We're Back!

It's been a wonderfully tiring week in West Virginia!  Our humble crew of 12 accomplished a great deal these last several days and we can't wait to share it with you!  Tomorrow, Sunday July 17, come see what NSCC has done for the wonderful people of Appalachia.  The morning service begins at 10:30...don't miss it :)

In the mean time (and if you can't make it to church), here's a little preview of our week:

Sunday:  Arrive at ASP in Harts, WV.  Introductions and dinner followed by work site assignments and supplies overview.  First time hearing that we will be working without any professional help!  AHHH!  Brandon's construction background will help his crew get the job done and Jen, with unwavering confidence, tells her crew, "no worries, we've got this!"

Monday:  Both crews travel to their respective work sites and meet the families they will be serving!  The Jen Crew will be replacing band joists and putting up siding.  The Brandon Crew is to level and finish a hallway flooring and replace the roofing.  Diving right in, both put in a hard days work!
Highlight - Jen's crew gets a crash course on the all powerful "SAWZALL!"

Tuesday:  Settling into the routine.  Getting to know the 3 other church teams at the ASP center and making new friends.  A few troubles with scheduling and food shortages can't keep us down!  Another hard days work and we're feelin fine...
Highlight - Austin rescues puppy from a deep hole under the house!

Wednesday:  Progress is a bit slow due to new supplies failing to arrive, but spirits are high and there's always work to do!  J Crew is rocking the learning curve and loving hanging with their work site family and the many dogs and cats that live there ;) B Crew has gotten "in" with their work site family and have succeeded in eating lunch with them (after 5 weeks, they're the first!).
Highlight - A "warm fuzzies" wall has been erected with baggies for each person to receive notes of encouragement from fellow team members.

Thursday:  Productive day roofing for B Crew and J Crew has begun siding.  Things are looking up!  Big plans to finish strong.  So far, everyone has been getting along very well and already deemed this mission trip "one of the best!"
Highlight - BBQ and swimming at nearby lake for crews and their work families!

Friday:  Final day, working hard to get as much done as possible.  J Crew have completed two full sections of the house!  B Crew only able to roof half due to supply shortage :(
Highlight: Josh Adkins, age 12 and the only child in the B Crew work site fam, has accepted Christ!!!!  Hallelujah!

Everyone arrived home safely this evening thanks to your prayers and contributions.  Thank you to everyone! Yet another successful week of service by the NSCC Mission Team!  To God be the glory!

Wednesday Update

Hello from the missions field! It is day 5 of our trip, but only day 3 of our ASP adventure. Our team has been split into 2 working groups, each with their own house projects for the week. Brandon's group (daniel, josh, nick, adele, josiah) has been roofing, flooring and putting up flashing. Jen's group (sasha, sarah, austin, james, alex) has been installing vinyl siding, building new band joists, and resisting the temptation to slack off to play with one of the many puppies and kittens at their site.

Despite the challenges of working in 95 degree heat, both crews have been enjoying this wonderful new experience! Each day we get to know our site families better and have felt blessed by this opportunity to share our lives with them this week.

If you've been wondering why your calls to our team members (to pump them for more juicy trip details, no doubt) have been unsuccessful, it's because the mountainous area we're staying in has no cell service. Up until last night, we also thought it was without wifi capabilities - thank goodness we were wrong!

Stay tuned for more updates tomorrow.

In Christ, Jen

Almost there!!

Can't believe were are only 4 days from departure!  The last couple weeks have been insane with summer activities, but we have finally arrived at the pinnacle of the NSCC summer programs...the Appalachia mission trip!  Everything has led up to this, guys.  All your hard work and fund raising will enable us to impact a destitute area of our own country in the name of Jesus!  THIS IS GONNA BE GREAT!

Family and friends: Please remember to pray for us!

Don't forget our final meeting tomorrow: 4pm @ NSCC

When???

Ok, so some of you have been asking me what the dates are of the trip...hmmm.  Not a good sign!  The dates of the trip are July 9-16, (we're leaving on Saturday the 9th in order to make it to WV by 2pm on Sunday).  No more not knowing the dates of you're own mission trip! It looks really really bad!

I love you guys.

B

Checking in...

Howdy Missionaries!

Time is certainly flying and before you know it, we'll be packing the cars and heading to WV!!  How's everyone doing with the fund raising letters?  I've begun to hear good things, which is very encouraging.  Remember, your letters will be your main funding source.

