Some recap of my own

Well everyone is in bed here on our last night in Arizona and I am up writing. I wanted to share a few things before we get on the plane later today and head back to our "normal" lives.

First, since no one gave you a recap of Friday nights basketball game, I guess I have to. We were challenged by the A team, the three construction guys for ARM for the Rez and their friends. Since Tim can't let a challenge go, we were stuck playing them. So on Friday we went to the Globe park to play, outside, in the cold, in the wind, against a team that was 30-2. Tim, Michala, Harry, Nicole, Nick, Josh B, Josh S, Chris, Zac, and yours truly all signed up to play. Well the first game didn't go too well, but Tim couldn't let it go so we played again. Down 2-1, and with three quick puffs of the inhaler, I ended the game, hit three quick baskets and Kings took the lead. Late in the game, with it all tied up and needing to win by two, I saw my chance and hit from behind the three point line to seal the win. Oh and some of the other guys made some shots along the way too, almost forgot to mention that. So today I've been in serious pain all day. I just may be too old for this after all....

On to the good stuff...

Today we were able to work in another house. The team did a great job with the electrical work this morning. In the afternoon we were planning a
Title shopping but got a call from the ARM staff to see if we could help move some rocks without compliant the whole team piled in the van and off we went. We've just completed a movie night, devotions and prayer. It was a blessing to hear how God has used them this week and how they have ministered to each other. This has been a great week and I have been truly blessed by being a part of it all. I can't wait to see what God has in store for these 13 phenomenal young men and women next in their journey with Him. It is going to be amazing.

Well, that's all for now. We may get a chance to blog on our trip home so check back for some more. See you all back in NJ soon.

God bless,

Jack

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More day 10 pics

We left a little surprise for the A-Team



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Day 10 Recap from Miss Stow

Wow our time here in Arizona went by so fast.  It feels like just yesterday we were meeting at TKCS to head to the airport and tomorrow we will be heading to the airport to head home.  The kids were asking last night if we could stay for another week and as much as we would love to, I think Jack and I are ready to give you guys back your kids.  

What an amazing group of kids!  The complements never stopped and that truly says a lot.  Thank you for raising such great kids.  Jack and I were excited for this group of kids and how God would use them on this trip.  They did everything with out complaining, even today when we came back from working and they were told that we would be leaving to go shopping and our plans changed and we were needed over at ARM.  The kids got into the van and worked hard moving rocks for the bridge and sorting school supplies for their backpack ministry.  

It has been such a privilege getting to work side by side with these kids and also getting to observe them this week.  I had such a great time working with the girls in installing the windows and working with the guys today installing the ceiling fans as well as the many other things we did this week.   Watching their eyes light up when the kids came on the bus for the first time and how they played with the kids and just showing them love.  

Many of us overcame fears; bugs, heights (Zac, Becca, and I all ended up on the roof yesterday and made it back onto the ground in one piece), and even just how to minister to the kids we would come in contact with.  I'm sad to see us pack up and leave but I know that the people we worked with, the stories we have to share, and the memories we've made will be with us forever and will be a reminder of how God used each and everyone us on this trip.  See you all tomorrow.  Goodnight and God Bless from Arizona.

Danelle

Day 10 pics

Working on Faye Hinton's house. Faye is the children's minster for ARM who we worked with every day on the bus.

The view from the hills above Faye's house. Notice the snow capped mountains. That was all from a storm we had overnight.

The team up on the top of the mountain.

On our hike today I found this cross someone had cut out of a petal of the prickly pear cactus. It was very unexpected and very cool.


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Day 9 recap

Today we finished up our tasks at the house in Bylas, came in a little early and then played a couple of epic basketball games against Maciah and his crew. Our bloggers today are Erin, Lindsey and Josh Savidge.

First Erin...
Well this trip is not at all what I thought it would be. As much as I would have liked things to go my way, as usual God had other plans which included the death of my Yiayia (grandmother in Greek). It was hard for me to make the choice to stay, but I felt that God had put me here for a reason and I wanted to know what it was. Unfortunately that has been the hardest part -- figuring out why I'm here. Maybe God will choose to tell me why but so far He hasn't told me yet. Because of this I've found it hard to find a purpose in my work. Today I felt like I couldn't do anything good work-wise, and yesterday I had trouble finding a purpose with the little kids. It's different then what it was two years ago and I know that without the support and encouragement of my friends and family I would not have made it through this week, and I thank and praise God for them. Erin Panagotopulos

And now Lindsey...

