No Ordinary Journey

And Suddenly it's Friday

2011-07-22T16:28:00.000-07:00

Ok so this week has truly flown by. I am terribly sorry for not keeping the blog updated. A combination of poor internet connectivity and jam packed schedule are the culprits. We do have some great pictures to share when we return along with even better stories. We have had lots of great conversations with each other, with our small groups at Montreat, and with God. We are all looking forward to coming back home and sharing with our church family the ways in which we have "searched for the signal" while at Montreat. Please pray as we return Sarasota tomorrow. Many of the best conversations take place on the bus on the way home. Thanks!

Makeup Pictures

2011-07-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from the travel days. I am having trouble uploading the pics so I hope to get caught up by tomorrow. More updates to come.

Montreat "Just Getting Started"

2011-07-18T05:13:00.000-07:00

Ok so I left my camera back at Glenn Rock Inn which is a bummber because that means no pictures for the first post. But don't worrry there will be plenty of pictures to come. Yesterday, Sunday, we arrived at Montreat and had our first Worship event. It was high energy as always and got things started on the right foot. The trip to Montreat could not have gone more smoothly. Everyone has done a great job and we are all really looking forward to this week. In just a few minutes we have our group devotion time and then off to the morning Keynote. You will be hearing from Michelle and Halle a bit later on today. Thanks again for all of you support back home. Your prayers mean a lot.

(Written by Derek)

2011-07-02T10:06:00.000-07:00

The last day was a fun day as we hit the rapids. As you can see we are professionals.

Raft One: Kelsey Williamson, Alisia, Derek, Mackenzie, Kelsey Whalen, Sarah

Raft Two: Jake, Tammy, Dave, Logan, Abbey, Grant

Reflection at Red Rocks

2011-07-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

Thursday Evening was our final group reflection time with the other teams. The Door made this a night to remember by taking us to Red Rocks, an amphitheater built into the majestic Red Rock formations outside the city. We hiked up to the amphitheater, had worship and reflection on the stage, then climbed to the very top of the theater seats for sweeping views of the landscape. The city skyline was lit up in the distance, surrounded by all of Denver's natureal beauty. The sight was truly breathtaking & the perfect way to complete our time with The Door Network and all the people we've connected with since arrival.

all three youth groups that participated in Door Denver this week...

Homeless Simulation

2011-07-01T06:23:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night the Door staff organized a homeless simulation in which they gave each person a dollar, and then in teams, we had to find a way to get money or food without saying we were homeless or that we were part of a church group. We had to feed ourselves with whatever money or food we recieved. We stayed in our work groups Team 1 and Team 2, made signs (which you can see below) and after prayer we headed out to our designated area in the city. The point of the excersize was to give us a firsthand experience of what it would be like to be homeless. Needless to say it was very challenging as it was way out of our comfort zone. Some of the things that suprised are group were: being ridiculed or laughed at by people driving by in cars, the utter vunerability you feel, and the generosity of other people living on the street. In fact, overall it was the people living on the street that were more willing to help either with advice on where to go or giving money. At the end of this 30 minute simulation both our groups were able to feed ourselves with two hotdogs, two slices of pizza, a handful of chicken nuggets, 6 tacos and two cheesy nachos from taco bell, a Hamburger helper meal, a danish, peanut butter crackers, a gallon of water, a granola bar, three ready bake pizzas, a loaf of whole wheat bread, and ice cream sandwiches for dessert. After we enjoyed our meal, we actaully had some food left over for some of the DOOR staff to eat as well. Not bad for one nights work. No doubt it was a tough experience but it did open up our eyes to what life is like on the street and in turn made us more empathetic to our neighbors in whom street life is a constant reality.

Enjoying their hard earned dinner...

Thursday Work Day

2011-06-30T16:55:00.000-07:00

What an amazing day Group Two had today! Our group went to MetroCare, a non-profit agency, that provides food to Denver City residents in need. We started off the day with a fabulous orientation that gave us an idea of what to expect for the day and an overview the agencies history. Jake, Grant and Dave worked as stock persons and kept the shelves stocked throughout the day, which was a HUGE job. Mackenzie, Sarah, and I filled orders for the different families, which ranged from one to 14 members. I have never been so proud of our youth! They worked tirelessly and happily all day long. This outreach is amazing and providing such a fabulous need and service to the community. Lookout, Food Pantry, you will have some new volunteers when we get home! (Written by Tammy)

For Team 1 our final day of work was one of our best days. We walked to St. James Urban Church where we participated in two different homeless outreaches. The first outreach was called "bus stop" in which the homeless were fed breakfast and a gospel message was shared. We got to eat breakfast and mingle with the people who were there. Everyone was very friendly. After the "bus stop" ministry wrapped up we went down the street to the "Network Coffeehouse." The coffee house is a place for people to come hang out, get a cup of coffee, take a shower, play board games etc. We met some great people and we really enjoyed our time here.

