SYATP 2005

This morning over 60 students from Plant gathered around their flag pole to pray for their school their community, and their world. I had the great priviledge of being present with these great students, doughnuts (spelling?) in hand.

To be honest I was so blessed to witness about 15-20 students join the group that hadn't in the previous years. To say that race isn't an issue in the south, in Tampa, in our community, in our church would be wrong. However, at the foot of God it doesn't matter. What is our call then? How do we become a united body of Christ where standing in prayer doesn't need to be an exclusive event - where everyone can feel welcome. What about the church - the most segregated place on a Sunday AM- how do we figure it out??

One thing I do know is that many of the students felt moved by the recent events that have happened in Mississippi, Alabama, and Lousiana - to be a source of standing at the pole today.
How is it in pain we can be united? How is it in pain we learn wisdom, that's what your word says.... I suppose the cross is a good example of that.

It was a good morning.
Lord draw them closer to each other and closer to you...

Untill the Kingdom comes

Thoughts from the Summer- South Dakota

PCPC YOUTH : I know what you did last summer part 2-South Dakota
As our little prop plane flew into the small rural township of Rapid City I could see the Badlands. These primitive rock formations bring out a sense of reverence and fear all at the same time. The Badlands are rightly named, as the jagged ridge peaks that rise above the canyon are as easily dangerous as they are breathtaking. Our middle school SET South Dakota group visited the Badlands before the they even got to work in the community. What we witnessed at this state park would become a microcosm for our week’s adventure.

The South Dakota trip was a good service/mission trip. Students were engaged in the community helping serve alongside local ministries in the area and partnering with other youth from Minnesota. One group of students worked in a local program for families in needs. Our students spent the mornings playing with the children from these families, and helping prepare their meals as well as meals for families that were in need of financial assistance and could not necessarily afford 3 meals a day for their family. Students spent time serving in assisted living facilities, spending time with residents – taking them for walks and on a picnic. Other students served the local church, doing much needed paint jobs and restoration, as well as preparing food and serving in at the local homeless shelter. Students got their hands messy, saw the need, and jumped into help.

The most remarkable thing that happened on this trip is what happened to the group itself, or shall I say what God formed in and through them. The question of the night was, "Why do you think God brought you here?". Little did I know that this was the moment when we would all chose to become a community.

Throughout that night students shared their thoughts on why God had brought them thousands of miles to serve the vulnerable and the poor. In those moments we were family. The group listened intently to each other, encouraged and supported one another, hugged each other, and gave (everyone) permission to be emotional and cry. We were doing life together in that room at that moment. That room was our safe place for our community to share hopes, dreams, fears, failures, successes, and pain. It may have had nothing or everything to do with South Dakota itself, but the students and leaders in that room that night knew that whatever it was it was about, God was drawing a group of individuals closer to each other and closer to Himself.
Much of our adventure to South Dakota was amazing. Students served, people felt loved, present needs were met in those moments, and our group was witness to God’s wonders – both the Badlands and the experience in the room that night. What impacted the students most was their new found concepts of service, trust, pain, friendship, and hope that God showed them through each other.

It was an amazing trip that I was privileged to be apart of. I remember lying in bed that night, after this incredible moment that I had only prayed for in the past 2 years, and I remember feeling overwhelmed. As I stared up at the rafters unable to sleep all I could whisper was, "You have overwhelmed me God, you have overwhelmed me." What a great feeling.

Thoughts from the Summer - Mexico

PCPC YOUTH: I Know What You Did Last Summer Part 1 – Mexico
The group sat in darkness looking over the community. It was 11pm and the only light striking the night was the little lights from the shack houses clinging to the mountains before us. The question to our mixed group of 25 was "What is your impression of what you have witnessed today?" Being our first day in Mexico I was unsure of what their response would be, but was reminded of God’s hand in it all when they opened up to group.

