Saturday June 7

Sunday June 8, 2003
For photos from today, please scroll down the page...
Words of Wisdom from the Guys in the White Van (and Marian too) Kyle Bent: The members at church were dancin' and singin' and yellin' and clappin'. That's it. Jeremy Aeilts: The choir was awesome and we need a live band. Jake McMahon: Roadkill armadillos are like coons back home. It's true. Ben Royalty: In church there were a lot of cameras, and I got on TV. It was cool. Mike Gunyon: We're on a bridge right now that is longer than the Mississippi River. Cory Heubner: The Cracker Barrell had good candy. The cheeseburgers were good too. Anonymous: "Are we going to get there pretty soon?" Mitch Niekamp: My strategical logic at the guessing game is unmatched. Blake Bent: The Cracker Barrell has excellent hats, and Mitch cheats at the guessing game. Jim Bent: At Anderson UMC, their motto was "Be at home," and we felt like we were at home. Marian Bent: The trip's going great so far, and we're looking forward to meeting our friends in Abbeville. I have been talking to them a lot, and so I feel like I know them already. Jeff Rasche: The preacher at Anderson UMC was sure a LOT better than ours!
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After wrestling with technical difficulties Saturday night and Sunday morning, we finally succeeded in getting the first web page posted (Saturday's) just before it was time to leave the church where we slept for the church where we planned to worship. We started out the day by going to the Anderson United Methodist Church. It was a wonderful experience--it was the first time most of the youth had ever been to a predominantly black worship service. Jim Bent and I were invited to come up and tell about our group; the service lasted for an hour before the minister ever even started his sermon, and the sermon, which was great, lasted about a half hour! Then we sang some more and they had an altar call after the sermon. We were VERY warmly received by the congregation. It is sure to be one of the highlights of the trip. Then we ate at Cracker Barrel, where I bought some really good quality toothpicks, but never mind that. Anyway, we drove from Jackson, Mississippi to Abbeville, Louisiana in about 4-5 hours (with a stop or two). We had supper, then devotions. Some of the youth swam here at the hotel. Brent and I went with the local building coordinator to meet Joseph and his family--the house, or former house, we will be rebuilding. More about them later...



	All 29 of us crowded into one room at the hotel at the end of a long day for our announcements, plans, and devotions. We read Luke 8:22-25, and talked about the wrestling match that exists in our life between fear and faith, and how the stories we are already beginning to hear from people who went through the hurricane on October 4th show the different ways their faith helped them with their fears...and how we can learn from them about turning to Christ in faith when we feel afraid too (see the scripture reading to see both fear and faith...) That's all for today! We thank God, and our good drivers, for a safe journey. Tomorrow we will get down to work! Keep us in your prayers!