
Day 1- Sunday morning came all to
quickly, as we woke up for breakfast around 7:30 a.m. As service would be
starting in 3 hours, we didn’t have much time to clean up our sleeping gear and
tidy up the sanctuary (which became our permanent sleeping area). At 10:15 the
service started, and we had the privilege of worshipping along with the praise
team as well as listening to various church members preach during the service.
Throughout this time, we also mingled with the church folk and got to know them
better-- saying hello, shaking hands, and hugging. Overall, it was a wonderful
experience. The love and appreciation that everyone in the church felt for each
other was evident and welcomed. Following the service, we had lunch with some
of the church members and learned more about the history of the church. Truly,
the church was established through God’s grace. When the founding members
didn’t have the money they needed, they received a miraculous series of
donations totaling close to $200,000.
After
eating lunch, it was time to prepare for the week. First would be prayer
walking and giving out flyers to advertise for the block party we would be
hosting. We set out to walk for around two hours, but it was difficult to walk
in the blistering heat. However, we all pushed through and persisted through
the heat to spread as many flyers as possible. As we walked around local
neighborhoods, we not only handed out flyers but also had the opportunity to
pray for some of the people we encountered. One instance stands out in my mind-
a woman who was laying down in the park asked us to pray for her and her two
children, so that she would be able to provide for them. Following this instance, something changed
inside me. I began to ignore the heat and sweat on my body as just one thing
became clear in my mind- we had to reach as
many people as possible. We continued to walk around the neighborhood and
ultimately gave out almost all of our flyers.

Day 2- Monday-
the big day! We all woke up Monday morning mentally preparing ourselves for the
day’s plans. Following a filling breakfast of rolls and gravy, eggs, and
yogurt, we all headed outside to do some yard work in the church’s backyard. There
were a variety of tasks that needed to be done, ranging from log splitting and
weed whacking to digging up piles of woodchips and weeds. For the most part,
the majority of us decided to arm ourselves with pitchforks and tackle or
adversaries- the giant piles of woodchips that littered the yard. Working as a
collective group, we managed to transport all of the woodchips to one central
pile in only two hours (at a cost though, as the work was exhausting).
Finishing our work just before lunch, we ate a simple meal of subs and chips
before preparing for the block party. With only a few hours to go, we worked on
perfecting our responsibilities for the evening. Late in the afternoon, we
listened to a church member talk about a very important topic- the significance
of the Word in our heart. Afterwards, we ate a quick dinner of tacos and chips
before setting up for the bloc party. Around 6 p.m., kids started to trickle in
to the block party. First registering for VBS, the kids moved from game to game
as they worked to get prizes from the prize table. Working the magic table was
one of the most fun and fulfilling experiences I’ve ever had. One girl,
Madelyn, came over at the beginning, and after seeing one simple trick she was
hooked. She stayed at the table for the rest of the evening. 


Day 4- Wednesday.
This was the one day of the week where we had the chance to explore St. Louis. We started off the morning by practicing the
skit for VBS in the evening. Then we spent a few hours at “The Loop” which is a
shopping district. There we at lunch at a yummy restaurant called the Fritz. We
all enjoyed root beer floats and a hearty meal. Afterwards, we went to the City
Museum and had a blast running the various exhibits. We returned late in the
afternoon and again prepared some more for VBS. By this time, the kids started
opening up and we were able to see small bits and pieces of their
personalities.