Be sure to check out the calendar regularly and also look into the new online giving option!  Paperless is soooo the way to go ;)

Talk to you soon!

B

Reminder...

Don't forget our team meeting this Sunday in the youth attic after the congregational meeting.  See you there!

Lincoln County

We've been assigned a county!  We'll be working in Lincoln County, West Virgina.  Each group is assigned a center in their county as a "base of operations" which we won't find out specifics on for another couple weeks.  In the mean time, here's some facts about Lincoln:

Lincoln County, WV (census bureau)




Also, I just attended an ASP webinar online and learned all kinds of tasty goodness about our trip that I will share with you at our next meeting on the 15th.  By the way, there is a congregational meeting after church on the 15th, but we'll meet afterwards anyway, so count on around 12:30.  I'll send an email reminder as well.

LETTERS!!!  HAVE YOU MAILED THEM???!!?!?!!?!?!?!

Please don't put them off.  The longer you wait, the less inclined people will be to give (because the diligent people got their money first!)  It's science people!!

Calendar Updates

Hey guys and girls,

The calendar tab has been updated with all of the dates for the upcoming team meetings.  Our next one is May 15!  I'll send out an email reminder, but be sure to check out the calendar...

B

Hammer skills?!

Hey guys...

Since we'll be doing a lot of construction on this trip, I figured I help us out with a list of valuable do's and don'ts. Here we go...

DO:

1. Buy your tools before the day of our departure and practice! We will have a practice construction day with the whole team, but seriously, who wouldn't want to show up with mad hammer skills?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDznJMSoAoQ

2. Know the difference between a phillips and a flat head. Say what? Exactly.

3. Ask your local hardware store to donate your tools! Be friendly and let them know what you're doing and why. You never know, you may end up walking away with not only your tools, but also a blessed heart!

DON'T:

1. Decide you stink at manual labor and plan on finding as many ways as you can to skip out! Each one of us on the team has been blessed with healthy and able bodies...let's use 'em!

2. Ask your parents to do #3 above! Laaaaaaame!

3. FORGET TO SEND OUT YOUR FUND RAISING LETTERS!!!! More on this to come...

HAHAHA...

Just a little laughter for ya today...

Don't forget the team meeting on Sunday! Check the calendar tab above for time and place...

Team Meeting around the corner...

Check out the calendar for our first team meeting date and time!!

One down...

Well done everyone who showed up for the pancake breakfast! I'll let you know soon how much you've each earned. You're hard work was well worth it ;)

Pancakes!!!

Alrighty crew, here we are mid-week and our first fundraiser is right around the corner! Those of you who can serve, will reap the first fruits! Here's what you need to know about Sunday:

Come on time! Be in the fellowship hall ready to start setting up at 9:30 sharp. We'll have a brief meeting beforehand to assign jobs

Skillets! We're making pancakes, sausages, and fruit. If you or someone you know has an ELECTRIC skillet, be sure to nab it before Sunday. The more the merrier!

Finally, bring your family and friends!

See you all Sunday!

Brandon

P.S. PLEASE let me know if you are not going to be there for all or part of the morning. Thanks!

Updates

Hey everyone! I've added a new section on the Appalachia Service Project. Be sure to check them out! Hope you're all having a great week...here's a cheesy cartoon to start your day:

Kick Off!!!

To the Chosen Few~

Welcome to the first installment of NSCC YG Missions 2011! If you're reading this, you have taken the first step on a powerful mission to do God's work in Appalachia's of West Virgina. Get excited because this will be one for the books! Imagine it:

You step out of the van in WV after a long ride of loud music, the sign game, Josiah snoring, Slim Jim's and Redbull and get a wiff of fresh mountain air! You've been preparing for months for what you know will be a rewarding week of hard work and changed lives and you can't wait to dig in! The sun is shinin, the houses need fixin, and the Lord is on your side...life doesn't get any better!

Back to NY. There's a lot to do before we sniff mountain air! First up is this website. Everything you need is before you. The tabs above will guide you as you seek out information regarding our destination, required forms, the fund raising calendar, and more. This is a blog, so feel free to comment, chat, and subscribe and encourage your family and friends to do the same!

Finally, thank you for committing to this trip. YOU are the reason the Kingdom of God spreads! May we all grow closer to Him through our service to others.

Blessings,

Brandon