Final Day!

We had a great week of serving in Philadelphia!!! We look forward to coming home tomorrow!
Below is a picture of the group and the city. Behind our photographer are the steps in the Rocky movie Rocky climbed up!

Day 4 (Letting Go)

Today we had to say good bye to our newest friends from Harold Oaks Summer Camp. After a fun filled 4 days with the kids, it was finally time to say our farewells. During the week we hepled the kids with crafts, spelling, and math; when we weren't teaching we thoroughly enjoyed just hanging out with them.

One of the kids who caught our attention from the beginning was a young vibrant energetic and lovable boy named Kevin. He is an 8 year old who is obssessed with WWE and never has a negetive thing to say about anyone. late on Wednesday Kevin enthusiastically said, "Are you coming swimming tomorrow with us?!" We were glad to hear that the kids, especially Kevin, were looking forward to swimming just as much as we were. We had been doing a lot of work this week so a nice dip in the cold pool would feel great!

Today we went to the public pool down the road from the camp. As we neared the pool Kevin exclaimed, "There it is" as he sprinted towards the pool; the others followed. Once we got to the pool, Mrs. Maddox, the camp counsulor, told us all to wait at the edge of the pool while the life guards got set on their chairs. As the life guard blew his whistle all the kids jumped in, while cheering for joy! We then spent the next hour playing and swimming with all the kids. Once we finished up we walked back to the camp.

Finally the moment we had been dreading was at hand. As we said good bye to the kids we gave them hugs and took as many pictures as possible to remember the great times we shared. As we pulled kids off of us one kid stood out once more... Kevin ran towards us with open arms and a massive smile. We hugged and told him we would never forget him.

As we pulled away from the camp in our bus we couldn't help but remember the good times we shared with Kevin and the rest of the campers at Harold Oaks Summer Camp.

Nick Strauss &
Reece Belmondo

Day 3

This is Ben and Brenna, from Group 2. Today began like any other day, with devotions at 7:15 am and breakfast afterward. We headed out at 9:00 to our destination: somewhere in Philly (we are not very good at directions). We were working with Ray of Hope, a non-profit whose mission is to provide free home repairs for families with low income. We met Ray and Omar (the founder and his successor, respectively). They were cool guys B-) Our project was to clear out a lot that was filled with five-foot high thistles. It was tough work, but we did it!

Next, we went to visit the kids at Harold O. Davis Summer Camp. They were pretty wound up, but happy to see us :-) We spent most of the time working on animal masks (materials: paper plates, lots of pipe cleaners, gobs of glue, and creative genius). Snack was delicious watermelon.

Sadly we had to leave early for our next destination: Broad Street Ministry. There, we had a nice dinner of garden salad and pasta salad with some folks suffering from homelessness. We were a little nervous at first, but we talked to some very friendly people, like Kevin, Carmin, and Deborah. We even met a sweet elderly Russian lady (who spoke no English whatsoever). After dinner we helped clean up, and then we had a talk with Pastor Erica in the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary was amazing place, and it had the most amazing art installations. There was a mural in the back and a painting in the front, and the ceiling had many windmills hanging from it, surrounded by chains of colorful paper cranes. It was an inspiring sight.

Now we are getting ready to sleep. We have to be ready for the adventures that await us tomorrow (whatever they may be)!

P.S. We miss you, Hewers and Darrochs!

Brenna: Shan and Liam, I hope you're having fun training to be the best actors Franklin Middle School's stage has ever seen. I also want to hear about more broken butterfly records (from both of you)! Also I think you guys should do the Jeremiah Project next year.
Mommy and Daddy, I miss you a lot but ill see you soon!

Ben: Miss you guys! John and Claire you'd better not be driving mom and dad too crazy ;)

P.P.S. were being good we promise ;)

Day 2 - (The Afternoon)

PART II - DAY 2

After lunch until bedtime

Ok so the second part of the day consisted of lots of sweat. Our group drove about an hour after lunch to Camden. Camden lies just across the Deleware River and is the poorest city in Jersey and has the highest crime rate in the world. Some words I would use to describe are desolate, helpless, deserted, and suffering. We spent our afternoon at the one building in Camden used to revitalized the community. The Neighborhood Center provides Day Care, bible studies, senior groups, and a soup kitchen. Our task was to mulch a playground. While this may seem like a menial job of littel significance, it just showed us how much work the volunteers have to put into this center.
Five things that surprised me/I learned today:
1. The attitude of Tim, the man who ran the Neighborhood Center
2. The joy that can be found in such discouraging situations
3. How easy it is to fall into sin
4. How much grace God pgrants us everyday
5. Everyone of God's children has sinned, and he will gladly restore us


Quotes I liked:
"We might be the only face of Christ someone ever meets....Can they see Christ in you?"
- Tim
"God's promise is bigger than our problems."
- Mrs. Williams


After that, we left Camden and went to a Thai resturaunt. We then debreifed in a park near some river I cannot spell. Overall, it was a great day.

