Friday, June 24, 2011

Some awoke with the sun, many awoke with lists in their heads of the all things to get “done” today, but all awoke hungry for waffles!

A quick note about the blog. Nathan Young is king! He is a computer genius and has helped set this all in motion. While his knowledge is infinite, sometimes all he has to tell me to do is reboot my computer and we are back in business! So thanks Nathan, for the tutorial in blogging.

Also, we ADORE the NAOMI kids!! However, we are not allowed to post their pictures on the website as many of them are in emergency placement/foster care and the authorites do not want them to be found by their abusers. It reminds us how serious the crimes are that these children have been subject to and how fear follows them. Some children have been adopted or are the legal children of the house parents or Linda– that is why their photos can be posted.

Devotions held a time for review- we talked about the lessons we studied this week. Hue Yong had asked us at the start “Why did you come on this trip?” So she posed the question again asking us “Is what you learned the same thing that you expected to learn?” We shared how the sense of fellowship with the body of Christ was an unexpected blessing. We shared how God melts aways our lists and orders our lives. We shared how we shouldn’t need to come to Arizona to feel this good- we should be able to change our lives back in Walnut Creek to have this same sense of Godly purpose and fellowship all day every year.

Prayer-partner time prepared us for the day ahead and off we went. The master bath had the vanity double sinks installed. With God’s hand, the water was running! Charlotte and Jason were unphased but pleased. Their lack of stress and sense of peace about how God will provide what is needed for the day is amazing. Medicine was sorted and placed into a refurbished cabinet.

The bath house now has a water-tight roof and a cover over the porch. 5 other groups will follow us this summer and have the opportunity to finish the inside and paint the outside. At first it seemed sad to not have the ability to view the finished product- but then it reminded me how it is not about MY time, MY project- it is about communities coming together to help another community. We are all God’s project and sometimes only get to see pieces of His work, always in progress.

Our final lunch together held sweet sorrow and then those whose projects were completed started cleaning up.

The kitchen crew made the kitchen shine! The boys emptied trash; and Rich and the girls made the cafeteria back into a living room.

Laura and Rich presented the kids with their finished journal for the week, complete with photos of themselves (God loves YOU!) and a group photo that we can use to pray for the kids. Hopefully the 5 different Bible verses are hidden in their hearts as well as their journals.

It was an amazing week. As we drove away we were jamming out to Christian Music ( there are 4 different Christian stations in the air near Winslow, Arizona) and thinking about all we learned and all God still has to teach us. We are so thankful for the NAOMI house and Linda. We are also indebted to Peter Young for his hard work organizing the trip. Bob and John‘s faithful work for NAOMI through the years also helped carry us through the logistics. And our new addition, Ted, was a true hero for his lead on the construction project.

We look forward to our “After Party” to celebrate the work, and also to our time up in front of the church to share with the WCPC and Friend’s Church congregation all that God did and we witnessed. The photos will tell it all, so stay tuned….

June 23, 2011 Thursday

7:00 SHARP, said Peter Young. When Peter talks, we listen, so at 7 am sharp we were in line for good ole sausage-n- biscuits with gravy.

Afterwards we had our daily devotions- something I have definitely found myself looking forward to more with each passing day. Hue Yong started by asking the kids if their mom let them eat unhealthy food? “Does your mom serve you frozen food?” she asked Grace Hinckley (my daughter). With a sheepish grin, Grace responded “yes”- which got a laugh from the crowd but did not prove Hue Yong’s point. Her point was that God knows what we need and gives it to us. We talked about how food hunger and spiritual hunger are complete opposites. With food hunger, the longer you go without food, the hungrier you are. However, with spiritual hunger, the farther we get from Jesus the harder it is to remember how great it felt to be connected with our Creator. Sometimes we have to “force feed” ourselves God’s good food- the Bible- and then the desire will grow. We will be truly satisfied- like a cool glass of ice water after working in the heat.

We broke for prayer partners and then the day’s work. With only today and tomorrow left to finish the projects, the heat is on! We have to rely on God to order our day’s activites to accomplish what He wants us to.

Today I spent time pruning a plant out in front of the main meeting room. Jordana had suggested that if we could prune the low branches that it would then grow taller and stronger- and pointed to another tree which had been worked on in such a manner several years ago. It was hard to believe the tree she pointed to could really have ever been a bush- it had a thick trunk and provided needed shade. Jason walked by and commented on the trimming. Charlotte suggested that I might “be her favorite” if I could prune it into an animal shape; David suggested shaping it like Goofy, and Larry reminded me that if I didn’t prune it right it would just grow back worse. Genevieve’s mom stopped by to tell me how I wasn’t just making the tree pretty, I was actually taking away a hiding spot for snakes. Well, with all the time to think about pruning, I was reminded of God’s desire to prune us: to find the weak and harmful parts of our lives and cut them back at the source, to allow the nutrients (the Word, Fellowship with believers) to build us strong reaching towards the heavens.

The afternnon held a trip to the local swimming pool. The older kids got to dive and splash and we even managed to play a few group games in the water. It was a refreshing treat- one I am sure the construction crew wishes they could have had! Back at the ranch, the master bath crew was busy “mudding” the walls and getting ready for the vanity to be installed.

