Christ Church Youth

World News!!

2009-08-27T12:49:00.000-07:00

Check out the featues section here about our Chacocente friends. http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.1355355/k.FAC7/Our_World.htm

May God continue to watch over them.

A New Day

2009-08-05T13:48:00.000-07:00

As I look back on our experience, I realize that there are no real words that can explain the transformation that occured in so many of our lives. Below is a letter from Nelson (a resident of the project). He is 29 and has lived at Project Chacocente for 2 years. NElson has also taught himself how to read and write in English. I think it pretty much sums it up.

29/07/09

Hello North American Friends,
I am very happy because I am working with you. I want to tell you all of you are so special and important to me. I want to tell you, when I lived at the Managua Dump (Chureca) I never thought I have a lot of American freinds. You are part of my happiness and my family. I was born at Chureca. I lived at Chureca for 27 years of my life. I am here and I am going to tell you.

My family and me, we've had a lot of hard situations, you've never imagined. We ate food from the dump. We drank contaminated water. We reveice all sort of sickness, but we are here [at Chacocente] and we live thanks to friends like yours. You help us. Now my son have a teacher and he study all the time. I finished my high school. Now I am sick and drink medicine, because I lived for 27 years at Chureca, but I feel so happy. I am not scare to die, I know my family will be good. Project Chacocente friends from the USA I love you. Thanks!

Nelson also took the time and paper to copy down Matthew 20, the parable of the vineyard workers where each receives equal pay regardless of their work day. What an amazing reminder that we are all equal when it comes to God stuff.

Be sure to also visit a short video about our group put together here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz3F4EvwW_U&&fmt=22. Let it buffer a bit first for best playback.

"There's Always Hope..." (Last Day)

2009-07-30T19:14:00.001-07:00

We chose to make this final blog's title "There's Always Hope..." because that is what we as a group have been witnessing this whole trip. We witnessed hope in many forms, whether through the Chacocente program, the individual families' stories, or the incredibly hardworking people that make Chacocente possible.

Our family group name is "Group Every Group" because we've had the fortune of working with almost every other group on each of the individual projects at Chacocente. Some of the projects have included: macheting the fields behind the school, building a dirt floor and sidewalk to be cemented later,cementing the floor in the school's new auditorium, and building additions onto two houses. We worked alongside unbelievable people, who have overcome such great challenges and yet have such hope. People like Pedro and Basilla, a husband and wife who tragically lost three children at the dump, fled to the mountains from accusations of neglect on their part. Several months later, they were able to join the Project and have been living their successfully for four years.

This is just one of the many incredible stories we will all be able to share with you when we come back. This week was filled powerful worship both at the camp MEFEL led by each family group and at two different local congregations which were exciting, joyful (and very loud!) We also had many fun adventures culminating today with an unbelievable cloud-forest hike and zip-line rides. We have experienced far too many things in the last 9 days to even begin to describe in a short blog, but we would like to take a few lines each and express our thoughts on what this trip has meant to each of us.

Jackie LaRosa:
This trip has meant more to me than words can describe. I have experienced, witnessed, endured and enjoyed more things than i could have ever imagined. The people of Chacocente are the most thankful and gracious people I have ever met, and they surely have left the biggest impact upon my life. From now on, I will be thankful to the Lord for He has blessed me more then I ever knew.

Troy Baltutat:
Traveling to Managua, Nicaragua has been a life changing experience. I saw how people lived who had nothing but a couple pieces of sheet metal for a house, sitting on top of a pile of garbage. Chaconcente has been a new chance for many families living in the dump. I met many determined and hard working Nicaraguans, one of which was about 65 years old. I now know to have for even the worsed conditions, and now I have hope for all of the families living in the dump. God has shown me the light in even the darkest shadows.

Kelsey Novak:

This trip has been an unbelievable, life-changing experience, I think that many of us had no idea what to expect prior to arriving, but I think that this trip has gone above and beyond anything that we could hoped or expected for. The first day, we went to work at Chacocente and I think many of us observed the way that the families lived, which for us, appeared to be pretty harsh conditions. However, the second day, we went to the dump and to see where the families had worked so hard to leave and overcome, made us truly appreciate their hard work. The families were some of the most caring, and hard-working people I have ever met. They worked endlessly and said nothing, they used what they had to accomplish their goals, and showed us that is doesn't take material things to make you happy. I think the most powerful thing that I will take away from this trip is to trust in God's plan for you completely, and know that he will provide for you whatever you need to fulfill said plan. There is always hope, whether in God, others, or the future.

Emily Miller:
Hola! This week has been an amazing experience for me and everyone else here. I am unable to say in words how life-changing this trip has been for me. I have met many great people, who i hope to keep in touch with and hopefully see again. I am not ready to come home because I will miss everyone here too much. Too much has happened this week for me to type, but I hope to share my experiences with everyone when I get home. Adios, Emily

Tom Luketich:

This past week has been, for me, too many things to describe. I've seen absolute poverty, and I've seen hope come through that poverty, and I've seen women, men, and children working together, regardless of race, or language barriers. It's hard to describe how this week, and these people have changed me, but it has had a significant affect on my life. And, however much I'll miss this country, and the people in it, I'll always have those things that they've shown me.

Rachel Bachri:

This week in Nicaragua has been such a great experience for me. There have been so many things that I will never forget. Such as, the friendships I've made with the people from chacocente, the eye-opening sights from the dump, and also all of the fun things that we have done. Throughout this week I have realized that living in the USA, we have so much to be thankful for. When we leave I will really miss being here, and all of the people here. I was really able to grow close to the kids here despite the fact that they did not speak english and we didn't speak much spanish. Overall, I am going to take so much home from this trip. All of my memories here and things that I will never forget.

Bob Lewis:

Well, I don't think I can add anything else to the incredible words of not only our family group tonight, but those posted by every group each night this week. This has proven out to be a wonderful, powerful and as many have said before, a "life changing" experience for all of us and over the weeks to come, we will share many stories, hundreds (or most likely thousands) of pictures that everyone took, and the spirit of Chacocente that we bring back home with us, that truly demonstrates, "There is always hope!"

