MCC Student Ministries

home sweet home.

2011-07-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

We are now home... and reflecting, refreshing, and rejoicing. God was good. God has more in store for each of us. God must be honored.... we are thankful.

We will post some of the best of the best pictures this next week.... so keep checking back to check them out!

Airplane team reflections

2011-07-14T15:25:00.001-07:00

Team reflections on our flight home...

Lindsey
It was so good to return to Thailand, and see how God has worked in me since last time. I was also reminded how much I love these students; each of them is so special and makes me so proud.

Ali
I'm sad to leave my new friends in Thailand, the wonderful food, the laid back lifestyle, and Lindsey. I'm excited for the weather in SB, to see my family, to be in the AC at home, and for my bed!

Nathaniel
It's amazing how evident God's work and activeness is in Thailand, a country that is less than 1% Christian. I will always remember how extremely generous everyone was, especially the people we met in the leper colony who seemed to have so little to give.

Jordan
This has been a really good experience that will last a life time. I will miss Thailand and all of the friends I have made.

Austin
I can't believe that this trip is over; I feel as though it went by so fast, but looking back on it we did so much. I have really seen God over the past few weeks, in the people that we meet and also how all of us as a group grew. I am so thankful for this amazing experience!

Tanner
I can't believe our trip is over but it feels like it has been forever since we have been home. I'm going to miss the relaxed lifestyle of the Thai people and all of there smiles. A huge thanks to everyone who helped make this trip possible through financial support and prayer!

Lauren
This trip to Thailand has been some of the best two and a half weeks of my life. I have learned so much about myself and my peers and specifically that Gods love is so universal. Thank you so much for your prayers and financial support, we could not have done it without you!

Ben
What I'm going to miss most about Thailand is the relationships we made with the people we met throughout the trip. Everywhere we went we were warmly welcomed into their communities and shown great hospitality. You could really see God working through these people.

Brandon
This was definitely a life changing trip! I could feel God's presense through the kindness of the women of ALC, the joy of the people in the leper colony, and our work in OmKoi. I have learned to be more vulnerable and open and I can feel God's love and power working in my life. I thank God for this experience.

Brian
As this trip comes to a close I know I'm going to miss all the friends I made in Thailand but also all my friends that joined me from Santa Barbara on this awesome adventure. I'm probably only going to see these people only a couple times this next year as I go off to college and I can't imagine a better group of friends that I got to experience this trip with.

Aaron
I am never going to forget this incredible opportunity to serve God. What struck me more than anything during our time on the trip was the incredible kindness and generosity of the Thai People. I can't wait to return to share countless photos of the bright, smiling nation who's people so well reflected God's love. Thank you so much to everyone who allowed us to carry out this mission trip.

Lisa
My first trip to Asia and I was not disappointed. As with many other mission trips i have been on, the beauty of the Lord was shared in smiles of his children, through the brokenness yet deep faith of those in sad situations, in the laughter and songs of new communities of friends growing together, and in the SIMPLE things of the world. God was with us and took care of not just the team, but also for me as the leader in some cool ways that were not expected. I'm thankful for the pieces and people and effort and prayers and encouragement and finances that made this trip happen! I'm looking forward to see how we can now live out what was experienced in Thailand. To God be the Glory, now and forever.

Ryan
I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to be apart of this this trip. It's going to be strange to not be living with what must be the coolest group of high school students around. I'm going to miss it. We were family. We shared everything together: meals, beds, baht, laughter, joy, encouragement, and especially what God was doing in our lives and in the lives of the amazing Thai people we met. I don't think we could have experienced more in the time we had.

Tuesday - Leprosy Colony & painting leprosy colony church & completed bags from ALC women!!!

2011-07-12T06:35:00.000-07:00

pics

2011-07-12T06:09:00.000-07:00

pics continued

2011-07-12T06:03:00.000-07:00

pictures from the last week

2011-07-12T05:44:00.000-07:00

We got a surprise visit back to the women at ALC... and this also means we can load up pictures to share with you!!!! Enjoy them!!!!

