Day One

We woke up and had an awesome breakfast and headed to the church to see what our tasks would be for the week.

The first task was concrete. First we had to get the rebar and reinforcements up to the second floor.
It was much easier to move the styrofoam blocks to the second floor.

Tying the rebar together took all of all all day - We are almost done.



After a hard day in the hot sun, we went back and relaxed with an epic UNO tournament.

We were surprised later that evening with an friend from last year's trip. Julian was the Maetro from last year. He was all set to work with us this week, when on Sunday he woke up and half of his face was numb.

Please add him to your prayers for a quick and complete recovery.

Even when he was not feeling well, Julian was still lots of fun.

Tuesday we will finish the rebar for the concrete pour and - well I guess we will find out when we get there.

Traveling to Rio Bravo - The Story

The day began uneventful. We had breakfast and a short devotion and headed south.

We stopped for lunch and then......


There was a sudden loss of power in the gray van. Oh no!




A committee was formed to investigate the problem.

And when the air filter was removed, lots of grey fluffy stuff (that is the technical term) came out along with the filter. And then we saw the large hole.








We made a detour to keep us on the interstate and programmed a route to the nearest auto parts store.

Note: Finding auto parts on a Sunday afternoon is not as easy as it sounds.



But soon we found a new air filter and we were back on our way.

It seemed like we had been in the van FOREVER but we were back heading south for the border.

Until we reached a long stretch of highway between towns. I mean there was no billboards --- no restaurants---- no rest stops and (wait for it)---- no gas stations.

Here is the grey van resting again, this time waiting for the other van to return with a gas can - 0.7 miles from the gas pump.

We still had to drive to the McAllen Airport to pick up one last team memeber and grocery shop for lunches and snacks that were needed for the week.

We refocused - one team went to the airport and the other filled up four grocery carts full of food. We filled the gas tanks up and headed to the border.

There was one last surprise for us. As we crossed the border we called our escort and he told us that he had only found out that night that the tollway to Rio Bravo was closed due to flooding from last weeks Hurricane. He gave us the directions to the detour and began to drive towards us to meet us halfway and guide us in.


Finally we arrived!!

We unpacked and updated our facebook statuses.

Whew - Home Sweet Home!

Arriving in Rio Bravo

Sucess!!

After a long, eventful day, the team has arrived safely in Rio Bravo. We had a late dinner and a really quick devotion and we are off to bed.

Rumor has it that breakfast is at 6:30.

I will add pictures and stories tomorrow, but tonight it is lights out for me.

The Journey - Day One

We gathered to leave late Friday night (or early Sunday morning depending on your view). Did you ever wonder what the church parking lot looks like at 1:00 am? Well here is a hint---

One sad last minute change - Melissa had a car accident on Thursday that left her with a broken collar bone. We are so grateful that she was not hurt any worse and we will miss her this week.

Melissa, I am not sure how we will do Vacation Bible School without you.

A trip through Oklahoma is not complete without a visit to the Will Rogers McDonalds on the Turnpike.

We arrived in Waco, Texas in plenty of time to eat dinner at Billy Buzzard's. We had our picture taken with our new friend.

Outside, we decide to divide the group into those under 25 and those over 25. Can you tell which group was which?

Tomorrow it is up early to continue our drive to Mexico.

Pray for good weather and safe travels.

God's Powerful Plan

The Mexico Mission team will be leaving early, early Saturday morning heading to Mexico.  There are 15 people who are part of this team and it’s going to be a powerful experience for all of them.

Flexibility is the name of the game when going on mission and this year is no exception.  The original plan was for the team to build 2 casitas (homes).  However, the Manos Juntas (Hands Together) leadership team knows that we have always been open to doing whatever they needed us to do.  So…having said that, the team, instead, will be putting a roof and doing stucco work on a church that COS started several years ago in Reynosa.  In addition, instead of staying in the US, the team will be staying in Mexico at the Manos Juntas facility to cut down on their travel time.  They will also be hosting VBS one afternoon for the children of the church and the community.  The items donated by the church will be given to Manos Juntas and the gift cards will be used to purchase items for the church and the team.

I know that God has mighty and powerful plans for this team as they open themselves to God’s call and are willing to be step out in faith and serve in His name.

Please pray for traveling mercies for the team, safety as they work and above all, God’s presence in their journey.

Serving Him,

Pastor Carol

Mexico Mission Trip...Let it begin!

Lift up our mission team this week as they travel to Mexico to be the hands and feet of our church family. They will build homes and transform the lives around them - including their own!

Be in prayer for this team as they travel this Saturday, July 10 through Saturday, July 17. Check here for entries by the team throughout the week.

Team members lead by Pastor Carol are Kelly Bogda, Brian Bequette, Robert Richards, Rich Schuster, Larry Cook, Jonathon Garland, Olivia Garland, Kristen Bogda, Carly Stenger, Robin Shepard, Jake Shepard, Emily Weiland, Kim O’Brien, Melissa Finley and Tim Finley.

The Trip Home

The last day in Sikeston was a short one. First we had to turn this---

Back into this.

Then we had to do our part in cleaning the church. We give a big Shout Out to First United Methodist Church in Sikeston who hosted our group for the week.

Everyone did their part, although some did not want their work documented. (I think they are afraid they will have to continue cleaning at home.)