I have posted a few more pictures that are just a few of the memorable moments this week, and while you enjoy them, please pray for our safe return home tomorrow. We will come back tired, spent, happy, sad, inspired, exited, a little dirty and most of all blessed to have had the privilege of coming here to meet our new friends at Chacocente.

God Bless and Good Night

There

2009-07-30T19:14:00.000-07:00

Wednesday july 29th, the last work day.

2009-07-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

One group macheted in the fields all of the days, we ended up clearing two plantain fields and cleaned up the soccer field. Macheteing is very relaxing because you can take out a ton of anger, but you get very blistered and scratched.

In the school, there was an unfinished auditorium. The work team was able to pour a cement floor. It started as just dirt but now it is a solid floor. All of the mixing and pouring had to be done by shovels in giant piles. Each pile consisted of 6 wheelbarrows full of sand, 1/2 full of rock, and 4 five-gallon buckets of water.

There was a kitchen that was still in need of completion. One work team had to transport about a foot to two feet of dirt for the perimeter around the kitchen. We hope that Veronica likes her new kitchen, and we hope that they can put concrete in the kitchen before rain season.

At two of the houses on the project, two work teams were able to build an addition onto each of the houses out of cinderblocks. One of them was a kitchen, and one was a bedroom for their teenage daughter.

The members from various workteams welded metal beams for the roof of the kitchen, and today helped to attach the beams to the structure..

Today at the worksites, many different acts of fellowship occured. After a huge downpour of water, the soccer field (dirt field) turned to complete mud. After the rain stopped a couple of guys dove in the mud and then about half of the group jumped in after them. After about almost an hour they were completely covered in mud from head to toe. The boys who had began it all, had soaked through their clothes, with their boxers, and skin coated with mud. We tried to hose down but we couldn't get it all off. When we eventually got on the buses to leave we organized into dirty and semi-dirty on our way back to camp.

The second major act of fellowship that occured was between the Nicaraguans and Americans. It was a game of futbol (soccer). We had divided into 3 separate shifts,

At the end of the day, we said our goodbyes or, "see you laters" as the people of Chacocente put it. Many of the adults of Chacocente made it very clear that their home was also ours. Some of them began to cry. It's amazing to realize how attached we could get to a group of people in 4 full work days. They sang us songs in Spanish. We sang a Spanish song and "Jesus loves Me" in English. When we sang, "Jesus loves Me", we watched the faces of the children at Chacocente looking right backm at us. Many of us began to sob. A lot of us couldn't even finish singing the song. After singing, we gifted Nelson, Pedro and Basillia three signed machetes. Amanda also gifted Nelson her Red Sox hat because the Red Sox are his favorite baseball team. More of us began to cry. After this, Gregg donated a small gift to each family to compensate for the daily work they left to work on special jobs with us. Finally, we left the people of Chacocente with good-bye hugs, a tradition at the project. Many youth who typically keep their emotions bottled-up, wept which showed how significant the connection was between us and our Nicaraguan friends. After hugs, the youth climbed on the busses, still crying. We watched out the windows as the families of Project Chacocente waved at us with tears in their eyes. Their faces were so hopeful despite their tears. As we drove away, the kids ran after our busses as fast as they could. We drove out the project for two and a half miles and watched a beautiful sunset all the way. We thanked God for the sunset and the symbolism of it. The sunset showed us hope for the families of the project and gave us an eagerness to hear more success stories about possibly 170 new families living in Chacocente. Thanks, God.

Family Group Wack-a-mole

Marissa, Emily, Shanna, Kirsten, Chrissy, Tyler, Sam and Josh

Work Day 3

2009-07-28T22:27:00.000-07:00

Today, when we got to the camp there was a craft fair. All the crafts were hand-made by the Chacocente families. After shopping, we got right back to work. Our group is in charge of adding an addition to Karen's house for the teenage girls. We have moved sand and moved sand and moved more sand. Then we got to move dirt. Finally, today we were promoted to mixing cement and laying bricks. We're looking forward to finishing it.

Also, today the Chacocente families challenged CUMC youth and adults in a game of soccer. But to our disappointment, we lost. (we plan to dominate tomorrow) After 66 people showered in 60 minutes, we went to church. It was an amazing experience and most of us wish that the churches back home were like that. The church service consisted of loud singing and lots of dancing!

Post-worship, we ate dinner at an authentic Nicaraguan restaurant. At first, we were all stressed because it was late and we very hungry. The food was very good and there was live entertainment. We were all up dancing and enjoying the food. Its now close to midnight and we just got back from the restaurant and are all exhausted.

-One Thousand Sunflowers across the Delta Plain aka Operation Flapjack

Sara Walsh
Olivia Lammel

Kory Beardshall

Kian McCollum

Joe K

Justin Owens

Audrey Miller

Carolyn Vespa

Susan Conners

Aaron Talbot

Day 4: Work Day at Chacocente

2009-07-28T06:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delayof the blog...we were all reallllly tired and full of pizza!!! Yesterday was our 2nd full work day at the project. Our family group + Marissa worked on digging up dirt and taking it to the cinder block room that would soon be the kitchen. Once the dirt was there we had to pack it down into a dirt floor. We estimated that it took about 80 wheel barrow s of dirt each day to complete the floor! About 3 hours in yesterday both of our pounders broke so our process was delayed, but we found other means in which to finish! It's really cool how much we've bonded and become so close! We're all working for the same goal and in doing so have made some really great relationships! We're all so proud of each other because we all are working as hard as we can and leaning on each other for support! It's awesome to see God's love through all of us here and how much we've been impacted!