Back in Bangkok

2011-07-11T08:54:00.000-07:00

We are back in Bangkok, but this time we are staying right downtown in the midst of alot of activity. Much different neighborhood than all of our previous stays. Karen Groot and her daughter Bethany and 2 nieces Mari and Kirsten joined up with us for dinner and worship tonight. This was a huge treat for our kids as they all bonded so much while we were with them at ALC. We had Korean BBQ for Aaron's birthday dinner along with a cake and all you can drink soda and all you can eat ice cream. Kids loved it.

Tomorrow we will go to BLS which is a leprosy colony here in Bangkok. We will visit patients in the hospital, sing to them, pray for them, and then head to their village where we will help paint their church, do crafts with the kids, and encourage the pastors who do ministry there.

So sorry we can't get our pictures onto the blog. Here is a link to a Facebook album that will give you a taste of our lives here...again, sorry that these pictures are the only ones we can get up since they were taken on the iPad.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150681205430567.693671.552105566&l=b9809fc68c

Everyone is doing well. Those who were feeling sick are feeling much better. Our team dynamics are really great!! God is good. Spiritual growth is happening. Love is shared. Joy is had.

Love to all. We are off to bed.
Team Thailand

Happy Birthday Aaron!!!

2011-07-10T21:27:00.001-07:00

Today is Aaron's 17th birthday. We love Aaron!!!

Flying from Chiang Mai to Bangkok today. Will stay at the Bangkok Christian guesthouse. Have a great Monday!

And on Sunday we....

2011-07-09T17:47:00.000-07:00

Ride elephants AND water buffalo!!!!! We are also going to learn to plow with water buffalo in the rice patty areas. They told us to wear flip flops so if we step in poo we can just wash our feet off. Haha. Wish us luck!

This evening is the Chiang Mai night market and also the pool here at the eco resort. Clean laundry is hanging in our bedrooms just like they do in Italy.

Again, can't get pictures up on the iPad, so we will be working on that. If you want to see some pictures from recent, check out Lisa Holmlund's Facebook.

Blessings!!!

Last full day in OmKoi - Friday

2011-07-09T03:16:00.001-07:00

OmKoi description
As a team, coming to OmKoi was what most of us were most nervous about. We were told this is where we would get Malaria or Japanese encipilitis or dunange fever. We were told it would be very different than life in Bangkok and Chaing Mai. We were told the people here didn't even speak Thai. We just found out that they started using actual thai baht just about 10 years ago. We expected squatty potties and no toilet paper and sleeping on cement and dusty floors. We expected super dusty blankets. More than one person on the team would have just voted to not come at all. We expected down pours of rain and the Mosquitos to be as thick as clouds always around us. We were told to bring huge rubber boots some can work and not get our feet wet. We were planning on working in conditions of 5 inches of thick and nasty mud and water.

The reality of our time here is different. we are staying on the property of a church that has a gate. We have the girls in one guest house with a kitchen, 2 western toilets, a ping pong table and even extra mattresses to put on top of our beds we have here. Boys are in a second house. All our meals are together in the girls larger house. Our boots are still brand new and in the plastic wrap.... It has only rained here once or twice and each time it didn't rain enough to have to change outfits or shoes. Each of us has only used the squatty potty once or twice our whole time here. The mosquitos are not too terrible and we aren't even really using the nets since our houses have screens on them to keep the Mosquitos out. We do put on bug spray twice a day and this seems to do the trick.

We are eating really good and Authentic thai food and having good old western cereal and nutella on toast for breakfast. There are pictures of the King and Queen everywhere here in Thailand. They are on every calendar, framed in large photos in each house. At the beginning of the movie we went to, the whole auditorium stands and is silent as listening to the kings anthem. It is very strange. Even when we were at the train station, the anthem played and everyone stopped why they were doing and stood in respect until it was finished.

Tonight we are going to do a dance party with the kids at the hostel where we are building the bathroom. We have glow sticks and are going to try our best to get music to play through the sound system. I have made about 150 chocolate chip pancakes to share with them. Our American kids are so excited.

The hostel is here in OmKoi because all the mountain towns don't have a school for kids past age 11. So all the mountain kids come here to OmKoi and they live in a hostel with a set of house parents. There are about 45 kids aged 9 through 19 at this hostel. One girl lives 3 hours away and she is only about 11 years old.

