Mission Serve Blog
Latest Updates from Mission ServeFair Bluff – Thursday
Hello friends and family.
It is Thursday at the NC Hurricane Relief project and it has been phenomenal. It has been a day of hard work and dedication preparing for the close of each project. Several sites even finished their jobs early and are relocating tomorrow to help others that have a heavy work load!
On site with both Mike and Lima, Bryant from WECT came to check out the work that we have been doing this week. He was really surprised to see the amount of students that were there and the volume of work they were carrying out! He also interviewed our PC, Joe Monk, and two students! Check out the news piece HERE!
We also had our final adult meeting and construction captain meeting. We are so thankful for all of the adults that have volunteered to be both squad leaders and construction captains. Everyone has done a fantastic job.
In the evening we had our concert of prayer. It was an indescribable experience completely emerged in a wave of the Holy Spirit. There were several people who softened their hearts and surrendered to the Lord and gave their life to Him. During this powerful service we also were able to give our offering to God with pure hearts. It was an unforgettable experience. Praise the Lamb!
Tomorrow is going to be a super exciting day! We have lots of fun things planned as we close out this project and celebrate all that God has done.
There is one day left to send ServeMail and we are still wanting to hear from you.
As always please be praying for God’s will to be done and for safety for everyone here at the project.
Check back in for more fun tomorrow!
Getting the job done, your Summer Staff,
Jack & Alexis
Knoxville – Wednesday
Happy Wednesday!
Today, our squads got up and worked on their construction sites for half a day. It was a beautiful day in Knoxville with the sun shining and lower temperatures. The crews were able to still get a lot of work done and continued to share the gospel with the homeowners and other residents.
After returning from sites, the squads had the afternoon off to go explore Knoxville. Some churches visited the Knoxville Zoo and others went to the mall. All the participants had fun on their half day and retuned to the church safe and sound. Thank God for the safe travels and full smiles.
Tomorrow, the squad will be ready to return to their sites for another great day of work! Be sure to send them encouragement through ServeMail!
Workin’ through Wednesday,
Jenna & Sam
Fair Bluff – Wednesday
Hey, we are back!
It’s Wednesday which means it is half day! Our participants have worked hard for the past two days and are very eager for a fun-filled afternoon off.
Upon arriving back at the facility, we had several reports of people coming to Christ while on the job sites! It was incredible to hear about the way the Holy Spirit has moved in the lives of students who are here. As a result, several have also decided to take the next step and be baptized. A few churches decided to do so in the ocean as a part of their free day.
Several churches decided to spend time in the Myrtle Beach area both lounging on the beach and also shopping at popular places in the area. Other churches did fun activities such as putt-putt, go-carts, and some even were able to hang out in a lazy river!
Due to the fact that today was free day, we did not have evening worship. However, please be praying for our project tomorrow as we have the concert of prayer. We are expecting God to move in a mighty way and cannot wait to share what all He has done.
Keep sending us ServeMail, the participants love hearing from you.
Tomorrow is a new, full work day and we expect even more exciting stories of adventure and God’s grace. Check back soon for another update.
Serving you this summer,
Jack & Alexis
Fort Wayne – Wednesday
Good Afternoon from Fort Wayne Indiana.
Today our students had a hard working morning and relaxing afternoon off. They are very excited to have a break before finishing off their projects the rest of the week!
Some groups are going to the mall, the lake, and more. They will all have a chance to recuperate with their youth groups. Bonding with new friends is great, but bonding with your own youth groups is also important! They are all looking forward to their afternoon!
Thursday our squads will head out for another full day of work. Their relationships with their homeowners have developed so much more as they make progress on their worksites. These participants are doing amazing all around!
Please continue to pray for our squads as they finish out their week. Also, continue sending ServeMail so they see your support. Hope you all had a great Wednesday and had a half day yourself!
Blessings,
Olivia and Jackson
Knoxville – Tuesday
Happy Tuesday!
This morning, our squads went out to work on their houses bright and early. They were eager to keep working and making a difference. It started to rain but it quickly cleared up for the crews. The squads continued to work on the 14 houses and build relationships with the homeowners.
After returning from the sites, participants were treated to Swedish meatballs, which was a huge hit. After dinner, Speaker Ryan and the band lead an impactful service that spoke on being devoted to others. The offering was also taken up during the service and a total of $543.35 was raised. It is truly a blessing to receive such an amount that will be put to the hurricane relief effort in Puerto Rico.
Tomorrow, the squads have a half day. They will work on houses in the morning and have the afternoon off to enjoy Savannah and Tybee Island. Pray for safe travels and fun adventures!
Make sure to keep support everyone at the project by sending them ServeMail. Participants and leaders alike love to see a sweet message of support!
Truckin’ on a Tuesday,
Jenna & Sam
Fair Bluff – Tuesday
Hey, hey it’s Tuesday, and it has been terrific!
Despite the intense heat and seemingly long duration of time spent working yesterday, participants woke up motivated and ready for action. They filled up their coolers with lots of ice, grabbed the bottles of water, and loaded up on the vans.
We were blessed to experience a fantastic shift in weather today. The humidity levels were much lower and there was even a swift, ongoing breeze that kept the volunteers motivated.
Both our band and speaker were out and about visiting sites. The band even bought popsicles for everyone working! They were all so excited.
On Monday, members from the Charlie squad reported sharing the gospel with a child who lived in the home that they were working on. He decided to accept Christ and the squad prayed with him. Yesterday, they returned to the home to begin working and saw him up and reading his Bible. Our God is so good!
