June 22,2012 Received this note from Kelly Bogda:  We left our church home in Colorado Springs this morning. The group went to Canon City, CO for some fun. We took the group to the Museum of Colorado prisons and then on a white water river rafting trip. We are now enroute back to Kansas Wesleyan in Salina, KS tonight. Should arrive very late. Will return to COS around 5pm it so on Saturday.

Wednesday and Thursday on the Youth Mission in Colorado

They spent the last 2 days working in the forest around Colorado Springs.  Wednesday,they harvested willows and  planted them in a river bed to grow and eventually disrupt the water flow which will help clear the sediment from the water supply.  They also worked on erosion control on a hillside and dry river bed.  

On Thursday they worked at the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. This national park is about 10 miles from a current forest fire. They were working to help clear up areas in the forested area in case the fires reach this area. They were working to save this area for the future!  Great work guys!  Some down time was spent at the Garden of the Gods climbing rocks.  

Please keep the COS Youth Ministry Team in your prayers this week as they bring people into a relationship with Christ through finding and offering HOPE.

Youth Mission to Colorado Planting Hope for Tomorrow

June 19, 2012  Church of the Shepherd's Youth Mission Team is working in the forest around Colorado Springs that was ravaged by previous forest fires, planting saplings to help reforest the area.  It is hot, dirty work in rough terrain but God is working through this awesome team to bring HOPE to future generations.  The youth are proving to be excellent stewards of God's creation!  As the fruits of their work today grow, we at COS pray that their relationship with their Father in heaven also grows.  

Isaiah 14:7-8  "All the lands are at rest and at peace; they break into singing.  Even the pine trees and the cedars of Lebanon exult over you . . . ."

Youth Mission Spends Monday at Food Pantry

The photos below show COS youth and adult sponsors working hard at a local food pantry in Colorado Springs.  There are also shots of them and other youth having some "down time" playing games, getting to know each other, and just chilling! They are very busy building relationships with each other, new friends, and the Lord while finding and offering HOPE!

Youth Colorado Team Arrives!

Sunday evening the team arrived in Colorado Springs and looks ready to get to work Monday "finding and offering HOPE!"

Youth Mission Team/June 16 & 17, 2012

     The Youth Mission Team to Colorado are in Kansas now and steadily moving westward!  They spent Saturday night and Sunday morning in the dorms at the Kansas Wesleyan University campus.  From the sleepy looks on their faces at Sunday worship below, it appears that they are already keeping late hours praying or in fellowship or praying or singing with Brandon--what ever.  Oh well there's that long van ride across Kansas to Colorado to catch up on sleep.  We hope Brandon got lots of sleep since he is the driver.  Is it my imagination or do the adults look tireder than the youth?  As Martha Stewart would say, "That's a good thing!"

     The pictures below are of the group touring the campus grounds and hanging out at the dorm, practicing being freshmen in college.  God speed on your journey and keep the photos coming!

COS Youth start road trip to Colorado/June 16, 2012

Six youth and four adults left COS this morning around 10:30 a.m. heading west towards Colorado.  They will do mission work reforesting an area in the Colorado mountains that was burned by a forest fire and other mission work around Colorado Springs.  A little sight seeing and adventure is also on the itinerary!  Check this blog for updates.  Brandon Salter, youth director, was given well wishes as he leads the group with prayer, humor, and awesome music.  The youth hope to grow in their relationship with each other and with Christ through "finding and offering HOPE" to others.  God bless and safe journey!

June 7, 2012 Joplin Mission Last Day

We painted and put in trim and baseboards today at a new job site.  These are photos from the entire week's mission.  Tomorrow we head home with a brief stop in Springfield, MO to deliver the Family Food Packs to General Conference.  COS donated 109 packs!

J

June 6, 2012 Joplin Mission  We painted walls, doors, trim, and window trim all day.  We are finish with Jannel's list of projects in addition to the painting and bid her God speed as she continues to rebuild her life after the storm.  She is a brave and grateful women who lost all of her worldly possessions but who feels blessed because her children and grandchildren are alive.  We met the homeowners of our next assigment for tomorrow which will be to paint trim and start cutting and installing baseboard and door trim, and we enjoyed a picnic at Shoal Creek Conservation Center and Park.  We are worshipping tonight with our new friends from Farmington United Methodist Church and sharing communion.  They are also staying at Christ's Community Church.

Day 2/Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Joplin Mission

     We painted the ceiling and walls in a room, replaced a window, planted a tree, poured concrete to secure a porch railing, ripped out moldy carpet and cleaned a wet, moldy basement of debris.  We are very tired!  The painted tree  in the picture is called the Spirit Tree and is near the site of the high school that was destroyed in the tornado.  Everywhere there are signs of people expressing hope and thankfulness;  it is very humbling.  The hospitality of everyone towards the volunteers is awesome!

The June Joplin Mission Team is working hard to bring Hope to a nice lady named Janell.  We scraped her popcorn ceiling and patched the walls and ceiling, preparing them for painting tomorrow.  A list of repairs ranging from fixing a front door to the railing on the front steps were also done.  Janell lost her home and all of the contents during the tornado.  She was able to purchase an older home with the little insurance money she had but it is a real fixer upper!   She is living in the home while trying to repair it by herself.  Janell and her son in law were in a car, driving by the high school when the tornado hit.  They survived but only after having the vehicle picked up and tossed around.  People in cars around them were not so lucky and some lost their lives.  Her daughter and son in law lost their house as well.   Habitat for Humanity has chosen them to receive one of their houses being built.  Janell's story was heart felt and traumatic but also full of thanksgiving for the blessings of family and friends who did survive.