I was asking about marriage the other day and I was told that the woman proposes to the man. I asked how this happens and the response was "she prepares the pig". We were a bit confused, so I probed some more. I guess a woman has to raise a pig and present it to the man she wants to marry and they use the pig for the wedding meal. The whole village is invited to the ceremony.

The kids in town have loved the crafts we have brought and also playing soccer with us. Thankfully, the 7-11 here in town has everything our hearts desire.... Jello cups for Aaron, iced coffee for Lisa, ham and cheese flavored chips for Brian, fun-o cookies for Lindsey, chocolate milk for Ryan, starburst like candy for Lauren, Fanta soda in different flavors for Brandon and Nathaniel. Spray on Axe deodorant sadly was not what Ben and Ali both were hoping for in terms of more deodorant, however. Both decided to pass on that option.

The new bathrooms we are building are with concrete and bricks. There are 4 stalls on each of the two buildings with a metal roof. In the corner of each bathroom stall is a hole in the ground to collect the water from a hose of water that hangs down from the roof. This is how they shower and how we have been showering for most of our time here in Thailand. Majority of the showers are cold showers, which we don't mind. The weather is much cooler here than Chiang Mai. Bangkok was the hottest of any of the places we have been. Here in OmKoi we even cover up in the evenings with long pants or long sleeves.

Be sure to ask us about the different fruit we have been eating:
- dragon fruit which is pink and green on the outside and white with black specks inside.. Reminds me of kiwi
- butt fruit. Honestly, we don't know the name of it, but this is what it looks like when it is peeled and ready to eat... A bare booty.
- papaya
- mango
- rose apple - same texture as a bell pepper
- fried plantains
- small pinkish/ purple spiky fruit called

OmKoi on Thursday

2011-07-09T03:14:00.001-07:00

Day 10 devotional - Tanner (Thursday July 7)

Every day on our trip we have been doing devotionals centered around a key verse. Each of us on the team was asked to write one before we left the US. Our verse for today was Philippians 4:12-13 and it says this:

"I know what it is to be In need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in every situation, wheather well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through him who gives me strength".

I was asked to share my response to 3 questions pertaining to this verse so they are:

1. What has Thailand taught you about what you have?
Thailand has shown me what i have through the attitude of others. I see that the people that have so little seem to have the strongest faith. The challenge for me seems to be to rely on God even when I feel like I can take care of myself.

2. What Has Thailand taught you about being content?
This place has taught me a lot about being content. I have so much more than all the women ALC but they are still joyful and gladly accept us into their homes. Also, I realized that I dont need that much to feel fulfilled. I loved the way we lived and found peace living with so much simplicity.

3. Do you feel like God has given you strength in Thailand?
God has given me more courage then strength. I always was ok with doing the physical labor or having the energy to go play soccer with the kids, but I never really engaged spiritually. This has changed for me this on this trip and I have begun to be more open about my story and faith. I feel like it has has helped me make great strides in my walk with God. I also felt strength after a little small group made up of kids from california and missionary kids lived in community for a week together. This showed me that kids who live very different than me still go through the same struggles that i do.

OmKoi on Tuesday

2011-07-09T03:13:00.001-07:00

OmKoi Thoughts by Lauren and Lindsey
This morning we left the Eco hotel, got in vans and drove 4 hours to the gorgeous Karen village of OmKoi. When we arrived at our new homes, we were pleasantly surprised to find beds, fans, and windows with screens. After settling in and enjoying some tasty pad see yew for lunch, we headed to our building site. In these next four days we will be building a four stalled bathroom for a children's hostel. These kids are at this hostel because there is not school past 6th grade in their own villages, so they stay here in order to attend the school here. There are 42 kids ranging in age from 10 to 19, and they are cared for by a pair of hostel parents. The current bathroom is bamboo propping up sheet metal siding, there are two tiny stalls, and this is where all the kids shower, go to the bathroom, and do laundry. A group last week built the boys' bathroom, and we will be working on the girls'. Today we mixed cement and laid the floor of the bathroom. This evening we went back to meet the children at the hostel. We got to know them and asked each other questions. They were all so welcoming and interested in talking with us and practicing their English. Plans for tomorrow consist of laying the brick for the outside walls of the bathroom, which will take some precision and patience. Please pray for our time here, that we would be full of energy for working and spending time with the kids.