Early on in the project, we were very concerned with the number of bottles of Water and Gatorade that we had collected. Yesterday we received several cases on both and now have more than enough bottles of water to supply the participants for the rest of the week. The community has been endlessly generous and we are all extremely grateful.
Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witness both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Tonight, Thomas challenged us to get out of our own Jerusalem. And to allow God to led us to the right place and share with the right people. It was an insanely powerful time of worship and several people were moved to repentance.
Tomorrow is our half day and everyone is so excited. Several groups are planning to go to Myrtle Beach while others are thinking of going to see a movie! It is going to be a great day. Please pray for a safe time for everyone and even that we may have opportunities to share our story with whomever we come in contact with.
We are halfway through our project, and could definitely use some encouragement. Send some ServeMail! We would love to hear from you!
Check in with us tomorrow!
In Christ,
Jack & Alexis
Fort Wayne – Tuesday
Hello from a Tuesday in Fort Wayne !
Today our squads headed out for their second day on sites. They were excited for more work and fellowship with one another.
They all made a lot of headway on their projects and grew closer to their homeowners! The relationships they are building will never be forgotten. One squad’s homeowner let them pick Mulberries from his bush and another homeowner bought their squad afternoon pizza! They are so grateful we are here and we are so grateful for their warm hearts. Our students are being wonderfully impacted while making a true impact on a community.
This evening is our concert of prayer. Our students will be putting their faith out in the open for God. This was an awesome opportunity for them to grow their relationship with Christ or begin one in general. Speaker Brandon reminded the students that their offering amount is not what matters but what matter is that they are cheerful givers. He also reminded us that Jesus made the ultimate offering. It was a very powerful experience. God was clearly at work during our service tonight.
Tomorrow our students will have a half day of work and the rest of the day off. They really have earned their half day!
Please continue to pray for each participant this week. We all know how hard it is to continue working after a break! Send your love and support through ServeMail to help them persevere through this hard but exciting week. Praying you all had blessed Tuesday.
Your Summer Staffers,
Olivia and Jackson
Fair Bluff – Monday
Hi again from all of us in Fair Bluff,
It is Monday and Monday means it is time to work. We began our morning with an essential breakfast and some encouragement from our PC, Joe Monk. Joe reminded students why we are here this week and encouraged them to seek opportunities to share their own, personal story.
Despite the intensely high temperatures, squads were able to work as a team to get the large, introductory pieces of their projects. This week squads will be working on both roofs and wheelchair ramps. Additional projects include a few sites on the campus of West Columbus High School.
An exciting element to our day was a visit from Matt Bennett, a reporter from WWAY TV (Wilmington). He spoke with several students and the homeowner’s son from the combined squads Uniform and Victor. The students did a great job sharing why they are here this week and why they enjoy Mission Serve! Check out the full article here!
Another fantastic part of today was being able to hear that several of the squads were able to meet their homeowners. Furthermore, other squads also reported getting to speak with several locals within the community who were interested to see what these students were doing. What a great opportunity to share the love of Christ in a practical way.
In the evening we experienced another phenomenal worship experience. The band played an eccentric set that really caused our hearts to be focused on the presence of the Holy Spirit. Our speaker Thomas dared everyone at the project to trust God. He provided several stories from his life where he had to trust God. He also invited a guest speaker to come and share their story of trusting God continually.
We have been so blessed to have such a great start to the week and expect to see God in so many other ways this week. Please continue to think and pray for us. Also, continue to encourage everyone as well as reminding them to DRINK WATER by sending ServeMail.
Your Summer Staff,
Jack & Alexis
Fair Bluff – Sunday
Welcome back!
It is Sunday in Fair Bluff and we are already having a blast. We started off the day the best way that we know how by attending local churches in the surrounding area. The community has been extremely supportive and welcoming. Each squad was served a delicious meal and encouraged by how dedicated these churches are to the mission we are carrying out this week. These churches will also be delivering lunches to the squads each day. We are so grateful!
This afternoon consisted of many important activities. We all wore our Mission Serve t-shirts today and took photos with our church and as an entire group. Additionally, members within each squad took on leadership role in order to work as a well-oiled machine. Our important positions consist of a Medic, Chaplain, Break Master, and Reporter.
In the evening, Thomas centered his message around Galatians 5:13-14 and challenged us by asking us how we will use the freedom that we have in Christ. This week we have the perfect opportunity to love and serve others and he ended our time together by daring us to do so.
We finished the evening with lots of basketball being played in the gym, devotions with church groups, and much action at the Mission Serve promo table. The real work begins tomorrow and we could not be more thrilled.
Please continue to pray for our project that everyone will be safe and that we all share the love of Christ in a practical way.
Also, don’t forget to write ServeMail to out participants.
Stay cool out there,
Jack & Alexis
Fort Wayne – Monday
Marvelous Monday from Fort Wayne!!!!
Today was the first day on sites! This morning we had our Great Sendoff. We sent our groups off with games, water balloons, candy, and bubbles! The winner of our morning game was the Foxtrot squad. They won popsicles being delivered to their worksite! All of our squads worked very hard on their roofs, ramps, and paint sites.
Once our participants returned, they showered, ate, and were ready for worship! Brandon preached on trusting God. He preached from Psalms 125. We will find God is faithful in everything that happens in life. God is good all the time!!!
Tomorrow, our participants will head out for their second day on worksites. We will also have the concert of prayer and offering for their hurricane relief for Puerto Rico.
Please continue to pray for our participants and keep them in your hearts. Also, show your support through sending ServeMail.
Hope you all had a blessed Monday!
Your Summer Staffers,
Olivia and Jackson
