Cincinnati Recap

Wow! What a week!
Due to very limited internet access, I was not able to post a blog during our mission trip to Cincinnati, so here is a recap of our week...
Monday was primarily a day of travel as we loaded everyone up in the vans and drove to the camp where we would be staying for the week. After our arrival and unloading we went to downtown Cincinnati for Donatos pizza and a Cincinnati Reds game. The Reds, of course, lost. ;-)
Tuesday we awoke to the sounds of thunder and heavy rainfall. Our first stop was the CUMO (Cincinnati Urban Ministry Outreach) church, where we set up for our VBS. It rained most of the day and after handing out flyers in the rain and hanging out at the community center we headed back to the church. We were ready and waited to see who would show up. You could sense the disappointment when only around a dozen children showed up. However, our students keep their chins up and made it a great time for those who came.
Wednesday morning was spent seeing a movie and grabbing lunch at Johnny Rockets before another afternoon at the community center. With the nicer weather, there were many more children at the community center. We also decided to go out and hand out pamphlets again. We weren't sure what to expect after such a small turn out the night before. This time, we ended up having seventy-five children show up for our VBS. After a fairly easy and laid-back night on Tuesday, Wednesday provided a real challenge. In spite of the craziness of so many children, many of whom come from homes with little structure or discipline, our students adjusted and did a good job.
On Thursday, Pat took us to a park down by the Ohio River for a few hours to eat lunch. People engaged in a variety of activities, including football, volleyball, and renting bikes to ride around. Then we went back to the center for another afternoon with the children. By now you could see that our team and the children were really starting to bond. That night we had eighty-five people show up for VBS. Our students made a lot of adjustments and they did a fabulous job. It was really exciting to see the students learning and adapting. It was a great night!
Friday morning we went to the Creation Museum. It was an interesting day since there was a group of approximately 200 atheists visiting the museum. Some of our students had conversations with some of the atheists. While there were a few of the atheists who made snide comments, overall there were no real problems. After the museum, we went to the community center for our last afternoon there. It is always a joy to see our students interacting with the children. They laugh. They play. Piggyback rides. Basketball. Our students show them love in a way that many of these children may not see the rest of the year.
Friday night's VBS was our biggest of the week with ninety-one children in attendance. The team did a great job and they ended the week on a high note. God was certainly at work throughout the week and everyone did a great job leading groups and teaching classes.
Saturday was our reward for a week of hard work. We headed to King's Island for a day of roller coasters and fun. We got into the park and everyone went off in their groups. While we were at the park, seven students and I were in line for a ride when one of the riders experienced a serious health problem. At first, we weren't sure what was going on. We stood there for a few minutes until medics arrived and we were sent back through the line with everyone else waiting for the ride.
The experience had a significant impact on those who were in line with me as well as a few other students waiting for us by the exit. A little later, we gathered everyone and left the park to get dinner at Cici's. After dinner, we headed back to the camp to debrief. It was truly a blessing to have Dave Palmer as a part of our team. He helped walked our group through a time of processing. Dave met with me and the other students directly impacted by what happened. Other students who were affected indirectly spent time with our other adults. The other students who were not impacted had time to go to their cabins and begin packing. Following the debriefing time, we gathered everyone back together for a time of prayer before going to bed. I was so impressed with our entire team of chaperones and the way they responded to minister to students in need.
Sunday morning we woke up, cleaned up the camp, loaded our stuff up, and headed up to breakfast at Sonic. After enjoying a delicious breakfast, we headed off to CUMO for worship. Worship started around 11:30am and lasted until around 2:30pm. It never seemed like three hours and the Spirit was moving among us. Our time together included singing, praying, testimonies, and more. God is obviously working in Pat and the group that meets there. Following worship we enjoyed a final meal together and started the journey home.
We arrived at 250 West Avon to find a church full of parents waiting to see their children. We all gathered in the auditorium to thank the team and present awards to the students as well as a gift to the adults. The night ended with the baptisms of three of our students. Kylie Cohu, Kaitlyn Butka, and Emily Martinko dedicated their lives to God and were baptized into Christ. What a great ending to a great week of Kingdom work!!!

shine!
Jason