Culture shock...

2011-07-04T08:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight was one of our hardest and best debriefings we have had. We had the conversation about culture challenges and specifically cultural conflict. We wrestled through aspects of being in another culture and not realizing we were coming across as rude and pushy. We dealt with emotions of how the thai treated us and how our feelings were hurt because they were so blunt about the way we appear. We dealt with the frustration of wearing things or not wearing things (bracelets in our case that were significant to us with meaning attached), yet we didn't understand why it was such an offense to other thai Christians. I know that these conversations are what will change us in the long hull, but tonight we are tired. We ask for prayers for a few things:
- a few are starting to feel worn down with their health and bodies. Prayers for restoration.
- for our hearts as we all REALLY miss the Groots and our ALC friends in Bangkok. It was so so good to be with them and we loved our connections there!!
- for our new relationship with Youth For Christ who we are now with for the rest of the trip... That we would be able to grow in our friendship with them and that we would be able to encourage them here as well.
- for our time in OmKoi for the next 5 days. We leave tomorrow morning and go north to the Karen Hilltribes. We are nervous for getting malaria or some other disease. We are nervous about the living conditions. We are nervous that the only 7-11 in that area will run out of candy and soda for us. (they are special ordering more milk to 7-11 for our group so we can have cereal each morning. Funny but true.)
- for god to keep at work in our team and in us individually as we are on this trip. We have already noticed how we have grown together and we have pointed out individual growth in some members of the team that we see God working in.
- for the next 5 days as we won't be able to communicate too much with any of you. There really isn't any Internet connection in the town. You will have to wait to hear from us until we get back on Saturday.

In other news:
- we celebrated the 4th of July by going to 7-11 together tonight after dinner
- the pool here at the Eco lodge in Chaing Mai is so so fun. We have loved it today!
- we are getting air conditioning AGAIN tonight!!!!
- we are not taking the public bus tomorrow... We rented vans. With air conditioning.
- our average cost for dinner tonight was $3.15 For example, you can get about 6oz of grilled steak with a coleslaw and some fries, a 16oz glass of fresh squeezed juice, and two new water bottles all for $3.15
- we did laundry today... And we have both the guys and gals room strung with drying lines and clothes on them. It was funny to do debriefing with underwear just hanging around.
- they sell seaweed flavored lays here. The green bags here are nit the sour cream and onion like at home. Sometimes you have to learn the hard way.

Blessings on the week!!! Will write more on Saturday!!

In Chaing Mai

2011-07-04T01:06:00.000-07:00

We made it to Chaing Mai! The night train was awesome. We all loved it. We are staying at a nice resort tonight and have even heard fireworks here to celebrate the 4th of July here in Thailand. We are going to an HIV/AIDS orphanage that Lindsey had worked at 2 years ago for the afternoon. Here's a big shout out to my sister Linnea for her birthday!!!
Happy 4th!!!
Lisa

The Adventures of Aaron, Ben, and Ryan

2011-07-02T18:57:00.000-07:00

"Oh, this room? All of us?"

It's really dark and quiet in here...

"Did that guy just say 'change uniform?' "

"Ben, how did you tie those pants? Ours are huge!"

"Is this shirt going to be a crop top?"

wow these mats are really comfortable...

"Oh gosh, I forgot how ticklish my feet are. The hot towel does feel nice though."

Are they laughing at us? Yes...

"Wait, wait, wait where are they going?!"

"Did we just order an hour of sleepy time?"

what is going on right now?...

*teeheeheeehaaa*

-THUNK-

"Are they going to sumo wrestle us?"

*haahaateeheeha*

"Where is everyone else?"

its been like 10 minutes and nothing's happening...

"Hey guys there's other people trying to relax here, we should probably be quiet."

......*teeheeheeteeha*

"Wait, is that Lisa outside the curtain?"

"Guys is that you?"

"Yeah, have you changed yet?"

"What?! You take off your pants?"

"Yeah."

*heeheeeheehaaa*

okay, okay, be cool, they're coming...

i hope i don't get the guy... i hope i don't get the guy... i hope..... he's coming towards me...

Oh, this is actually going to feel good...

Whoa, how high are they working up my leg...

"Wow, how does Ben's leg do that?"

Is this lady really picking up her phone....

