Mission Houston

The boys had a quick turn around from last week's vacation.  They headed out on their mission trip Monday morning.  When we dropped them off at church, Henry quickly found his group of friends from his LifeGroup and they were eagerly seeing who was rooming together and which van they were assigned to.  He was pretty happy to learn they were all on the same van/team.  They roomed in the University of Houston dorms.  It was four kids to a suite, within each suite was two bedrooms.  Henry was a little horrified to learn the suite only had one toilet and one shower, but that's college baby.  We were so happy to learn the boys had both good roommates and suitemates.  None of the crazy shenanigans that happened last year.  It was pretty quiet all week because they did not have their phones on them.  On Thursday, one of the leaders texted me a picture of Josiah.  I appreciated the proof of life shot!

Caroline had a good week at home as an only child.  Todd was off for the 4th of July, so the two of them went out for lunch and then they looked around At Home.  It is good they have each other because they both like to browse.  I'm a bit more of a get-what-I-need-and-get-out kind of shopper.  Caroline found many things she liked.  She's a big fan of signs and full-length mirrors.    

During the remainder of the week, she spent many hours on the phone with her friends.  She broke out the TSA-inspected sand.  She wanted us to try the blind drawing game.  She had a piece of paper on my back.  She would draw lines and I would have to interpret what I felt and draw it on my own paper.  It was a lot harder than I thought and nothing came out even remotely similar.  We did learn you had to press hard, because sometimes I could hear the marker moving, but didn't feel it.  

The boys came back Thursday evening.  

Henry opened his mouth to say hello and he was as hoarse as could be.  We asked him what happened and he said he yelled in the van, yelled in the dorms, he was just yelling all the time.  Then he backed it up, It was good yelling.  God bless that van driver!  Henry's group of 6th grade boys spent part of every day at Mission Centers of Houston.  One aspect of their mission is food assistance.  They had to sort the food that came in - throw away expired food, and then stick the remaining items on a conveyer belt.  The good food got sorted.  Another section boxed up food to be distributed.  Then the food was distributed there at the facility.  Henry was the "recycler" one of the days.  At first he didn't think it was a good job and went to see what the other kids were doing, but soon realized his job wasn't too shabby and kept at it.  

Another day, the Mission Centers of Houston hosted senior citizens.  The kids were assigned different snacks/beverages to hand out.  Henry and two other boys were the coffee servers.  They had to fill the mugs to a specific height, and then they had to deal with the sugar.  It came in a myriad of different choices - yellow and pink, blue and white.  Henry, Why?  Just why?  

One day he helped out with the VBS.  Our church has partnered with another church in the 4th Ward and groups have gone every summer to help with VBS.  Henry said that they played Sharks and Minnows with the kids, seaweed version.  The Sharks tag the Minnows.  If you're tagged, you have to sit down, but you can use your arms (seaweed) and get people out.  Henry relayed that he could have totally knocked a kid over, but he was being nice "for the kids."  

Meals were served at the University of Houston dining hall.  Our boys opinions on the food were quite different.  Henry was not as positive about his reviews, except for one night.  He got Spanish rice and Beef Stroganoff.  Apparently this odd combination was quite good.  He made sure to say that he took the warm vegetables that they served.    

Overall, Henry had a very good time.  It was a great experience.  

Josiah's mission trip went equally as well, but he did different things than Henry.  Josiah was assigned to do VBS all week with Pastor Elmo from the church in the 4th Ward.  Josiah said all the helpers (8th graders) piled into a van with Pastor Elmo, who then drove around the neighborhood honking his horn and yelling, "Fun, Fun, Fun for all the kids!  Vacation Bible School!  Vacation Bible School!"  Josiah said he was trying so hard not to laugh.  For the first day they just had a few kids show up, but by the end of the week they had 25-30 kids there.  As part of the VBS, a few kids volunteered to teach the Bible story each day. Josiah volunteered for the last day.  The story he was given was about Paul and Silas in jail.  (Acts 16:22-31)  Basically, Paul and Silas were stripped and beaten.  They were thrown into prison and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.  So they were put in the inner cell and their feet put in stocks.  At midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing while the other prisoners were listening to them.  A violent earthquake struck and the prison was shaken.  The doors flew open, the chains were loosed.  The (Roman) jailer woke up and saw the chains and doors and knew it was his life if any of them escaped.  He was about to fall on his sword before Paul spoke up that all the prisoners were still there.  The jailer was relieved and asked, "What must I do to be saved?"  They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household."  

Josiah said he preached when he got up in front of the kids.  He said he told the story and would ask the kids questions along the way.  Other adults have since told us that Josiah gave a lot of details and did a really good job.  Afterwards, Pastor Elmo asked the kids if any of them wanted to be saved, to follow Jesus, and twelve kids came forward.  Josiah was elated.  It was awesome!  Pastor Elmo spoke to Josiah and said he was living up to his name.  Josiah means Fire of the Lord.  So, Josiah's experience ended quite well.

And in keeping with events last year, Josiah did make it to the Food Bank.  He helped out in the mornings before VBS.  He went right back to his old job of sorting oranges.  They had a rule that if you threw a moldy orange into the trash can and missed, you had to run a lap around the facility (inside).  Josiah had a friend who got quite the workout.  (Our proof of life picture.)

As for the food, Josiah was a fan of U of H.  Staying consistent, he had chicken fingers every night and a "light salad."  He never said a salad, always a light salad.  Caroline asked him if that meant two leaves of lettuce.  Josiah corrected her.  No. It was more like four or five.  

The boys had a one day break and then partied all weekend.  On Saturday, all three kids went to a birthday party at a miniature golf place.  It was fancier than most - people actually brought their own clubs to play.  There was a restaurant in it, so they enjoyed burgers and chicken fingers.  

On Sunday, Josiah jetted out to a pool party.  The VBS crew from the mission trip forged a friendship and had a pool party at one girl's house.  When Josiah got home this evening, they were already planning their next event - a movie theater get-together.  Josiah has also commissioned himself to draw three more portraits.  He brought a finished portrait to the pool party and three more ladies requested theirs be drawn as well.  

Benson's week went well as he got a new rope toy.  We only break it out every now and then so it keeps his interest.  

We are now three weeks away from the start of CC so there is going to be a lot of prepping this coming week.  It is all coming too soon!