Before Old Harbor (7/31/09)

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Well the previous week has been amazing, as I shared in the other blog I posted today. I've never worked with a more loving team and host church on a mission trip. This evening I sit in the Kingston TGI Fridays with Brian Zeschke, a friend of mine and one of our assistant trip leaders. Tomorrow Brian and I will embark on our final mission trip of the summer. We're bringing three small teams together to form the group for our mission trip to the Old Harbor Bay Baptist Church. Old Harbor is east of Kingston about 20 miles and is a heavy fishing town. The church building where we'll be staying is newer (built in the 1980's) and has a great sleeping arrangement. We've got 8 people from Lester Park UMC in Duluth, 4 from Mercy Seat Lutheran in Minneapolis and two college students (friends of Josh Ruiter) from Iowa coming together this week. The team will focus on a VBS at the Old Harbor Bay Baptist Church and work on painting and doing light fix-ups on three homes in the community which Reverend Robert Campbell (our host pastor) identified. I plan on taking my team to the Colbeck Castle, which was built in the late 1600's as a Spanish defence fort against the english. The ruins there are quite a sight to see! I have to be honest, I cannot wait to get home! I'm excited for what God is going to do this week and to find our exactly what he has in store, but i'm missing Emily and her family. When I return home i'm looking forward to a week of vacation with Em's family at a lake cabin in Wisconsin, and then getting back into the swing of things at our office in Minneapolis. It will be exciting to have all of our trip leaders come together this fall and share about their experiences from the summer. Here's to a great week, my final one. I'll post after our trip is over and as I return home.

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