Oh gosh, that guy trying to crush Ryan's back....

hyeeeeee hyeeeeeeeee

*teeheeeheeheeehaaaaha*

"I sound like a broken accordion!"

"Look, look, look they're trying to bend Ryan's back in half!"

*HEEYHAAAAA oooooff*

*bahhaaahaahaateeeeheeeha*

Hmmm at least the beard rub feels good...

Wow I didn't know my hands could bend like that...

Hey, I'm actually relaxing now, that took awhile...

Is he just trying to make my hair really staticy...

"All done"

Aaahhhhhhh....

"Do we have to leave?"

"Do we get to wear these outfits home?"

"Wow, they're back with tea!"

"That was the most ridiculous thing yet... hope we get to do it again! So relaxing!"

New Pictures from the rest of week 1 in Thailand

2011-07-02T18:22:00.000-07:00

It's Friday!

2011-06-30T22:10:00.000-07:00

We do morning and evening devotions and worship each night in Thai and English together. It has been really cool worshiping with the same songs... in both languages. We are all taking turns sharing our stories with each other and it has been really encouraging to us to see how our stories are so different yet so similar.

This is our largest gathering space at ALC. It is a 5 story building that is only this wide. Our neighborhood is very busy with home markets everywhere selling sodas, candy, chips, and authentic thai street foods. We have a 7-11 just 4 buildings down, so we have also become regulars there. It's so awesome to get our 16oz slurpees for about 45 cents.

Goon, (shown here with Nathaniel and Jordan) is one of the main leaders at ALC. There are 6 women who work full time for ALC with their purse making business. Lauren and Lisa are staying in Goon's home.

For the past few years, the ALC women have been trying to figure out how to do a kids carnival for the neighborhood. SO, now that we are here, we have the man power to help them out! We are prepping all day today for the carnival. Ring toss, cake walk, bean bag toss, face painting, crafts... prizes. It will be a good time for all. Each American is paired up with a Thai partner for the stations.

In other News:

Last night was a much better night of sleep for most of us... so much cooler with the temperature that we actually used our sheets to cover up. We are thankful for Nyquil and fans. It rained REALLY hard in the middle of the night with thunder and lightening.... woke most of us up.

This morning we had curry, stir fried veggies, basil chicken, and pork and tofu soup for breakfast. For some reason, it has actually been fine to eat breakfast the thai way. No one has complained once about the food.

We are hanging around our neighborhood today during the day. We will go out and invite kids to come to the carnival when they get out of school. We are also getting some quiet down time / nap time in after lunch. Tonight, we are treating the women of ALC to go see Transfomers 3 in the movie theater. Of the 6 of the women, one son who is 10 years old, and a niece who is 15, only two women have been to the movies before. We are going to see it in Thai with English subtitles... kids don't know that yet, so it will be funny once the movie starts and they realize that it is in Thai! Oh, and there will be air conditioning, so all are excited.

More Pictures.

2011-06-30T03:31:00.000-07:00

There might not have been seatbelts, but we sure had fun...

Chicken and Pork Fried Rice was breakfast today.
AND it was the best fried rice I've ever had.

Yep. Open air sausage/ham chunk/bologna section of grocery store.

Doing Thai Dancing!

Ben was actually the best one at this...

A View of Our Life

2011-06-30T03:20:00.000-07:00

After our arrival to Bangkok, we stayed in a nice hotel with a great view of the city around us. We enjoyed the pool, sleeping in, Indian food for breakfast, and air conditioning.

Karl and Karen's daughter Bethany is hanging out with us for the week along with her two cousins, Mari and Kirsten. Bethany and Mari have both attended the International school here where Karl works. We met with other MK's who are here in Thailand... played lots of sports, heard each others stories, laughed, ate lots of food, etc.

One of the main ministries of ALC (where we are staying with Karen Groot) is working with Thai women in making purses and bags. We spend today at the market... designing and picking out fabrics.... yes, 6 hours of shopping. The guys are about done with shopping.

We have done ALL types of transportation... motorcycles, walking, taxi's, tut tut's, boats, airplanes, sky metro....

We have decided to do our devotions together in both Thai and English... it has been awesome to hear stories from both cultures that still speak to each others' hearts.