Wednesday Evening - Colorado Rockies Game!!!

2011-06-30T16:25:00.000-07:00

Wednesday night was an evening off. So we got to go to a Colorado Rockies baseball game!! It was amazing. I always hated baseball. Or wanted to. But this experience made me love it. Unfortuately the Rockies lost. 3-2. They played against the White Sox. It was many peoples first time at a major league baseball game. (Including mine). We made it on the big screen above the score board!!!! It was an absolutly amazing day and we all had a great time.

Written by Abbey Cabsey:)

Wednesday Work Day

2011-06-29T23:03:00.000-07:00

Team two spent the day working with Brothers Redevelopment (similar to team one's experience yesterday, but we were at a different home). We scraped, taped, and painted a home of a very special Denver resident who does not get around very well any more. We painted her house and her fences in the back yard. We went through several gallons of paint (as you can see, just as much paint went on our clothes as the fences!!), and plenty of water, as the temperatures hovered around 100 degrees. While it was very hard, work, it was truly rewarding, as we were able to accomplish a great deal of work for a very worthy cause. (Written by Dave Whalen)

Team one went to Sunshine Academy. We had a great day playing with all of the children. Alisia and Kelsey Williamson spent the day with the toddlers, while the rest of the group was with the 4-12 year olds. There were so many wonderful moments interacting with the children. They loved to play and bonded with our group immediately. We lost count of how many piggy back rides and horse rides we gave out.

Tuesday Work Day

2011-06-29T16:18:00.000-07:00

Team One's day at Brother's Re-development project was amazing. We painted the house of an ederly woman named Anna Scott. Anna was so sweet and hosptitable as she made our team lemonade and gave Kelsey Whalen, Kelsey Williamson and Abbey Fagerstrom small potted plants from her garden. She was very grateful for our work and we really enjoyed our time with her. After we finished up at the house we went back to Brother Re-development's workshop and helped clean up their shop.

Team two spent their day playing with kids at a daycare called Sunshine Academy. Sunshine Academy serves the neiborhood by providing a safe place for children (ages 12 months - 12 years) to be during the daytime while their parents (mostly single moms) work. The kids were high energy! They loved piggy back rides, running, and CONSTANT play!!! The team bonded with the children within a short time period and it was hard to say goodbye.

First Day of work and it was awesome

2011-06-28T06:38:00.000-07:00

We broke into teams for our first day out. Team One spent the day at a daycamp through "Head Start" for 7-10 year olds. As you can see we started the day with lots of excercise. They actually had us doing bear crawls. A lady from the Nature Museum set up an exhibit in the gym that taught the children about Africa. The kids had a great time interacting with the exhibit. Our group really bonded with the children. We played lots of different games with them, ate lunch, and went to a near by park for more games. By the end of the day we were exhausted but had full hearts.

Team Two went to a tutoring program in the projects called "The Bridge Project".
The Bridge Project is a educational program that tutors children from PreK through fifth grade. The program is located adjacent to the public housing sector of Denver, which 95% of the kids in the program live. Our group was also there on a day when they had Boy Scouts. The Boy Scouts program is for both boys and girls and it seemed to be one of the highlights of their day. We made many connections with the children and have many great pictures. However, out of respect for the childrens privacy, we are not posting thier pictures online. When we get back to Church Of The Palms, we will have an awesome slide show! (written by Tammy Whalen)

Here in Denver!!!

2011-06-27T16:35:00.000-07:00

A bumpy flight couldn't squelch our excitment for Denver!!!

We arrived in Denver and had some time to kill before orientation, so we walked to a nearby park and marveled in Denver's beautiful summer weather.

Later that evening, we got settled into the church and met the other two youth groups we will be with this week. The other groups are from Arkansas & Michigan! During orientation we did a few games to get to know each other and the D.O.O.R. city director, Antonio Lucero, gave us an introduction to the neibhorhood and program.

Here are a few facts about Denver we learned:

2.5 million people residents

8 major sports teams

300+ days of sunshine each year

Lincoln Park and surrounding area (where we are staying and working) is one of the oldest neiborhoods in Denver and is beautifully diverse. 53% Latino, 30% Caucasian, & 14% African American.

Ready, Set, Go...

2011-06-26T05:59:00.000-07:00

This morning our High School Mission team leaves for Denver, CO. The team is prepared and excited for what lies ahead. As you can see in the picture we are ready for the cold Denver evenings. The sweatshirts were gifts from Dave and Tammy Whalen. I am really proud of this team and looking forward to sharing our experience with all of our supporters back home. More pictures and updates will be posted each night we are in Denver so stay tuned. And away we go.

At the airport!!! (Starbucks and snacks in hand!)