The bath house crew finished putting up the outer walls and windows. While things are running a bit behind the work is excellent and will be much appreciated.

The kitchen crew has also been hard at work, learning new recipes and keeping up with the huge appetites. We have quite a system down now and the little girls helped serve the Naomi kids, while they sat quietly waiting- amazing how they listen to Genevieve.

After dinner there was a great game of kickball, where the girls threw like boys and the boys threw like girls ( just teasing!) If you have never tried to stop at 2nd base on gravel– now that’s a slide. Devotions held more beautiful music, allowing us to marval at God’s holiness and the work He is doing here. Most were quite tuckered out and went soundly to sleep. However, a few stayed up to tape and texture the walls- and generous hearts like Dennis jumped in to help them finish on time.

Just a few of the many Arizona love scars!

Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Patrick is truly a Redneck!

The game of Cross over the Ocean proved to be more than Rich's leg and arm could handle!

Alyssa with her finger stiched and bandaged!

Scott took a nasty fall off the ladder and luckily did not impale himself-- he jumped right up "He is risen indeed!"

June 22, 2011 Wednesday

Mission Cakes. Wow! That’s what Clifton had to say about them. “I believe this is the best breakfast I have ever had!” And for a man who can now wear a weight belt without suspenders, that is saying something! The kitchen crew amazed us all this morning with a new twist on the pancake. And we all cleaned our plates.

Afterwards, John Meyer led us in devotions where we focused on who God is. He can calm the waters; He is King of Nations; and he is a friend. The closer we draw to Him the more clarity and focus our lives have. In a world where the ability to multitask is king, this focus is truly satisfying.

The day then held some of the usual adventures: The children worked on the verse in 1 Corinthians 12:27 “You are the body of Christ, and each of you is a part of it.” With hands and feet painted and stamped all over, this truth became a reality.

The construction crew continued work on the roof and the walls of the bath house- complete with a porch! The other half of these manly men continued to renovate the House Parent’s bath.

 Trips to the store and more weeding was a necessity. Each thorn bush removed reminded us of how deep sin can penetrate and how getting at the root is the key to removal. Windows were washed of the continual clay dust and bathrooms smelled of bleach. A pick-up basketball game turned into a showcase for one of the Naomi girls who could sink a shot well beyond the 3 point line.

The day seemed hotter and our bodies ached more- but this is when we realize that mission trips are hard work. It is this hard work that benefits another and allows us to truly SERVE. (even if it means cleaning highchairs!)

June 21^st, Tuesday

The winds have died down and God turned the thermostat up. But we were ready to roll. We chowed down on some egg and potato casserole from Midge’s magic recipe book and then did morning devotions.

This morning’s story was an ancient Chinese proverb. Hue Yong told the story perfectly of the young ruler whose horse was stolen, then received a new horse, then his son broke his leg trying to ride the horse. All his friends consoled him for his bad fortune, celebrated his good fortune, then moaned his bad fortune. But the wise ruler said “Who knows if it is bad fortune or good fortune?” Shortly thereafter war broke out and all the young men went to war, except the son. All were killed. His son’s life was spared due to his circumstances.  This story served to remind us that all our circumstances need to be viewed through God’s plan. He can work all things to the good. And the “bad” things that happen can ultimately lead us to God’s true plan for us.

Today’s construction tasks consisted of putting us the tresses for the bath house. Climbing to new heights, Scott proved that gravity really does exist as he flew thru the air off a ladder. With some pretty deep scrapes to prove it, he is now on the mend and hasn’t lost his sense of humor. Patrick Flaherty may not look like a redneck, but without sunscreen he now can wear that title well. The inch long “camel thorns” have now been removed from the kid’s play area and common grounds. Who knew how hard it is to weed Arizona sticker bushes? (that was my job today!) The gals in the kitchen came by often with refreshing sips of ice water to sustain us. The master bath renovation for the house parents’ (Charlotte and Jason’s) room is going smoothly and now has tile on the floor (after a 2^nd trip to Winslow for a $2.99 can of plumber’s putty by Jim and Peter.)

And the kid’s program is going strong. After a thorough cleaning (Thanks Laura and Rich!) of the kid’s art room they began today’s project centered around sheep. They learned the verse: “John 10:14 I am the good shepard. I know my sheep” and entered it in their memory book, along with yesterday’s:  “1 John 3:1 God loves us and call us His children.”

The afternoon held a first time activity for many of the kids. Laura Hamaii and myself (Ramie Hinckley) painted faces!  With the help of an idea book, the kids got to pick a princess or fairy design to be painted on their face. Or a butterfly or a panda…Even the boys joined in and wanted a bicycle mustache or goatee or a series of flames. Our own boys (Daniel, Stephen, and Thomas amazed me with the wild things they expected me to be able to paint! Cobras? Rattlesnakes, Pythons…) They had made fast friends with a few Naomi peers and quickly disappeared to play baseball with Rich and David.

Night time held a treat with Linda sharing a song from her early days as a Christian that helped her see God’s redeeming love. We are sounding better with our theme song (with Jordana on guitar) :

“I will change your name- you will no longer be called Wounded, outcast, Lonely, or Afraid. I will change your name. Your new name will be Confidence, Joyfulness, Overcoming One…Faithfulness, Friend of God, One who seeks my face.”