The Boat Taxi in downtown Bangkok is THE BEST way to see the city. So fun.

Can't figure out how to rotate... it's a typical shot of our time in the market today...

Photo update

2011-06-29T01:02:00.000-07:00

So bad news is that we can't load pictures from the iPad. My iPhone doesn't have international service. You will have to get pictures from my Facebook. So sorry.
Lisa

Ali Tros comments so far

2011-06-28T20:07:00.000-07:00

At the Japanese airport we all were open eyed and had dropped jaws. Some of us got sushi (no it did not wiggle) but it was soooooo cool! We met Lindsey there and our team was complete!
At the arrival to the airport in Bangkok, after we quickly went through customs, exchanging money, and getting all of our luggage, we were met by the missionaries Karen and Bethany Groot, and some of there friends. We all arrived safely to the hotel and went to our rooms. I slept very very well! And so did everyone else! Breakfast was great with some rice and some other mystery food that was great. It is hot and humid and beautiful here! We love you and miss you! Please keep us in your prayers.

Bangkok and sweaty!

2011-06-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

We made it. It is like 10:30am your time.. And maybe 1:30am here. Here is a quick recap of our last 24 hours

Words of wisdom about relationships from Brian Peters

1. Ok. Lisa. Here is my challenge for myself. At the next airport, I will start a conversation with a random girl my age.. I mean if I can.

2. Oh no, with the ladies, I don't play them, i charm them.

3. Lisa - Well, chances are pretty good that you will probably end up marrying a girl younger than you....
Brian - (interrupting) well, obviously.

Needless to say, the trip went quickly.

Thoughts from Brandon...
I Want to see a change in the way I handle stressful situations. I want to be able to trust in God and not be so worked up in my own fears and ideas about how a situation should work out. I also want to show the women at ALC, the people in the leper colony, the orphans, and everyone we meet that they are loved by us and more importantly, by God.

Other entertainment:
- oh my gosh. I forgot that I used to wear a kimono as a kid. - Ryan Adams

Completed bucket list item:
Ate Sushi in Tokyo, Japan

We tried to upload pictures but cant figure it out. Sorry. We will work on it tomorrow. Off to sleep in our sweat, as it is so hot here.

Everyone is great. We feel loved. God is good!

- Lisa.

Life of the American Teenager...

2011-06-26T13:33:00.000-07:00

This is a video that Aaron and Ben from our team put together. We showed it in church this morning... yep, Black Eyed Peas and all.... They loved it. This will be the video we show to kids and others in Thailand of what our life is like...

36 HOURS

2011-06-25T20:19:00.000-07:00

Just 36 hours until we will be on our flight leaving for THAILAND! These past 2 years of planning have FLOWN by! God is so so good and I am trusting in His great guidance as he helps to lead our team.

We have some fun things that will be coming up on the blog in the next few days such as:

team pictures of our departure
a video of our "a day in the life of an American teenager"
individual entries from team members
Bible verses that are speaking to us and ones we would love to share with you
Our best and worst reactions to new foods.... this should be nothing but 5 star quality entertainment for you....

Thank you again for praying us into this grand adventure!
In His Grip,
Lisa

TWO WEEKS TIL TAKEOFF!!!

2011-06-13T12:58:00.000-07:00

Our Thailand Mission Trip begins in T - minus TWO WEEKS! We are getting really excited about it. Our agendas are filled with:

last minute shots and meds
craft and game planning
meals while traveling planning
conversations with missionaries we will work with
Parent meetings
talking with Travel agents
making sure we are over Bronchitis
gazing at our awesome t-shirts that were made
making multiple "don 't forget" lists
planning youth group for while we are gone
getting ready for Jr. High camp the week before Thailand
Enjoying the most of our fatty American Foods
Praying.

You know, the usual list for prepping for a major Mission Trip. WE ARE STOKED! Thanks for praying for us as we head into this adventure. Once we are leaving Santa Barbara Soil, we promise to blog much more regularly.

Thailand Mission Team!

2011-03-02T18:45:00.001-08:00

Announcing our 2011 Thailand Mission Trip Team from Montecito Covenant Church! We will be traveling from June 27 - July 14 this coming summer and we are looking forward to what God has in store for us!!!

last roll of pictures from the Secret Sojourn.