After returning ftom the project, we all showered and drive to Isaac's family's church for worship. When the service began we all started with a hymn. Even though there was a language barrior, we all recognized the song, Seek Ye First. The greatest part was how excited the people were. They were standing, clapping, dancing, and just so happy to be there, to share the love of God. We also knew the song This is the day and sang Sanctuary, as well. Aaron had taught us a song to sing for them in Spanish, so we went up and sang and the people there lit up. The song in English meant: Celebrate in the name of Jesus Christ, Celebrate in the name of love, celebrate in the name of Jesus Christ, my life is for you. The sermon was in Spanish but Isaac was kind enough to translate for us. It was based off of Acts 3:7 (look it up!!) and Isaac'a father talked about how being a true disciple of God wasn't just about giving to the needy or feeding the poor, but also about sharing the love that He gives us. To lead people to God and change their lives. It was a very powerful sermon that toiched us all. After the sermon, Aaron and Sam were called to the front of the church since it was their birthdays. It was a church tradition to give them each a hug, so every single person in the church gave them a hug. The whole service was an hour and 45 minutes but it went by so quickly! We all enjoyed it so much! Then we went to Pizza Hut and ate TONS of Pizza!!! Got back really late and went to sleep... :)

In Christ,

Team Awesome-

Mandy Marn

Mira Singhal

Kallie Kapfer

Amber Netherton

Rachel Brodland

Kevin Boyer

Mark Ripper

must sleep write tomorrow am!!

2009-07-27T22:37:00.000-07:00

Day 3: Beach Day at Pochomil Beach

2009-07-26T21:43:00.000-07:00

Today we spent the day taking in one of the most beautiful places in Nicaragua at Pochomil Beach on the Pacific Coast, about 2 hours west of where we are staying in Managua. We enjoyed a traditional Nicaraguan lunch of fish / chicken, rice, and plantains. Some of the youth were a little suprised by the bone-in style of the fish on their plates! Besides from taking in the beauty, we had the opportunity to interact with Nicaraguans. One of of the biggest lessons of the day was how much Christianity can break down some hefty communication barriers and build relationships; many of the people we spoke to on the beach knew very little English, but we were able to develop friendships ("amigos"). Some members of the group took advantage of the various "touristy" type of opportunities by riding / driving four-wheelers on the beach, going on horseback rides, taking short surfing lessons, and buying various handmade jewelery from children and women in the cabana. Of course, one of the most popular options of the day was relaxing in the hammocks under the cabana! As we learned, the Pacific Ocean is much different than the Atlantic- and much of the group enjoyed splashing (falling) in the huge waves brought in by the tide.

During the LLLOOONNNGGG drive through the mountainous regions to the shore, we were able to take in some more amazingly beautiful sights of God's incredible countryside.

Tomorrow is a full work day at Project Chacocente. We will be returning the projects that were started on Friday, as well as begin some new projects- including sorting all of the donations that were sent with us on the trip (THANKS, AGAIN!)

All members of the group say, "Hi Mom and Dad!" and because it is oh-so-late (11:00pm), this is about all we've got for the night. Hope all is well with everyone back home, thanks again for your continued prayers and support through our trip.

In God's Love,

Family Group 5

(Mark LaRosa, Loreleigh Lewis, Danny Churchill, Taylor Connors, Todd Becker, Kayla DuBois, Lauren Thomas, Megan McCollum, Laura Fairgrieve, and Issac Tellez)

Day 2 Visiting the Dump and Volcanoes

2009-07-25T19:01:00.000-07:00

This Morning we visited the dump. There was a village outside the actual landfill. The houses were merely tiny metal shacks made from scraps. We saw the garbage trucks come and unload the trash onto mountains of more steamy garbage. The people who live on the dump collect recyclables to sell and earn their living, which is about a dollar a day. It was a real eyeopener to realize how warped our values can become. It made all of us feel a little guilty of how much we take for granted each and everyday. However, it also allowed us to realize just how blessed we truely are and to appreciate the significance of CUMC being here in Nicaragua. The families who live in Project Chacocente formerly lived in the Dump...so we now understand why we are here.

After visiting the dump and eating lunch back at MEFEL, as a group we all traveled to the Masaya volcano. First we walked around the museum building with variouos displays and pictures about the volcano's history. Then we took the bus up to the volcano itself. It truly was like nothing we have seen before. It looked like a huge crator with lots of smoke and no bottom. There were stairs we could walk up to a cross that was higher for a better view. This area was called the "gateway to hell" because the early missionaries wanted to keep the demons in the volcano by erecting a cross at the top of the crator. After the volcano visit, we drove to a town called Catalina where we could buy small souvenirs or snacks and see a beautiful view of the Nicaraguan landscape and Lake Nicaragua (which contains sharks!). Our afternoon sights were much different than the morning but all in all it was a great day.

Posted by Family Group 7

Dale Himmler

Kristin Rackley

Chelsea Elliott

Amanda Bittner

Ross Kirby

Jenny Godwin

Megan Krebs

Caroline Merritt

Charlie Connelly

Day One - work!

2009-07-24T18:16:00.001-07:00

Tom Luketich
We had an awesome first day at the Project. Last night we stayed at the Madonna Inn with A/C! So, today we worked at Esperanza's house adding an addition to her house. We dug the trench for the foundation which was very deep - our family group did a fantastic job digging and mixing cement on a very hot day. Esperanza's two brothers and several friends were also helping with the work and we were able to span the language gap pretty well. We were able to dug the trench put together the rebar, put some forms in place and start the cement! A very productive first day! Tomorrow we are heading to the volcano and going to visit the dump were Esperanza and her seven children moved from. Hola to everyone at home and especially to my best friend Jan - I miss you!

Molly Patterson
I can't believe we're actually in Nicaragua! Nicaragua is a beautiful country, with lush wildlife and exotic fruits growing everywhere. Today we were introduced to the project and the people we will be working with, all of whom were extremely welcoming and grateful to have us. We did some pretty hard physical labor today, but it was very rewarding work! Although not all of us speak Spanish, we realized that a smile can always be understood. It was a great first day, and I'm very much looking forward to the days to come!

