Work Trip Sunday

Anyone who tells you, you can't make a difference, is wrong. Today was Work Trip Sunday, where various groups from the church lead the worship service. The youngest to work this summer was 4 and the oldest around 70 (I think). We sent out 4 groups to locations such as rural Maryland, New Orleans LA, Texas, Lake Charles LA and Lynchburg VA. The work varied. Middle school age kids planted an acre of pumpkins and cleared an acre of rocks and picked an acre of collard greens and picked another acre of Kale. High school kids demolished homes. Garbed in full paper suits over clothes, hard hats, respirator masks, they worked in 90 degree weather, and stopped in the middle of a task to listen to the stories the residents had to tell of their home. Intergenerational forces worked at a camp for underpriveledged youth, mulching, planting, painting. Ask any one of these people or the people they served if a difference was made and they would say yes. It was evident in the stories told, the photos on the screen, tears shed, and humor. Emma's rendition of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" while photos of New Orleans, Lynchburg, and Maryland were shown, did not leave a dry eye and left us with a feeling of hope and renewal. I did not participate in these trips, but my children did going to the farm in Maryland and to New Orleans. I will be Responding to the Call on 9/11. What will you do?

BTW, their T-shirts say "Ask me how I spent my summer vacation" On the back it says "Building our ministry beyond the threshold" Christian Temple work trips 2006, Getting Dirty For Jesus and then lists the various work trips, groups and places.