2008-07-28T23:09:00.000-07:00

Monday adventures: Elephant Seals, Henry Cowell State Park (Redwood Trees), Alan the barista, hanging out with Liam's parents (and dog we all want to steal), and Santa Cruz!

Our Secret Sojourn is coming to an end...in just about 18 hours from now. We are all sad but so glad too. We had an amazing trip and time with each other, we just need our time at home now. We have not had alone time in 9 days... literally, unless you are in the bathroom. BUT, we have loved our trip too...and have grown a LOT.

We talked about the fear of failure, the fear of the future, the fear of death, and the Fear of the Lord. ALL of our talks have been challenging but exciting.

Our main theme verse was Isaiah 41:10
"Do not fear for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Some of our other favorites include:
Deut 6:13; 10:12; 31:12
Psalm 19:9; 111:10
Proverbs 8:13; 9:10; 10:27; 14:27; 15:33; 16:6; 19:23; 31:30
Isaiah 11:3
I John 4:18

Thanks for praying for us during our trip! See you at home!

pictures from the weekend.

2008-07-27T23:02:00.001-07:00

weekend update.

2008-07-27T21:50:00.000-07:00

To recap the last few days when we have not had internet to keep you up to date on our lives…

Friday morning – we left SunRiver, OR and after an 8 hour drive south, we ended up near the Bay Area where we took a tour at the Jelly Belly Factory. We learned about the history and the development of the bean along with sampling many flavors. We ate a delicious dinner at Claim Jumper and retired for the night at the Concord Hilton. We had a great evening discussion about our fear of death and where our hope in eternal life and desires of leaving a legacy fits within that context.

Saturday – We drove to San Francisco in the morning after eating in the parking lot. We started off with checking out the Golden Gate Bridge where we walked across the bridge and got some sweet pictures together. We then headed down to Pier 39 with the rest of the tourists in San Francisco where we saw the seals, the cotton candy stands, and many over priced souvenir shops. We pretty much saw the whole city as we drove through many neighborhoods. We partnered with Miraloma Community Church to serve dinner to about 75 homeless friends. Passing out socks was really appreciated by the attendees. In order to not cause those at dinner to get angry about seconds, we had to make an ethical decision. Do we only give out an extra piece of pizza to the first 35 people who made it up to the serving table, do we just ignore that we don’t have enough seconds for everyone (and everyone wanted more pizza), do we order more pizza even though it would take about 40 minutes for it to arrive…I mean we all thought 35 pizzas would be enough… or our last choice, do we as the volunteers also eat some pizza so then we “run out” of pizza for those who had not eaten much food that day. The pastor at the church asked us all to eat some pizza so we could just say “oh Sorry, we ran out.” Our kids really had a hard time eating the pizza. They didn’t want to eat it. They didn’t want to take away from those who were truly hungry. It was a hard ethical decision that as a group, they had to deal with… and get through. We had Pakistani wraps for our own dinner, followed by a trip to Ghirardelli square and a look out from Coit tower. We slept at Miraloma Community Church.

Sunday – We got to experience a super multi-cultural worship service at Glide United Methodist Church that is located in the Tenderloin district in the heart of the city. People from ALL walks of life were there. They do an amazing job of loving their community they live in and the people that represent their neighborhood. Afterwards, we got to see the Diamondbacks destroy the San Francisco Giants. (Eatons, we thought you would enjoy that). We hit up Chinatown for dinner and it took us about an hour just to get out of traffic. Tonight we are Liam’s house that he grew up in near Santa Cruz.

Pictures up later tonight.

Secret Sojourn Day 4

2008-07-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

Rafting Pictures from yesterday...since we don't have a scanner, this is the best we can do. You will also see our spelunking (cave dwelling) pictures along with our awesome backyard, our adopted deer, the driving range, adventures to the river, and good times by all.

Secret Sojourn Day 3

2008-07-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

The clue that the kids got last night...
We went rafting this AM and it was super fun. We will have pictures from our trip tomorrow evening. Here are some other shots from this morning you might enjoy...

Todays pictures...

2008-07-22T19:58:00.001-07:00

Chloe's list for our top five adventures of the day:

Floating down the river. Even if it took 3 hours.
Celebrating Michael Tro's life (happy birthday!)
Riding bikes through Sun River.
Getting clean showers.
Hanging out with awesome people!