Maeve Kirby
It is still so unreal that we are actually in Nicaragua now! It is absolutley amazing here. I really love it, despite the heaviness of the heat. On our bus ride from the Managua airport to MEFEL we drove through different parts of the town. The houses we so small. I really didn't know what to expect before i left but my mouth seriously dropped. Almost all of the doors and windows were just a holes in the structure basically. W could see into every home we passed and it really made me realize that privacy is something we seriously take for granted. This trip has already casued me to put things into a brand new perspective. On the second plane ride to Managua i was reading my Bible and i opened it up to James. I've been meaning to read it for a while but never really got around to doing it. LEt me tell you that it was perfect for this trip. Read it. It made me realize that the people of Nicaragua are so happy with what they have And that God gave them that deck of cards for a reason. They can do great things with the little that they have. Today was out first full day. We went to Projec Chacocente and we're introduced to the people there. They went down the line addresses themselves while Omar gave us the English version. Almost every single person said that they thanked God for our visit and we extremely happy to see such a large group, we are the biggest group that has every visited. Seeing their smiles made me smile. I felt so grateful to be here and to know that I am here to do God's work. The kids were so cute running around, smiling, and laughing. The owner of the Project said during the introductions that we would disregard the language barrier and work together hand in hand. Throughout the day that proved to be true. Seeing what their work load on a daily basis was astonishing. I really can appreaciate the chores i have now. My favorite part of today was being around the little kids. After lunch a few of us decided to play their version of kickball which we had some difficulty learning at first. this one little boy, Nelson, tried to trick us into running to get us out. His laugh was so adorable and he made us all laugh. I gave him, along with about 30 others kids, one of the bracelets I made. One little girl said to me bonita which means pretty. It made me feel really good about the small little gift i could offer her. We visit the dump tomorrow and i know that i will be fighting back tears.

Susan McLean
We're finally here! We woke up early this morning (it didn't feel quite so early because of the 2 hour time difference) and ate breakfast at the Madonna Inn. We were given the oppurtunity to test out some real, native food. The meal was interesting and exotic, and very delicious. After breakfast we loaded up the school bus and went straight to the Project. On our way down the bumpy, winding road we came across several children lining the curbs to wave at us - very enthusiastically. The children here are absolutely adorable and so welcoming and loving. One of their hugs is enough to keep your heart warm for the rest of the day. We toured the project and then went to work. My particular group was working on a new room for one the houses. We dug a "moat" in the dirt and laid the foundation. We were very dirty - and that is definately an understatement - but it was a good kind of dirt. The highlights of my day were the completely unfair game of kickball, where Nelson, a young boy at the project claimed you were out no matter where you were, and no matter how not out you really were. He made the rules. We followed. Another highlight of the day for me was a more personal experience. While we were working on the room there was a young girl named Noeleah that I immiediately became very close to. She stuck by my side the entire day and held my hand with every chance she got. Every two or three minutes she came running up to me and hugged me so tight i thought I would explode. Noeleah is a blessing from God, as are all the children, men, and women, who so graciously welcomed us into their community today.

Heather Taylor
Mom, if you are nerves that I am in a third world country without you with no human contact from the states, you shouldn't be. Yesterday on the plane right to Nicaragua, I had no idea what to expect. Someone told me that the people from Nicaragua don't understand why Americans visit and they think that we are selfish and they don't like us. So, I was like, "Great." However, the people from Nicaragua feel the oppisite. They are loving and gracious for everything they have. When we first showed up to Project Chacocente, we got out of the buses and they immedietly came running towards us waving and hugging us as they introduced themselves. All the adults in the community went around and welcomed us and told us a little about themselves and their families. Although some don't speak English, we had a translator to break the barrier of language. We worked hard all day, doing a variety of tasks they needed to be done. Although the bugs and heat pounded down on us like no other, I felt so good about myself because every little thing that we do to help this community, counts. They appriciate everything. It really made me rethink my life in the Burgh. I am so greatful to have a loving family, caaring friends, a place to sleep, and a job for income. Before I came here, everytime someone asked me where I was going this week, I would tell them Nicaragua. The reaction was always the same. Shocked, scared, not an understandment why I would want to go to a third world country. I'm SO HAPPY I stood by myself and my reasoning to come; to make a difference to people and to make myself proud. The people from Nicaragua are thankful for everything, something we don't always do.

Kim-Hello American or should I say hola! Today was the first full day of our Nicaragua work camp and I'm already blown away. Life has been simplified and it truely a breath of fresh air. The village where we are doing our work is everything a village should be. There are kids playing, dogs running around, and plenty of chickens. It literally a whole different world. While I was sitting in the shade eating lunch I was looking around and I felt such a strong sense of community. The people know each other and are there for each other. Though their situations may not be the best in the world they make life loving and enjoyable. For example when we first showed up we were warmly recieved with over half a dozen hugs and handshakes each. They were so greatful we were there and I was so happy to be with them. I'm so glad I came and even though my hands are blistered from digging and its pretty buggy God called me to be here a nd I'm just begining to see why. Nicaragua is full of so much possiblity for the mind, body, and spirit to grow and I'm so blessed to be able to come here. I know my mom will be reading this so I wanted to let her know I'm still alive and well. Love you all! :?

Allison- Hi family! Mom, my phone has no service so that is why i havent called. I love and miss you all. Everyone needs to go to worship so i cant type for any longer, im having a great time its beautiful, i love the people and we are all being fed very very well. Cant wait to tell you all about it when i get home! Tell everyone i say hello!<3

Kellan-Hello Parents. It was obvious to all of us that as soon as we got off the plane and onto the the bus this was going to be a life changing expeirience. My family group was one of the first to stay in the Madona Inn. I was sad when I first walked in, to see that a nicer hotel here is comparable to a motel back home. It was nice night. The first day wasn't to bad either. We didn't go to the dump today. Thats tomarrow, today was a work day and for us it was alot of digging and breaking up hard clay. Not a whole lot to report yet but Im sure the next day will be a big wake up call. see u soon.

Pam Singhal - The young people are truly awesome. They also have a lot to say, so I will be brief (worship is starting). Everyone is fine and we are watching over your loved ones. Missing everyone from home.

Everyone and All Bags arrive safely

2009-07-24T06:38:00.000-07:00

Have no fear, we are here and SWEATING!

Last night we landed in Managua around 8pm local time. After a lengthy wait at immigration we sprung forth into the baggage claim where we found all our bags, including one that we feared had been lost in Pittsburgh.

