax and enjoy each others’ company.  Finally, the Watsi neighborhood  now has a vibrant, colorful community center that is used for everything from a locker room to a clinic.

At the end of every day, when we talk about what we experienced, there was one story in particular that came up several times.  The team that was at the community center has been working with a man named Carlos.  He has been leading the team and showing them how to make the necessary repairs.

During Friday’s lunch, the team had a chance to ask him about the origins of the Bribri culture.  As he told the story, the team got to see one of the things about which Carlos is really passionate: the Bribri culture and history.  Through the telling of this story, the team was able not only to learn more about the Bribri traditions and past, but also about this man Carlos, with whom they had been working all week.  Everyone really enjoyed asking questions and  hearing what Carlos wanted to share, making it a great end of the week for this group.
Team Costa Rica

June 11, 2010

*Note: Interested in going on a trip with Experience Mission? Visit our website at www.experiencemission.org to learn more and watch for our Summer 2011 trips.

Diogo helping build his house

Greetings!  This week has gotten off to a great start with an energetic team from Jupiter First Church (Florida).  The team arrived in San Jose on Sunday afternoon and after our 5+ hour bus ride, we arrived on the Bribri reservation.

This week we have chosen four different sites within the Watsi community: doing Kids Club, building a house, building a porch, and repairing a community center.  Though many this week are feeling the struggle of communicating in a foreign language, so far the teams have accomplished a great deal and seem to be having a lot of fun.

The house that we are working on this week is being built for a woman named Karen and her family.  Since Karen is currently studying English in school the group is doing a great job conversing, partly in Spanish and partly in English, in order to get to know each other.  It has been wonderful to watch the relationship grow between the team and Karen’s family.  Karen’s four-year-old son, now being more comfortable with the team, brings smiles to everyone’s faces as he runs and chases them around their home.

Karen has been very hospitable and has offered many refreshments to the team, including a native sweet and sour fruit called the guanabana.  The team has been appreciative of her gratefulness and is noting the love and hard work that emanates from each member of her family.  The bond that has been forming within this group of people is just one of the many ways in which we can see God working in our lives this week.

Team Costa Rica

June 8, 2010

To learn more about Costa Rica mission trips, visit www.experiencemission.org.

Chicago Skyline

Chicago Team Picture

The windy city greeted us harshly our second day here with 80 mph winds. Having now been appropriately acquainted, we have also become somewhat oriented with the area. Blue Island took us by surprise, being a very separate city from Chicago, as well as a friendly and welcoming neighborhood.

The first day of our work trips has led to bonding, stories, a workout, and many a paint stain. We have been openly accepted by all of the communities in which we are working and relationships look promising. People are eager to help and to inform us about the areas where we are located as well as about their own personal stories. From Stephen the friendly Menard’s paint expert to Von the seeming life expert, we are anything but short of outside support.
Rain and storms have tried to slow us down, our group has been perseverant. Significant work has been: raising the enormous tent at Circle Urban Ministries for their annual Harvest Fest, painting for H.O.M.E., and gardening/cleaning as well as activities with the children at Blue Island Salvation Army. Much more is to come in the next day of work!

The evenings have been full of worship and devotions, basketball, Frisbee, ping pong, Bang!, and Quelf. Dull moments are scarce with this “Dream Team” from Atlanta, but every activity has been enjoyable. We’ve learned new games, including Foot tag and Ninja, and have participated in such daily activities as Awkward Day and Dramatic Comment Day.  We now look forward to Sarcastic Tuesday! Mount Pisgah has had much to offer us since their arrival, and we are already dreading their departure in two days.

Experience Mission is offering summer 2011 mission trips to Chicago. Learn more at www.experiencemission.org or by calling the Office at (360) 554-8060.

Kids paying attention

It’s crazy to think we’ve only been in Portland for eight days.  We spent the first week doing a crazy amount of preparation for our first team, who came from San Antonio, TX.  They’re a great group of people, eager to jump in and help as much as possible.  Mary, one of the team leaders, loves dancing and singing with the kids, teaching them new songs, and getting the ‘tough guys’ to join in as well.  Callen, one of the guys, comes up with hilarious songs each day to teach the kids Bible verses.  Everyone is offering a little piece of something bigger and greater than themselves, giving the kids here a memorable experience.  As summer staff, Christine, Michelle, and I couldn’t have asked for a better group, and I have no problem telling them that to their faces.  On Monday, we went to the homeless ministry on Preble Street and we volunteered our time to cook breakfast for hundreds of homeless patrons.  We made great friends, initiated relationships, and made a stinkin’ good breakfast, if I do say so myself.  The work projects we’ve started this week include:  General maintenance in the Root Cellar (the non-profit we are working with), working with the Portland Housing Authority (painting low-income housing for the poor as a beautification project), and eventually we’ll be working with the elderly, helping them around their homes when they can no longer help themselves.