Secret Sojourn Day 2

2008-07-22T07:42:00.001-07:00

Tuesday's Clue

Secret Sojourn Day 1

2008-07-21T22:11:00.000-07:00

Secret Sojourn Day 1: Driving to Sun River, OR!

Our trip started at 7am this morning and we arrived in Sun River being greeted by the Tro family around 9:30pm. In the words of Liam, “this has been by far the easiest 14 hour drive we’ve ever done”. We actually had a great day. We have loved driving through northern California and southern/central Oregon. Students discovered how much they love frozen Go-Gerts. Leaders discovered how much they love Starbucks doubleshots.

Tate says “maae”.

Our favorite mad-lib today was the following line:
“Life is awkward, life is chunky, and the Twinkie is not the goal.” Or “Remember, a happy child comes from a happy machine gun”

Thanks for praying for us on this trip! Our team includes Liam, Lisa, Kevin O’Hara as leaders and our students are Tate, Michael Toth, Michael Tro, Nathaniel, Chloe, Amanda, Donovan, Corey, Austin and Brandon.

Sr. High Secret Sojourn

2008-07-20T13:41:00.001-07:00

No 6:19 or HS youth group this week

2006-11-19T16:09:00.000-08:00

Hello friends,

It is my deep regret to inform you that there will be no 6:19 on Sunday, November 19. I instead encourage you all to attend our family Thanksgiving service at 7pm that night.

There will also be no youth group Wednesday, November 22nd because it is the day before Thanksgiving and I will be giving thanks out of town as, undoubtedly, so will some of you!

Our normal schedule will return Sunday, November 26th with Sunday school at 9:45.

HS Parents Meeting

2006-11-01T21:46:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, November 5th at Noon all parents of high school students are invited to hear our ministry plan for the coming year. This will also be a time to for parents to voice their questions, comments and ideas for how to best minister to their students!

HS Planning Meeting-- FREE LUNCH!

2006-10-24T16:13:00.000-07:00

This Sunday after the second service (roughly noon) we will have free lunch for any high school students who want to help brainstorm and plan events for the next few months! If you want to chip in your two cents about talk themes, big events, or even your favorite worship songs we will be listening. The meeting will last until 1:30. See you there.

Update 10-24

2006-10-24T15:26:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Here is a picture of me. Isn't it neat.

Our guys night was a wild success. Girls, keep your ears open, we are planning a sweet get together for all of you as well.

Make sure you get to youth group on Wednesday night to hear about Ruth's trip to Africa.

GUYS NIGHT!!

2006-10-19T15:45:00.000-07:00

That's right fellows, it is time to meet, eat, and compete.

The festivities begin this Friday at 7 PM at the Santa Barbara v. San Marcos football game at SBHS. We will be rowdy and encouraging; loud and supportive. After the game (at roughly 10 PM) we will congregate at Montecito Covenant Church where what awaits us but pizza and X-Boxes linked to projection units! We will have 16 player games of Halo as well as other timeless favorites like Super Smash Bros. and 007 (Nintendo 64 style!) This event is open to any high school guy so bring your friends.

The football game costs $7 at the gate. Please bring $5 dollars for food at MCC including pizza, soda, chips, etc. This will be an overnight event so bring a sleeping bag, pillow, and your favorite scary/gross/bizarre story. Tell everyone you know!

If you have any questions call Liam.

See you there!

JH Camp

2006-08-14T10:47:00.000-07:00

Junior high camp is fast approaching!

7 students and I will be attending summer camp at Forest Home! It is going to be an awesome experience with great worship, speakers, group time and plenty of activities and games.

Please pray for our camp experience and for all of the students as they prepare to depart.

Hello

2006-08-08T15:49:00.000-07:00

Hello friends!

It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you the Montecito Covenant Church Student Ministries blog!

This will be a place where updates to student activities will be posted, discussions will be available, and highlights of current MCC Student Ministries events will be displayed. If you have any questions, comments, or ideas please do not hesitate to present those.

Stay in tune for further updates in the near future!

Sincerely,
Liam Murphy

Interim Youth Director at Montecito Covenant Church