We met up with our new friend Omar, and traveled to MEFEL. After a delicious meal of Chicken, Bananas, and Sweetbread we were introduced to the MEFEL staff led by Ronnie and "Boss Cartwright"

Wake up this morning was at 5:45am (7:45 am in Pittsburgh)

Morning devotionals filled the time between wake up and breakfast which is being served as I write.

Plenty of bottled water is on hand and spirts are high.

Today we will visit Chococente, meet the families of the project, and complete a half a day of work there.

Thank you for all the prayers, God Bless.

More to follow this afternoon.

Last minute packing!!

2009-07-22T11:13:00.000-07:00

We leave in less than 24 hours! It seems to me that everyone can't believe the trip is actually here after working toward our goal for a year!

Tomorrow we will be meeting at the church at 8:00 am for a little service and communion at the church with our families. If you're in the area and wish to join us, we'll be there at 8! After the service we will be taking a bus to the airport, and taking off for Atlanta around 12:20ish, and then heading to Nicaragua from there.

Please continue to read this blog! We will be posting updates (and possibly pictures!) of our trip, so you can read what our youth and advisors are saying about the trip!

This mission trip will be life changing for all involved. We are so thankful for the outpouring of love and support from our families, friends, church, and communities. This trip would not be possible without you! THANK YOU!!

Two days left... are you ready?

2009-07-21T07:47:00.000-07:00

Well, we're finally down to the wire. We leave for Nicaragua in TWO DAYS! The general consensus of the group last night was that now our trip is a reality! We have been talking about it all year, and now it's not two months away! It has seemed to hit some people last night: "Oh man, I'm really going!"

Last night we had some folks come down from Pisgah Program Challenge Course located at Geneva College. We met the people in our family groups and did some really awesome (and crazy!) team building activities. We were asked how we could use the lessons we learned last night in Nicaragua. Everyone seems so focused and willing to participate and listen to others! It's going to be a great trip.

We also packed suitcases of donations last night. I think the number of suitcases we will be taking down to Project Chacocente is around 18-20! Thanks to all who have donated supplies! The project will be so happy to have these things! Also, thanks to all the parents who helped pack the suitcases and made sure they weighed the 50 pound limit!

Thanks to EVERYONE for the wonderful support you have shown us this past year! We are so grateful to have wonderful families, church families, communities, and friends who want to help the people in Nicaragua and support our trip!

Lisa :)

Work Camp 2009: Nicaragua!

2009-07-20T07:18:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to the Christ Church Youth Group blog! We will be posting updates of our time in Nicaragua (July 23-31) so you will be able to see and read what we're up to down there!

Christ Church is sending a delegation of 66 youth and advisors to Project Chacocente in Managua, Nicaragua. Project Chacocente takes families out of the Managua town dump and gives them the tools necessary for a better life, and helps them along the way. The project believes that creativity and cooperation are the solution to poverty. It is an integrated, multi-faceted program that incorporates housing, farming, job skills, education, social skills, parenting, life skills, nutrition and health, problem-solving, small business and values awareness into a single effort to transform the lives of the poorest of the poor (www.cumcfaithforward2009.org).

We leave in three days, and we're all getting really excited for it! Tonight is our "Nica" meeting where we will break out into our family groups and get to know each other a little better with some small group exercises. Later tonight we will be packing suitcases of items we will be taking to Project Chacocente.

Please continue to pray for all the youth and advisors as we get ready to go to Nicaragua! Continue to follow our blog, youth and advisors will be posting so you'll get several different takes on what is going on!
Other websites that you might be interested in:
Project Chacocente's website: www.outofthedump.org (learn more about the Project!)
Christ Church Youth Group Website: www.cumcfaithforward2009.org (learn more about our trip via this link!)

Adios, amigos!
Lisa

Work Camp the Final Work day!!!

2008-07-18T21:30:00.000-07:00

This is brought to you by family group Eh? (A)

Steven Sesay
Well this week was one of the best experiences I have ever had.
I learned many things and also had a lot of fun. One of the best things I did this week was visiting Niagara Falls and working with a lot of cool people. I liked the falls because they were beautiful. Also I met a lot of new people, some I knew from church services and some I just met. I would totally do this AGAIN!!!!!!!

Chelsea Elliott
This week I was able to see multiple things during our work experience and back at the harvest house, as well as other places new traveled too. Things differed from a visit to Niagara Falls to spending a few hours in the basement smashing pots. Everyone put forth a huge effort no matter how big or small. If I was given the chance to do this again I would and I would also encourage others to join in on this.

Caroline Merritt
I am so glad I got to come back to Pittsburgh to go on this trip. It has been a great experience and I’ve met some really cool people. I got the chance to go to other work sites and help out another church. I had never been to Niagara Falls before and I’m glad Imp glad I got to go. I hope that I can come back next year for work camp. I think other people should come too because it is nice to see how we can easily help out others.

Megan Krebs
This was our last night on work camp. Although I am excited to come home and see my family (HI MOM!!!), I am sad to say goodbye to the seniors and to Mary, who if you don’t know is going to the Air Force next summer. I have met the most beautiful people on this trip. C.J. told us a story tonight about the little boy across the street who saw some one get shot in the face. This little boy is a true story of God’s work. We are so gracious to the people on this trip. They have opened their homes and hearts and community to us. I have learned so much this week from the symptoms of tetanus to leadership skills. I appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers throughout this week. I cannot wait to see everyone when we get home. Lots of Love, Megs

Amanda Bittner
This week has been absolutely amazing. I have been blessed to be able to work in a different place every day and therefore experience so much. Today I was fortunate enough to go with Pastor Angel to help set up for a revival that will happen tomorrow. When our group got there we met a group of women that volunteer for an organization in Dover, PA called New Life For Girls. New Life for Girls is a program for women who have experienced drug and alcohol problems and are now close to God and making changes in their lives. It was so incredible to pray with them because they would shout and clap and they were not afraid to show their love for God. This entire week has been so great and I have so much more to share. Thank you for all the prayers and God bless you all.