(Miss you Dad and Anna)
Emily

Day 2

Hello,

Today was our second full day in Philadelphia. This morning after Devotions we headed out to the Harold O. Davis summer camp like we did yesterday. The kids are so adorable and its so rewarding to see their smiling faces when we walk in. It's also really great when they remember your names and give you big welcoming hugs. Each day of camp they start out with Christian songs and other fun songs that get them up and moving that are led by the kids themselves. Then the we sing some of our own songs from church. After that, the kids all quiet down and they work on some sort of academic assignment. It's so cute to see them learning and really trying hard. We helped them whenever they needed it; it was nice to teach them something and feel like we are really helping them learn.

The kids work hard but thye get bored easily and want to play games or just goof around with us. The little girls love to play with our hair. They say its so soft and different from theirs. We played all sorts of games like Monopoly, chinese checkers, connect four, and hang-man. We always eat lunch with them and its adorable to hear their prayer before eating and to see them really appreciate what they are recieving. I love the little kids, its the best part of my day and I can't wait to see them tomorow.

Jules
*Hi mom, dad, sara, and jake! I miss you guys and tell the dogs I miss them too. I love you!

1st Full Day in Philly

Our first day in Philly was a great one full of lots of fun and eye-opening experiences. We started our day by going to a local church summer camp where we got to play and learn with some of the kids living in Philly. As soon as we walked into the door they took no time warming up to us, it was like they had known us forever. Eventually we all had our own circle of little kids to play with, talk to, and create memories. The kids were so happy we were there to play with them and were extremely excited to learn that we were going to be coming back every morning this week to be with them. When it came time for lunch we all ate together at the church where the summer camp was held. During the afternoon we went on something called an "Urban Plunge" in Kensington, one of the worst areas in Phillly. We were each given two dollars and our challenge was to make someone's day brighter. Some groups bought flowers and handed them out to people, and others offered to pay for people's purchase in local shops. We got to interact with some of them as well. At the end of the plunge we circled up and prayed, two strangers off the street came and joined our circle. Lastly we went to Mary Jane's Home Enrichment Center where we made millions of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to give to people who were in need of the food. We got to meet an amazing woman named Mrs.Williams who runs Mary Jane's. She truly was an angel who gives everything that she has to God and we learned a lot from her. To end the day we had AMAZING Philly cheesesteaks that filled us up after a long day of hard work! We can't wait to see what the rest of the week brings.

In Christ,
Marie Meador and Katie Athearn

Philly Here We Are!!!

Hey guys- we all made it here safely. We unpacked the vans, moved into our rooms and then had a nice orientation presented by our CSM leaders. Afterwords, we went out to eat at a small Indian resturaunt called New Dehli. It was awesome! But what was ever more awesome was the great prayer tour we had of the city. The prayer tour was basically a tour of the city, good parts and bad, trying to view it from God's eyes. We ended the tour with a group prayer in field with an amazing veiw of the city at around 10 oclock at night. All in all it was a great first day, and I have a feeling it will just get better.
God Bless
Kevin Cronin

Friday -- Finishing the work and the last day of la Escuela Biblica

By far the most productive day individually and as a whole. The vibe this morning at breakfast was one of motivation and excitement. We were ready to live the day, finish our work, and touch the hearts and minds of the VBS children. During our work period we acomplished a lot! We finished filling in the trench, did additional painting in the pavillion, moved about fifty cement blocks to allow a path to be filled with cement. Also we spread gravel over a portion of the trench to make it into a usable driveway, cut down tall grasses, picked up old mangos, and power washed our work area. When our work was over we took showers, had some free time, then had lunch. Tim had made a trip into town and picked up extra snacks and soda, so we had fanta and coke with lunch. Despues nos comemos almuerzo nos vamos a la iglesia para VBS. It was by far the best VBS in my book. There were more kids then any other day and everyone had a smile on their face. We had to make due without a microphone for the message but it came out fine. We had a bit of a fiesta with cake and a pinata. The moms here are loco because they dive in and try to get the candy. There were two dogs waiting outside the church in the rain, both extreamely malnurished and dirty; Sarah Delaney gave her towl to warm the shivering chihuahua and perhaps give it the love it would otherwise not get. It strains the heart to see the poverty around us. Unfortunatly it is everywhere whether the holes in the kids shoes worn without socks or the man you see from the bus window digging in the dumpster. We played games with the kids Maricio and Brandon -- two of the kids should be recruted for the NFL in the last few days both and many others have learned futbol amiricano and have become experts thanks to Jeremy , Nate, and Kellan. I had a personal conversation with a few of the kids today as we broke through the language barrior teaching each other about our cultures, we found a common interest in the black eyed peas and Michael Jaxion. As we loaded the busses and had to say good by for the week, our group as a whole longed for another day with the kids. We took the busses back to the mission center, relaxed by playing some epic card games and eating mangos. After free time we had dinner, played some intence soccer, then had a mind blowing chapel. We are currently playing more soccer and enjoying one of our last nights in beautiful Costa Rica.