Okay so on Tuesday, we went to Hallelujah Square. That was the best day for me. I got to play with so many little kids. Names that I can remember are Aaron, Jeron, Worm, Nicholas, and most of all Antoinette. Antoinette was this little girl, most adorable thing in the world, who looked like a real life version of Dora the Explorer. No joke. Hair and all. She was just the cutest thing. As soon as I went up to talk to her when I got off the bus, she gave me a huge hug. It was kind of confusing at first because I was thinking, how could this little girl who doesn't know me want to run up and hug me? So, I walked around and played with her and we grouped up with the other little guys and played duck, duck, goose. It was an intense game. By the end, I was exhausted from chasing the little guys around. Antoinette, as she got off the bus, told me that I was her friend and that she loved me. It made my life that this little girl thought so highly of me and that I was able to bring a short amount of joy into her life. -------Lindsey Whitbeck.

And finally Josh...

Hey guys, today was pretty intense. We finally completed the roof of the house we were working on and though we didn't have Bus Ministry, we all still had a great time. After all the construction we all played Apples to Apples and then got to play play basketball with the A-Team. It was a pretty fun day but bittersweet because it's the last day we'll see Machiah before he leaves for Marine training. It was really cool to finish up all that we've worked so hard for and then get to enjoy playing with everyone. This whole week has been fantastic because not only did I get to see all the people I connected with last time, but I also got to meet other great people and connect with even more kids. I thank God for the opportunity and pray for Machiah, the A-Team, the ARM staff and the people we served. Josh Savidge

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Day 9 pics

The team on the bridge at the ARM property.




Finishing the roof at the house in Bylas



Our game against Maciah and his crew. Oh how you'll hear about this!!!



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Day 8 Recap

Today we continued at the construction site trying to close in the house. It a

So was the last day of children's ministry, which is kinda sad. Today we are going to hear from Nicole, Nick and Josh B. I hope you enjoy their reports.

First from Nicole...

Well today was very interesting and very special to me in many ways from working hard at construction to playing with a bunch of kids in the afternoon. While working at the construction site I was praying for God to bless our hands and feet while we put in nails and screws. While we do little things like that it can cause such a greater blessing for the people. Just as I watched my team work it felt so great to see the passion to help and God's presence just surrounding us and keeping us safe. As we were with the kids in the afternoon it broke my heart to look into the eyes of the kids and see the hurt and pain these kids go through everyday of their lives. I pray each day that these kids find what everyone needs and that is, Jesus to fill our hearts and to complete our lives. Nicole Figueroa :)

Now Nick...

Nick here! Today stood out among all the rest mainly because of the opportunity I got to relate with the kids. In the previous days, I served more in the activities within the bus instead of out playing with all of the kids in anything they wanted to do. Fortunately, all of the kids today were very energetic and they were out playing dodgeball. I met a child that impacted me more so than the rest of them in the past week, his name was Daniel. At first, he just wanted to play on his own, but soon after the game started, he was by my side playing as my teammate. The moments when he held on to me and tug me around brought me a certain joy that I hadn't yet experienced, it was definitely something I valued greatly in him. Most of the children on the site have gone through many different situations that keep them from approaching us, but he was more than eager to come along side of me and become my "best buddy", as he called me. I have never been more impacted from a kid before, let alone on a missions trip/Christian gathering. There was also a kid named Limmy who was a lot like Daniel, kind and sociable. This was easily my favorite part of the children's ministry and probably of the trip itself. I thank God greatly for this particular opportunity and I'm blessed that He could use me within this outreach. I pray that both Daniel and Limmy will be affected by God's grace through the lessons A.R.M provides and they will experience the grace God will provide through the next teams that help to serve. It was hard to let go of these kids, but hopefully I will be able to encounter these two on the next trip!

Now back to you Josh Beauchamp...

This is Josh Beauchamp coming in live from Vida e cafe, I will be talking about what I've been doing for the past two days. Yesterday we started with construction on a house in the town of Bylas, we finished putting up the siding, and I started saw-zawing a window, but I realized that the saw blade was to short so I spent the majority of the rest of the time looking for a way to change the blade with a longer one. In the afternoon we did some more children's ministries. During our time with the kids, Tim Renzi, Chris Savarese, and myself let three little girls play basketball on our backs, I'm not exactly sure who won because we switched so many times. The one girl who stuck out to me the most was a girl named Persia, what stuck with me was how good she was at basketball before we gave her the rides. The next day (today) we started off construction, and Zac Betz and I spent the day using a hand saw to cut out the bottom parts of all the door parts in the frames in the house. I ended the day with even more children's ministries, and today I did our crafts. Our craft was making kaleidoscopes, and I spent the whole time making those, seeing all the children's faces light up when they looked through the kaleidoscopes was truly enlightening for me. That's all for now. This is Josh and Nick signing off.

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