Wednesday: Second Day of Two-Day Projects

Hey y’all my name is Jaida and this is my third year on the mountain. Every year I learn a lot of new things about myself, other people, and my faith.

So far this week I have served two families, one being my two day project site. We demo’d a porch, and then rebuilt it for a family of five.  The first day was a little rough, my YRG was still figuring out how to handle complications and...each other's attitudes. But by day 2 everything seemed to be figured out, and we were working smoothly.

Now the family we served had three little kids. One in particular was a little girl, London. London was only seven, but she was highly intelligent for her age. After we had finished our project, I headed off to sit by the car by myself.. Just to decompress a little bit.  London came to join me, and started talking about her parents’ recent “fixin to divorce.”  To me, this was a really special moment, because my parents also divorced when I was her age. It seemed like God was telling me to listen, and to talk to her about it, since she was opening up to a complete stranger about something so painful to a child.

So I listened, and told her how I am a living example of how things will turn out alright, and that there is a plan intended.  This has made my week so far, and I cannot thank the faith partners enough for giving me the opportunity to have this experience.

Have a happy HUM (halfway up the mountain) day!!!!!

-Jaidaaaa :)

Prayer For Thursday:  Lord Christ, when you came among us, you proclaimed the kingdom of God in villages, towns, and lonely places:  Grant that your presence and power may be known throughout this land.  Have mercy upon all of us who live and work in rural areas; and grant that all the people of our nation may give thanks to you for food and drink and all other bodily necessities of life, respect those who labor to produce them, and honor the land and the water from which these good things come.  All this we ask in your holy Name.  Amen.

Tuesday: First Day of Two-Day Projects

Hello Saint Barnabas Family! This is Connor Blunt.

Today is the third day of our Mountain T.O.P. experience, and the second day of helping the community of Cumberland Pines. As this is my first year here, things are quite different from my normal camping adventures.

For starters, the camp is based around helping others and learning through God, rather than in Boy Scouts where it’s mostly about learning new skills and about nature. This means that there is less free time than I am used to at camp.

Secondly, what we all have in common isn’t that easy to find. In Boy Scouts, it’s that you’re a Boy Scout. At Mountain T.O.P., it’s that you’re a God-loving person that just wants to help people. This is an improvement from Boy Scouts because it means that everyone works together to get the project done.

Today in my YRG group, we were tasked with building a deck, a railing, and a roof. We got done with the deck by the end of the day. I saw God today at the end of the project, as we were driving back to the Mountain. We are an eight-person YRG (youth renewal group) , so not all of us were working on the deck all of the time. When we were driving back, I felt like I had made everyone pull my weight when I had not been. Shannon told us on the ride back that it was alright and that not all of of us could work on the deck at the same time, because the deck was too small for us to do it all together at one time. This made me feel better about what had happened during the day, and this is where I felt I saw God today.

I would like to thank the Fatih Partners for helping to fund this amazing trip and experience. I have learned that I love helping other people and that I want to do more of it. MUCH more of it.

Prayer For Wednesday:  O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son:  Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unites us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Monday: First Day of Service

Hello dear Faith Partners!

First off, I would like to thank all of the supporters of this mission trip for making this amazing experience possible.

This is my third year at Mountain T.O.P. and it’s already amazing. One thing that’s been a little difficult is the transition between camps. For the last two years, St. Barnabas has been going to the Baker Mountain campus, but this year we’re at Cumberland Pines. This camp is more spread out and a lot bigger than Baker, and it’s much prettier.

Today, the project assigned to my YRG (youth renewal group) was to re-deck the porch of a woman named Courtney, who uses a wheelchair. What an amazing woman! I was outside all day focusing on more the physical aspect to fulfill (fixing the porch) instead of the more spiritual and social goals. While working, one of the adults, Hanna, told me that Courtney would like me to come inside for a glass of water because she was worried about me being dehydrated. After our work was done (and we were done early), we visited a very beautiful chapel on the edge of a cliff. We saw beautiful trees and mountains on the horizon and the view was a view of God’s glory. I have a great feeling about this week and can’t wait for all of the adventures this week has in store for me. Thanks again to all of you. Goodnight!

-Maddy Hammons

Prayer For Tuesday:  O heavenly Father, who has filled the world with beauty:  Open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all your works; that, rejoicing in your whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Sunday, July 9th: Arrival at MTN TOP

(More photos to come soon! We're working out our internet connections to share photos with one another, so we should have more for you soon!)

Hi everyone! It’s Margot!

Today has been a journey! Let me tell you, the car ride was exhausting and I ate so much! Especially flaming hot cheetos (which ended up making my stomach even worse to be honest). The car ride, however, was shorter than I expected and went by quickly.

When we got here, I was uneasy, but I definitely saw God in the way we all came together. My YRG is pretty nice and I’m really getting along with them. We call ourselves the Sharkbaits.

We played games and had a really nice dinner (chicken on a bun, yum).

I'm getting really tired, so I'm typing this from my hammock. I just want to thank all the Faith Partners for making this possible. This camp means the world to me. Again, thank you!

Prayer For Monday:  Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Mountain TOP Team Departs Sunday

Welcome back to our Faith Partner blog! Your 2017 Mountain TOP Team hopes you will use it to connect with us this coming week. We'll share photos, stories from our missioners, and we always end with a prayer that you can pray for our team during the following day.

Below is the prayer for this Sunday, July 9th, that we ask you to pray for us as we travel. Thank you again for your support of our mission team!

For Sunday, July 9th:  O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go:  Preserve those who travel; surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Sunday Evening Youth Group Has Begun!

 

Come join us on Sundays from 5pm to 7pm for Sunday Evening Youth Group at St Barnabas! (Sorry the photo quality is so low!)

2nd Annual School Year Kickoff Canoe Trip!!! August 28th, 2016

We're already working on a better name for this event, but we definitely had tons of fun! Check out our photos from the trip!

Please excuse the low resolution of some of these photos. They were taken with a cell phone, in a canoe, on a river. They're actually quite good considering the conditions!