I am taken by the poverty
I am overwhelmed
I see God here
I understand how blessed I am
I do not feel worthy of such an experience
I am scared
I am tired
I didn’t think it could really be this bad
I am hopeful
I am excited

As we hiked down the hill in the dark, with the dogs barking and the Spanish music creating a contagious beat, I knew that this was going to be a good week.
We did many things in Mexico – worked with children in the community and the orphanage, ran a weeklong VBS, learned about Mexican poverty, and helped construct homes for needy families in the community. These experiences impacted the students and the leaders on great levels. We saw the progression of labor as we hauled buckets of sand and gravel up very long, steep, and unsafe hills to create cement for what would be the foundation of a home. Students laid bricks for walls, constructing a roof to keep a family safe and secure, and were willing to work with a shaky retaining wall that fell anyway….all these things were works for the Kingdom and I was so incredibly proud for the physical labor that the students putt into it all. Now families will get a new start at life with homes that will last them for generations. Who knows the moments that the Mexican children will remember the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and apply that story – which we acted out on a make-shift VBS stage- to their lives. It was surely a blessing to be apart of that great work.

My personal hope, as a Christian on her faith journey, is that we were many things in Mexico- that perhaps, even for one or two moments we were Christ to these people. That within our constructing and soccer playing with the children we listened, we learned, we challenged, we reached out of our comfort zones and were present in the need that was right in front of us even if it wasn’t what we expected it to be. That perhaps in it all we stood silent for a moment and allowed God to touch us and speak to us about Mexico and the world and His children – all of them old and young. That is the core of a Experience Trip- that is why we choose to spend the summer away with students who are eager to experience something more then the ordinary.
The truth is that each student and leader on the Mexico 2005 trip had one of those moments; some I personally witnessed and others I only heard about – but hopefully those moments will be the ones that impact them forever; when they came into contact with the Living God. They are an incredible bunch and you should be extremely proud of them. They all have stories of their own – please ask them, as I know they will do their best to share the experience with youth. We all know that stories of witness, service, life, and God are too good to be kept to ourselves – it’s the Gospel.

Homecoming

Homecoming....

Where I grew up there was no real notion of Homecoming. The local High Schools - rivals at that, Maloney High and Platt High, would do battle on the football field Thanksgiving morning in the middle of town in a highly attended event called the Turkey Bowl. I suppose for High School football it was as good as it was going to get in Connecticut.

The Turkey Bowl gave people a chance to gather on one of the most communal days of the year- Thanksgiving. And what a perfect time to get everyone together- current students, alumni, parents, strangers - from both schools. There wasn't a dance attached to it, but there was the afternoon runs to the orchard for apple cider and cinnamon donuts and wool blankets were the thing to have - late November Meriden Ct can be blistering.

But now I head over to the field on late Friday afternoons to see the Panthers battle x____homecoming rival. This past weeks game was pretty good. There is much Panther pride to be found in South Tampa- and this last games could be the epitome of community here on the Peninsula.

The dance - I heard, "It was fun, it was hot, it was the best time, it was ok, i'm glad i didn't go, i wish i went." -common responses for a school dance. What if instead of a dance there was one big school bowling night, or baseball game, or concert, or donut run - hmmm perhaps I should bring it up to student council.

As youth leaders we have been talking about having all you ladies bring any of the dance dresses that may have had in the past that you wouldn't mind parting with and bring them to the church so other girls can wear them. *Kinda like when you go to your girlfriend's closet to see what you can nab - but with more girls and more dresses. That way you all don't need to spend booku bucks on the gowns ....or we can give them away to girls who really need them and can't afford them. Let us know what you think......Fellas maybe we can do the same with you?? Although i think many of you may only have the 1 suit - and hey that's alright also.

EVENTS:
See you at the Pole - tomorrow am - 6:40am @ Plant - be there or be square (or sleeping)
**For Middle School I believe that it is 8:15 and for other High Schools 1/2 hour before school starts.

Sunday - Youth Community/ youth group - will be playing ultimate Frisbee. Meet at the church at 5pm - dinner at the church following.

Isaiah Project - starts this Sunday. Look in the mail for your letter and calendar.

Blessings to you all on this great day
Melissa