T-Money (Trevor Howell)
This week has been a totally rad week!!! I have had the pleasure to do God’s work for the past week and get a lot done. It has been a totally fun and amazing week for me. I worked on the roof for the whole week. At first it seemed like a very long and never ending job, but when the first day ended and we all saw the pace that we all worked at we saw that we could accomplish the roof with time to spare. The experience has bonded everyone together in a way unimaginable but was accomplished. I have had a great time and will definitely do it again. Baby Jesus rocks and is so cute in his little manger!!!!!!!!!!

Megan McCollum
Coming into this week I expected to do a lot of hard work and get very sore. When I got here I had a lot of fun working and really learned a lot. I made a lot of new friends and became a lot closer with my old ones. After this week I really feel a lot closer to God and I realized how much God could improve my life. I worked in a couple different places in the Asbury Shalom Zone. I worked in the basement, on the roof, and on the fourth floor. The roof was my favorite place to work. We got a lot done in a few days and had a lot of fun. I will definitely do work camp again and have just as much fun. This was my first real work camp and I loved it a lot. I can’t wait until next year’s work camp! J

Pat Angelici
At the beginning of this week I was really down with problems in my own life and was sick. I considered returning home but the holy sprit told me to tough it out and have more faith. This week there were good and bad times. I am glad I could help. It was worth it. I am glad have seen what I seen on this trip. And I hope to continue my spiritual journey.

Jenn Kidner
During this work camp I learned that work can actually be fun. Whenever I was working on the 4th floor, in the basement, and finally in the warehouse, I had fun knowing that I was helping other people in need. I basically knew everyone who was on this trip, but I did make a few new friends, who I became close with really fast. During the closing worship service, I felt as close to God as I’ve been in a very long time. I was going to leave this work camp because I missed being at home, but I’m so glad I stayed because I really learned a lot and had fun too.

Tyler Remington
On the first two days of working, I was on the roof doing demolition of the existing roof and laying plywood and insulation foam. This was really interesting because no one knew what it was going to be like. The roof had a low point which allowed water to accumulate in one spot causing the insulation to root, the tin roof to rust completely through, and the rubber roofing to be damp and moldy. We nearly finished the roof in these two days, but I was not able to complete it because I had acquired a heat rash which felt like needles going through my arms anytime something touched them. I asked to go to the basement but the basement crew went to another location to help. I was then placed on the third floor, at first I helped with the ceiling but we ran out of material so we started the dry wall and insulation. The dry wall was not hard to do but it took a lot of effort.

Sean Lewis and Jesse Cibella (the advisors)
So this was the first experience for both of us at being advisors for the youth group and we both learned a lot and really enjoyed ourselves. Sean worked on the third floor all week doing a little bit of everything including installing a ceiling and hanging drywall. Jesse was part of the roofing team that was able to tear up and completely fix a huge section of roof that had sunken and started to completely rust through. The roofing crew successfully tore up placed OSB board high density foam and two layers of rubber followed by the silver top coat to seal. Taking the reverse role for this trip was definitely an eye opener and a blessing on both of our lives. Who knows this could just be the first of many work camps that we are advisors for. We not only taught our family group, but we learned a lot from them as well.

Work Camp '08 Day 4!

2008-07-18T06:53:00.000-07:00

This blog was written by the members of the family group led my Josh Elders and Anna Auker.

Thursday, July 17th, 2008

Marissa Cozza- Today, I worked with Mr. Lewis and “team awesome” for another long day of labor on the roof. Because there was no dumpster this week, we had to keep piling up the debris and old roofing material in one huge pile. Today, we moved the pile (all 50-60 garbage cans full) and we also finished laying all the strips down. I’m experiencing the pleasures of what fiberglass does to bare skin! Despite the difficult work, there’s nothing like working together, as a team, to accomplish one goal. Our goal is to make the roof stronger, and safer. Although it’s hot and uncomfortable, we work hard together and keep each other strong. As a change of pace, we visited Niagara Falls. The vast beauty of the falls forced me to reflect on the “bigger picture” of God’s creation. No matter how big, or small a job is, it’s necessary and appreciated. I realized then that we weren’t just doing Shalom Zone work, but we were doing God’s work.

Molly Patterson-Today some of us, including me, got the opportunity to work with another church sorting products that had been donated by companies. There were boxes and boxes of shampoo, soap, and makeup. The girls definitely had a lot of fun with that job! After we sorted the products, we took plastic bags and put a mix of different kinds of products in them to be donated to people in need. Tonight, we got to experience the power and beauty of Niagara Falls. It was my first time there, and it was something I will never forget. It was a great reminder of God’s almighty power and majesty. I thank Him for giving us this beautiful world and all of its wonders. It has been a great trip so far and I am very grateful for this awesome opportunity.

Kian McCollum! - Some 15 of us met an extremely jovial man named Pastor Angel. While on his cell phone he would say such things as “I love yuh Brothuh!” or he would look at the sky and point and say “Thankya Lord!” We then worked at his church/ warehouse and feasted upon the best pizza and wings ever made. Glorious. Afterwards we met 3 young boys who mirrored the personalities of Joseph Krafczynski, Tom Luketich, and myself. They were pretty darn cool. We played around and they married our sisters. Many pictures were taken before we left for Niagara Falls (which was even more glorious) Thankya Lord, and I love yuh Brothuh!

Kory Beardshall – Today I got to go with several others to work in a different location sorting different products and then bagging them. We got to met people and youth from other churches and talk to them which was cool. It was a good break from smashing metal in the basement of the Shalom Zone. After we got back we got ready and went to the falls where we ate dinner and then went on the cave of the winds tour. It was a really great experience and a beautiful site that I’m glad we got to see!

Julie Christman- I joined Team Tetanus today and helped them to complete their mission of cleaning the 4th floor. We scrubbed the floors until they were clean. Also we went to visit Niagara Falls and we took a tour. It was very wet (obviously!) It was fun to have a picnic dinner and a worship service out in the nature.

Joe Krafczynski- Well, today I went to a warehouse on the outskirts of town and sorted soap into piles. About halfway through the day we realized that these three small chilluns’ acted like us (Tom, Kian, and I) so we hung out with them and had a foam battle. We were also told that we were going to have to eat beans and such since it was a poorer neighborhood, but instead they ordered pizza and wings that were scrumptious.

