Thursday

It is hard to believe it was our last day at the Helena Community Center. The Spring Break program ended today, the center is closed tomorrow and through the weekend to give the staff and missionaries a break before starting back with afterschool programming next week.

The schedule for the day centered around activities at the community center; since it was the last day of events for the week we had quite a crowd, around 100 kids over the course of the day. We started the morning by wrapping up projects we had started during the week and wanted to finish before we left. Youth were painting, cleaning, tutoring, playing sports with children, organizing library materials, and fixing more broken computers than they were yesterday! Several youth finished up painting at the community garden. The kids start arriving around 10 am, so the programming starts with games, crafts, buddy time, reading, and once again, LOTS of basketball! Today we planned a picnic for the kids at the center during lunch. The children enjoyed sandwiches, chips, homemade brownies and juice with their friends in the back playground of the center, and then the afternoon programming started. It was a great way to celebrate a wonderful week.

It was a big day for Bookshelf Buddies...today the kids were able to pick out 5 books each from the books that were donated by the Oakmont family. I wish I could adequately describe how excited the children were to look through the books and pick out several to take home. As soon as they picked out their books, many of them started reading with their teenage buddy and were so excited to share that time with their new friend. The kids were able to take their bookshelf home today and it was great to send them off with a few books to start them off. Many thanks for the donated books and homemade bookmarks...you have truly touched the lives of children in Helena. The additional books were left with the center for them to add to their library.

After long goodbyes and lots hugs we left the center for the last time. At group time tonight we talked about what makes a mission trip great...we accomplished a lot and made an impact at the community center, we had many conversations with children and teenagers about God and His love, we shared our lives with this community...all things God definitely arranged ahead of us and used for His glory. But part of the true "mission" of a mission trip is sometimes not what is accomplished during that week, but often it is what is changed in the hearts of those who participated...and how they are challenged to join God in His work in other places in their lives. Sometimes God wants to do more to us and it takes us getting out of our normal routime to recongize it. This week many of the youth have learned they possessed gifts that they did not realize they had and it is my prayer that they continue to refine those gifts and use them in other places to amplify Christ.

I must say, it's the end of the week and we are tired! But for the last hour or so we have cleaned our host church from top to bottom and most of the youth are now trying to figure out how to get all their stuff back into their suitcases. Even after a long week it seems the youth have endless energy! We are planning to leave for Memphis early to see the Peabody Duck March and eat Memphis style ribs before we leave. I am sure that no one will have trouble sleeping on the plane tomorrow!

Thanks for all your prayers and support...we'll see you back in Greenville!

Blessings,

Amy