The staff at the Root Cellar has been great; the amount of food they’ve been trying to force-feed us has left us feeling extremely blessed.  We were shown around the kitchen by Peggy, assisted in work project planning by Becky, and told the best ways to work with the kids by Clark.  Cori Lyons, a former EM Staff Member, came to help us prep last week, and her experience was invaluable.  Without all of these people around us, well… let’s just say we’re glad we’ve had them along for this crazy ride so far.

Looking forward the rest of the week and the crazy songs that Callen, Oscar, Jeff, and I can come up with, we pray that God lets us be as effective as we can be.

Team Portland

June 2010

For more information about Experience Mission visit us on our website at www.ExperienceMission.org

You can also follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/LiveYourMission or become our fan on Facebook.

Beautiful Sunset

We’re here in Portland, Maine for our second day of preparation… and we’re already beat.  We were given the grand tour of the Root Cellar, a great non-profit organization that emphasizes community development in a Christ-centered way.  We’ve also been ‘hoofing’ it around the streets of Portland, getting familiar with our missions field.  A couple of things we’ve learned:  Brick sidewalks are sweet, seafood gets steadily more awesome the closer you are to the ocean, it can actually hail in sixty five degree weather, and this community is a thriving and changing place.  We’re excited to be working with the different populations in the area, ranging from Iraqis to Sudanese to Rwandan immigrants, all of them very unique, bringing something versatile and endearing to the community.

The shops in the area reflect the true ‘melting pot’ culture, and walking the streets is always a joy.  We’re also working with a church in the area;  it’s smack dab in the middle of all the shops and busyness, and it’s a quaint nod to churches of Portland antiquity while still remaining purposeful and relevant to the surrounding area.  It’s been great listening to Stuart and Keith, the caretakers of the church, tell us about how people in the community have provided things for the church as they’ve needed them, and how appreciative and amazed they are at how God provides.  It’s always fantastic seeing real, genuine Christians striving to make a difference in their given communities, and it gives me hope that we can really mesh and involve ourselves deeply to perpetuate lasting change while we’re here.

My prayer for the teams this summer is that, while they are part of just a week long short-term missions trip, they could really show this community a little piece of the kingdom of heaven.  I pray that as individuals, we will do good deeds selflessly, pointing in the direction of Christ as our inspiration for our actions.  Every relationship we build, no matter how short-lived, will have a lasting change if we build them in the mindset of one who follows Christ.

Our team (Michelle, Christine, and I) is very excited to be the conduit for a glorious exchange of love and energy in this community, and we anxiously await the arrival of our first team.  All of this to say… Hello, Portland.  Get ready.

By Chuck

June 2010

Experience Mission is offering Summer 2011 mission trips to Portland and other locations in the U.S. and abroad. Visit www.experiencemission.org or call  360-732-0986  for more information.

Find one of our upcoming Mission trips:

Christian Missions: This week, the epidemic that had the world holding its breath affected Pearlington in a most unusual way. With the Swine Flu virus sweeping across Costa Rica, First United Methodist Church out of LaGrange, Georgia changed their travel plans at the last minute, leaving behind the Caribbean Islands for hurricane relief work in the heart of the South. They met up with a YoungLife group out of Illinois and Main Street United Methodist from North Carolina at Pearlington to help finish up the last projects of the summer.

Since it was the second to last week of the summer, the Experience Mission staff was thrilled to have the extra help.  Even though work has flown by each week, there were still several key jobs to be finished before both the Bennett’s and Nick could move into their respective houses.  Because of this, one of the most exciting parts of this week was the amount of quality work that got completed throughout the city. From cranking out electrical projects to demolishing houses, teams tore through any and all tasks they were given. The Bennett’s saw their massive porch cover finished, kitchen tiles and electrical installed and Nick’s crew finished roofing, siding and decking. All the while, other smaller groups finished up incredibly crucial jobs at the O’Neal’s, the Crepeau’s, the Ackers, the Vince’s and the Vincent’s.

However, it wasn’t the work ethic that stood out on these youth mission trip teams, but their willingness to do anything and everything to help those in need. These teams left a fantastic impression on every family that they worked with this week. The community adored the servant’s hearts that they worked with, and many went out of their way to thank the volunteers over and over again. The week was a huge success, and Team Pearlington is praying for one final great week to wrap up all of their projects and end the year with a bang. And if God needs to use Swine Flu again to make that happen, then we are all for it.

*This summer wraps up 3 years of rebuilding in Pearlington, MS. The town is 85% rebuilt! Stay tuned for our new Hurricane relief locations, and check out other locations that we serve in, at New Orleans mission trips.