Tom Luketich – On today, myself and some fourteen other individuals went to a Churchish warehouse in a disreputable section of town to sort various soaps and shampoos and whatnot. The gentleman who drove us there was a joyful man named Reverend Angel who would often raise his hands to the sky and thank the Lord, and was fond of ‘bear hugs’. Whilst at said warehouse, much important work was done, and also we had the best pizza and wings to ever grace my palette. The drink I had with this fine meal was Faygo redpop, I also had a mysterious drink called Loganberry, which was actually really good. Kian, Joe, and I also met three young children who mirrored our own personalities. It was a party! Then we went to Niagara Falls! Hooray!

Haley Roberts- Today, I worked on the fourth floor with Team Tetanus. We swept the floor all morning to rid of the vast amounts of dust. Then we took a lunch break and hydrated ourselves from all of the work we did. Afterwards, we mopped to floor to ensure extreme cleanliness. We worked so hard that we finished early and got to be the first group for showers at the Harvest House . Then we ate dinner at a park near the Niagara Falls and had devotions on a really pretty site near the river. The Cave of the Winds tour was so awesome and I got soaked! Today was such a fun day, and I hope tomorrow will be just as fun.

Rachel Bachri- Today I went to a warehouse with about 15 other people. Pastor Angel drove us there. He was very friendly and gave us a bible quiz on the way there. After we got there we helped sort out hair products and skin products. They were products that were damaged and returned, but could still be used. Then we filled bags up with a couple of each item, and on Saturday the people at the warehouse will give the bags to people who need them.

Anna Auker- Today, I was working up on the 4th floor with “Team Tetanus.” We finished clearing out the garbage in the room, did as much sweeping as possible, and then pseudo-mopped the floor, meaning that we used brooms to scrub the floor with a mixture of water and Pine-Sol. It was a great sense of accomplishment when we mopped the whole warehouse floor in only an hour and a half! Everyone worked really hard and we were all so incredibly proud of the work that we completed in three days. The room looks so much better now. During the night, we went to Niagara Falls and did the Cave of the Winds tour and it was awesome! Our family group had a group hug up on the Hurricane Deck and it was intense. I’m so glad we got the chance to have that experience!

Our family group says hello to all of our families and friends from home and we'll be seeing you soon! Keep on praying!

Pictures... FINALLY!!!!!

2008-07-16T19:59:00.000-07:00

PHOTOS BY JESSE CIBELLA

sorry it took so long we pay att. to your comments!!!

Work Camp 08 Round 3

2008-07-16T19:57:00.000-07:00

CUMC Work Camp 2008 Blog Entry Number 3, Wednesday July 16, 2008

This blog entry is being created by Family Group members in the group led by Dale Himmler.

4th Floor “Team Tetanus”: First of all, Team Tetanus comes from the fact that a big part of our work this week was carrying boards that usually had nails in them. But don’t worry parents- we took all necessary precautions and reminded everyone about tetanus on a minute-to-minute basis and even learned the first symptoms (lock jaw). :-) Team Tetanus’ job for most of the day was carrying boards to the freight elevator (from 1920, inspected in 2002) and then unloading it and taking it to a dumpster by forklift. The End.
3rd Floor: Our objective for this week was to basically drywall the areas that are unfinished and to finish putting the ceiling up. In order to do this we had to clean the areas we are working on. We tore down a wall that was old and damaged from water, and we are going to put new frames up for the drywall. The ceiling had a rough start at first. The power saws were shutting down on us, making our work harder and slower to complete. For the people on the 3rd floor, we have the capability to complete this project. It will take teamwork for us to accomplish our objectives.
2nd Floor Roof: Well our day started off quite difficult because on arrival at the Shalom Zone we began tearing up a large part of the roof so we could replace it with plywood. We had to go through rain in the early morning and a slight breeze but we figured out our priorities. By lunch time, we had torn up a most of the roof to the edge of the roof and were beginning to put down plywood. However, we had to leave a large dump of garbage outside because we ran out of space in the dumpster, and this leaves us with a large amount of work to start with tomorrow. By the end of the day, we had placed layers of plywood, foam and rubber over top of the roof and are beginning to tear up the rest of the roof.
2nd Floor Electrical: We started the day off with the wires we had run through a section of the pipe the previous day. We hung the rods in the ceiling then spent awhile fishing the wire through the entire rod all the way down to the switch boxes. This took a long amount of time and everybody did multiple jobs to pull this off. The wire got stuck in the rod multiple times so we had to pull it back out and pull again. One person on the switch box side pulled the wire, while a person on the other end pushed the wire. We plan tomorrow to connect everything to the fusebox.
Basement Smashers: Just like yesterday, the basement has become a place where angered teens can “let off steam” by destroying things with human force (provided by hammers, sledge hammers, and swinging things against steal beams). We did this ALL day. Once old items are broken, we have to separate the metals into different piles (which is difficult when none of us are metal experts). The Shalom Center will be recycling these metals and earning money from it. Although it appears our big pile of junk will never diminish, we are not losing hope in what we are doing – especially since the basement is much cooler (in heat) than any of the other sections!
Anchor Bar: We all went to the Anchor Bar tonight for a dinner of wings and sweet pizza. The restaurant was cool and decorated nicely. The wings ranged in flavor from mild to SUICIDE! They were really good.
…And now we are about to start evening worship!

Good Night,
Group D
Jackie LaRosa 5. Danny Churchill
Sam Humbert 6. Kelsey Novak
Sam Nicholson 7. Allison Muck
Kevin Boyer 8. Mark Ripper
Kim Barszcz 9. Dale Himmler

Work Camp '08 Round 2

2008-07-15T18:48:00.000-07:00

This blog entry is being created by Family Group members in the group led by Steve Miller and Mandy Marn.