Gracias and much love to my family see you Sunday,

AJ Duston


Hola y pura vida (costa rican greeting meaning "pure life") The day started as usual. I was woken up at about five o'clock in the morning by the loud chop shop guys. For five in the morning, they sure aren't tired as we were. We were up and ready for dovotions at about 7:10. Breakfast was at 7:30. Then we got to work. Friday work was long but fun. So far we got the trench dug, put the piping in, tested the water, started to fill it back in, and painted the house. So today, we finished filling it in, put the gravel down, cleaned the sidewalks, painted the ceiling, and cleaned out the chapel. Basically, we cleaned up and finished up. It was fun, but mostly just long and tedious work needed to get done. It made lunch heaven, though, since Tim made a courtesy trip to town for some food and drinks. Just gotta love the sweet taste of Coca-Cola after a good day of work. Then was VBS. I enjoyed VBS so far and today was no different. I took a beating to the face by lots of balloons, but it was fun and enjoyable. When we left, I think the people from our church wished we'd stay more. It was a great time.

To mom and dad: I'm doing well, staying healthy. Hope you guys are doing well. Ask Daniel to stop by and drop off the memory card, because i have stuff for him.

See you guys soon!

Jon Wille

Thursday -- Finishing the trench & VBS

Going into this trip, I really did not know what to expect. I didn't feel like I would make any impact on anyone's life or was doing anything useful. Little did I know! God bless the beautiful children of Costa Rica! Seeing the look on these kids faces when they see a balloon (something so simple!) is honestly one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my life. The kids look so happy and are so excited to be there with us. One boy in particular who is around six or seven years old has made a huge impact on my week. I started off just tossing a balloon around with him. We were both laughing and smiling and just enjoying our time playing with each other. I do not speak Spanish at all, but we are somehow able to understand and communicate to each other. Throughout all of VBS that day, he would look for me amongst everyone else and his face would light up when he saw me. The look on his face is something I will never forget.

Knowing that I could allow someone who lives such a hard life to have a chance to learn about God and knowing that I could make someone happy is truly a gift! Today, I sat behind my new friend when Tim was talking to the kids about God. He turned around to see me and his face lit up. He kept turning around the rest of Tim's sermon to look at me. Knowing that he, along with all of the other kids, were excited to see us and were thrilled to spend time with us really highlights the impact that people, teenagers even, can have on others.

The older Costa Rican kids have been very patient and helpful with me, too. They have taught me Spanish (I can have a conversation in Spanish), and I have taught them English. I am very impressed with the amount of English they can speak at such a young age!

In general, these people illustrate God's power. They do not have much (some live in metal "huts" and in boxes), but are some of the happiest people I have ever met. They are more than thankful and appreciative for everything God has done for them. They make you really think about how lucky we are to have such a good life, but it is very sad that they have to live in such horrible conditions. I ask that you keep these families in your thoughts and prayers.

-Kymberly McCoy



This week has been the experience of a lifetime. The childeren, the people, the weather, it has all been amazing. The childeren here are so innocent and joyful. When you throw them a football or toss a balloon the look on their faces gives me the greatest feeling. Sometimes they remind me of when I was a child at that age. They act the same, they play the same. They are competetive too, each time we threw a ball or tossed a balloon they rushed to get it. The people who live here are so different though, they are so trusting of people, even us americans, we were walking along the street one day telling people about VBS and some of the parents just said, "Go, take them" they don't have the same sense of security that we do. The people who live here barely have anything either. They literally have four metal sheets for walls, and barred porches, and maybe a car. But other than that nothing. As a side-note most people who think americans drive crazy... you have not seen anything yet, I have literally only seen two traffic signs here, both of which were stop signs, yes thats right no speed limit signs. The work here has been fun too. I personally have been digging a trench the whole week and have a new respect for gold miners. We dug a total of 110 meters in three days and laid all of the piping. It has been grueling work somedays but it finally paid off. This trip is an experience where I have seen God in so many places and people it would be impossible to count. I can't wait to share the full trip with everyone but for now I ask you to pray for the people who have so little and for us to make a safe trip home.

Sincerely,

Austin Kendall

well... what can i say. As you can see from the above paragraphs many people that have gone on this trip have had their eyes opened to a whole new world. we have gone from looking at our daily luxuries to looking at all of them being stripped away. it is hard to explan what i have felt throughout this week. i have gone from excitement, to astonishment, to guilt, to contentment about what i have, and then to a realization of what gifts that God has blessed me with that i take advantage on the daily basis. when we first arrived here i had a picture of what i thought was the worst possible senario of what people lived like, i wasn't that far off, and that amazed me that i was actually right. i mean i wasn't expecting for it to actually get to the point where it was the worst that i could imagine. i was also expecting for people to be broken in a way, or depressed because of the situations that they were in, but i was most definitely wrong. it's funny.. one of the things that amazed me the most was that even when you think that people can't possibly find any happiness in the place that they are in they end up being some of the most inspirational and joyus people you have ever met. that was definitely the case this week and i hope i can get the opportunity to experience this again.

God Bless,

Annie Wandishin