We woke up around 7, which was way too early. This morning, for breakfast, we had cereal and oatmeal. After breakfast, we met in our family groups for devotions before heading off to work at the Asbury Shalom Zone. Traffic report on the way- kind of stuffy, but safe with no accidents. When we got to the ASZ, we divided into our five work groups- Steve Miller led the electrical group, Josh Elders led the dry wall group, Dale Himmler led the metal scrap group, Bob “The Builder” Lewis led the roofing group, Karen and Anna led team Tetanus group on the fourth floor to clean up the EXTREME mess. Every group had their own adventure.
The roofing group ripped apart the decaying rubber roof to find holes that looked like Swiss cheese. As a result of the many holes, the merchandise underneath on the bottom floor got wet. The Tetanus team was in charge of cleaning the fourth floor, which was deadly to asthmatic people. It was caked with dirt, dust, and black bags filled with stuff including metal, which was rusted. That’s how the team Tetanus got their name. Their adventure for the day started when they were moving some black bags and found, supposedly, a dead cat carcass. Frantically, the girls ran to the other floors to spread the news. After everyone ran up to see the “cat,” it was proven to be a ball of dark, dirty yarn. They probably didn’t know what it was exactly because it was a very dark room with no electricity, and the windows were boarded up. The electrical group had to do some tedious wire work, starting with attaching conduit to the ceiling, measuring out 140 feet of wires, and untangling them to get ready for tomorrows day. The dry walling group started out their day by doing some demo work on one wall and the ceiling. They had to move boxes full with little things to make room to patch and attach the ceiling. Measuring was one of the main things for the day to get ready for tomorrow. The metal scrap group had to disassemble metal objects to take the metal and sell it for money. One of the objects was to take apart a treadmill.
The days were long when working two hours, short lunch break, then back to work for four more hours. Even though it was long, hot and stressful, it was well worth our effort and felt good. The next three working days will help put us in other people’s shoes and see the world in other perspectives.
Dinner was prepared by Heather, Mandy, Sarah, and family group B. We had a taco bar with many toppings to load them. Tonight we are meeting in worship then going to get some ice cream at Lakeside Shop.
We will all get a good night’s sleep for we are “dead,” like the “cat.”

After Night,

Group C
Emma Watts Lauren Nicholson
Mitchell Warmbein Kayla Haid
Heather Taylor Laura Danley
Monica Seger Todd Becker
Ty Baird
… Off to the Getty!!!

Work Camp '08 Day #1

2008-07-14T17:18:00.000-07:00

This blog entry is being created by Family Group members in the group led by Bob Lewis and Karen Cwiklinski

Alex Dragon – We haven’t done much yet, just arrived and seen the work site. The thing that made the biggest impression so far was when the man who owned the Harvest House spoke to us. His stories were more impressive because he hadn’t always been a devout believer, but seemed to receive divine signs and help that allowed him to help many people.

Danielle Wiley - Not much was done today. We just got to see the site where we will be working and what needs to be done. I am a little nervous about working because a lot of it is complicated. The one thing that has had the biggest impact so far was hearing about how the man who owned the Harvest House used his connection with God to help others and how the Harvest House came to be.

Kate Luketich – Today we got settled at the Harvest House, and also went to an orientation at the site we will be working. Later, the man who owns the Harvest House with his wife talked to our group about how their organization came to be, and the kind of things that they have done in the past. It was interesting to be in a place like this, and I am eager to see what kinds of things we can do here.

Katie Schroeder – Well, we didn’t really do much of anything today, haha. The choir met up with the youth group kids and that was kind of fun. Then the rest of the choir kids who didn’t go on work camp (AND YOUR MISSING OUT JUST WAIT AND SEE YOU WILL BE) went home and then we got settled in rooms and played Train Wreck, which was interesting, haha. We got our family groups, and group B ROCKS!!! Then we just kinda hung out and ate lunch. We went to the ASZ and had a tour type thing. Then the guy who owns the Harvest House told us the story of how he got it, which was interesting. And then we just broke apart and now I’m writing this, haha.

Hirsch Singhal – We get food in two minutes. Yeah. Actually, Gary, the owner of the Harvest House came and spoke to us, and it was rather inspiring. He talked a lot about how God has provided for him during his experiences with the House, as well as speaking about how he turned from a “Closet Christian” into a believer.

Justin Owens – Today was a fine day. We learned what the job choices were for the shalom zone and how the place runs. Very interesting stuff…..

Shanna Bodnar – Today was my first day in the harvest house. We ate lunch and then headed off the the Shalom Zone aka our worksite. A few of the men there showed us around the building and all the things that we would be doing. Upon returning we listened to the man that owns the house Gary and talked to him about how the difficulties were always taken care of by God. He heard gods voice everywhere and it didn’t stop until he listened.

Lauren Thomas – Hello! Today was a very sweet day. This morning the choir tour met up with the ones that road in the van for 4 an half hours, we had lunch together and than went up to the common room all together and just sat and talked for a little and than played a games called train wreck. After a little while of playing we got in our family groups and talked about what we were going to be doing while we were here. We got in the vans to go to the Shalom Zone the building that we were going to be working on and walked the whole place to get a good idea of what we had to do and how many people would have to work together in the same place. We got back to the Harvest House and the owner of the house talked to us about how this got to become the harvest house. Well that’s it for today so …. O yeah make sure to ask Greg about the broken mirror!!!!!

CJ Hoffman-Wellll, though not that much happened today on the outside, I think all of us are starting to get comfortable in the house and such, and we learned a lot about how the house came to be from it’s owner, Gary. Before all of that, we had breakfast which arrives in like two seconds, and then met up with choir kids, after finding out we could’ve slept for another 2 hours. Then, we hung around, and grabbed lunch, then headed over to the shalom zone to check out what we were gonna be up to for the week. It’s a ton of work, not gonna lie, but with 70 people it’ll go by fast. Now we’re off to the park. WOOO YEAH! Peaces.
Karen and Bob – Well as you can see from the kid’s comments things are just starting to happen and tomorrow we will begin the real work! We’ve included a few pics from the day’s activities so far and are looking forward to a great week of fun, fellowship and of course hard work!!!! The work site has a tremendous amount of things to do from basic clean up, electrical work, drywall installation and finishing and of course my annual roof repair!!! Keep us all in your prayers!