Jodi's Time

What a week...can't believe this is our last night in Halls, Tennessee! I have so many things on my mind - 25 Brenthaven folks, traveled three hours, had 19 meals together, 1,000,000 bug bites, made over 500 pictures, one earache, a few sunburns, a case of poison ivy, more laughs than we can count, many times of prayer, and some bumps and bruises.......all about the one call that brought us to this place. My job this week has been to take care of the Brenthaven folks so that they could do their work - so I had the privilege to watch our youth from afar as they worked with the children at the camp and children at the mission. From the beginning they opened their hearts and did everything they were asked to do - no matter how hot, tired, hungry, frustrated, they were - they did what they were called to this place to do.... love kids! My greatest appreciation goes to Jim and Sheryl Day, Lisa Cook, and Kip Rush for being wonderful chaperons on this trip - they, too, have worked very hard right beside the youth every step of the way! I thank you for the financial support you give the youth through the Silent Auction that helps this trip happen each year - each year I see growth and maturity in our youth that astounds me! Thank you for the cards and prayers you have sent our way this week- they really do help so much! But, most of all, thank you for loving your children. Not just your own children - but the children and youth of Brenthaven Church. We have seen a lot of children this week that have very few people in their lives to love them. It really does make a difference in the life of children. Your commitment to the youth of our church means that they have the foundation they need to go out and help the world - to listen to the call of God on their lives - to make a difference in the lives of others. 25 folks came on this trip - not really - the total membership of Brenthaven came right along side us in all the ways you have encouraged, taught, prepared and loved the members of Youth ROCKS to the point they could come to this place this week to do this work....thanks for joining us!! Love you all....can't wait to see you!!

P K's Quips

Well, next to last. That should be fitting. Once again, and not surprisingly, the youth have jumped into a different situation and came out with outstanding results. This trip has definitely brought a unique challenge as they have been working with children from situations that most of them have never known.

I have been most impressed with their love for these children. To watch one of our boys become a trusted friend to a 5th grade boy or one of girls be called a new best friend warms your heart. I should never be surprised, and really, I'm not. I'm just always amazed how God can take these diverse situations and meld them into an opportunity for ministry.

As a parent, I watch these Dyersburg kids and my heart aches. Their family situations have been most challenging and therefore their responses can be defensive and somewhat confrontational. But the reaction of Youth ROCKS, though difficult at times, was one of love. Thank you God!

I close with this. The opportunity to serve is not just for youth. But if you ever want to be moved by the power of God, go on a youth mission trip. It may very well move YOU to serve!

Grace and peace,

Kip

Sarah's Spotlight! :)

Hey guys back in Nashville! This has been such an amazing week, and I definitely will not be able to recap all of the amazing things that have happened. However, I can explain some of the relationships I have made with such wonderful kids.

When we first pulled up to the house last Saturday, there were 3 kids in the front yard of the building we were staying at. I didn't know that there would be kids staying in the house with us, but it was a very pleasant surprise as we got to know them. Their names were Leigh Ann, Maria, and David. Their parents were the ones in charge of the camp, and they are such an amazing family to watch because of their love for each other as well as God. Maria and Leigh Ann were so gifted in their abilities, especially in piano and horse-back riding. They both told me they had never had lessons, but they had taught themselves some very impressive songs that they shared with me. I didn't have much to share in return, but it was very rewarding to spend time and build relationships with such sweet girls.

I was unfortunately not able to spend much time with the kids who participated in camp because I was a part of the group who went in town to the mission, or "club" everyday. We were able to spend time with kids from 1st and 2nd grade on Tuesday, 7th and 8th on Wednesday, and 3rd and 4th grade on Thursday. These kids were so incredible. Although they may not have been completely open when we picked them up in the morning, by lunch time most of them were open to sharing everything. Getting to know these kids was a blessing in so many ways, and I am so grateful for the oppurtunity to work with that group.

Today, however, there was no club. So we got to go on elective trips with the campers. I was in the canoe group, and we went to explore the Buffalo River. We only had 2 kids that were able to go with us, but that ended up being special because we were able to connect with them so much. Much like the other kids, they weren't very outgoing in the morning, but as they warmed up to us we were joking and playing and having a really wonderful time.

I am so thankful that everything has gone so smoothly this week and I had an amazing time. I feel like my life has definately been changed by these kids, and also by all the people who give up everything just to help them have a chance. The love in this place is so powerful it changes lives every single day, and theres really not that many positive oppurtunities to do that anymore. So just in case anyone from the camp or the mission is reading this, thank you SO much for everything you do, you're not only changing the kids lives but you're making a difference to everyone around you. To everyone else, thank you for your support and prayers throughout this mission trip, we are blessed to have such great friends and family back home. See you soon!

Sarah

Gaines's Awesome Blogging Skills

Today we just came back from the sports elective trip, which was 4 holes of golf and a "fun" filled day at the mission center. We are leaving tommorow but even though its been hot and full of bees the week was fun and I am sad we are leaving.
Today at the mission 1 kid showed up late and he was called Keon. Throughout the week I have not enjoyed Keon for multiple reasons, but today he was well behaved and we had fun. The fact that I can say that I made friends with Keon made my day. You can see Jesus working in these kids.

Weatherman Joe Camp Experience

I have had a very interesting week. I was part of the work crew. The work crew was responsible for cleaning up the camp, and pretty much doing what Mr. Greg told us to do. Mr. Greg is the youth camp director. I got to use my very first riding lawn mower this past week as well. Thursday evening I got to go camping. Unfortunately, right when camp started the N.W.S. (NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE) issued a severe thunderstorm warning for our area. We did not have any storms until that evening we were supposed to go camping. The rain was very light though, we were okay. All of the camp staff are very nice and patient. Some of the campers, however seemed a little bit cranky at times, but for the most part everyone seemed to be in a good mood.

There were many fun things to do at the camp. There is a very large pond to swim in, along with a zipline. The camp also has a large soccer/baseball/kickball/football field for people to play in. We also played card games, board games and some interactive games like Mafia. By the way, the weather alert radio just went off as I was typing with a Severe T-Storm warning. There have been alot of warnings the past several hours.

This has been a great experience and I will remember the this camp for a very long time.

Jim aka "McGyver"

We have had a wonderful time this week here at the New Life Youth Camp. This is their 21st year and from speaking with the staff they have made great strides from very humble beginnings. The facilities here are great and the camp was very well organized. The staff has been very supportive and show great compassion for the youth they serve.

Lisa Cook, Jack, Joe, Ryan, Devin, Shannon, Colleen and I camped last evening with 10 of the kids. We had a great time roasting hot dogs, and cooking S'mores.

It's hard to believe the week is just about over but the kids have really connected with the campers and it will be sad to have to leave.

Camp by Ryan

Well, camp this week has been pretty fun. The first day we hung out in the pond. The next day the kids came and not to many of them talked to me the first day except for maybe 2 or so. Later that night I realized I had poison ivy. It is so not fun. The days passed and we came to elective day. My job was tent camping. It was fun and all but it was so chaotic. The next day we went swimming and I burned my shoulders really bad and they are in pain now. But all in all it was a fun experience. Bye.

Shannon Says...

This week I have been in Dyersburg, Tennessee working at a camp for at risk 3rd and 4th graders. Well, actually the group I was in was not at the camp site during most of the day. My group, Group AC, went into the downtown area of Dyersburg to work at the mission where all the other age groups that were not at camp came on one specific day to hang out for a little bit. The first day was the 1st and 2nd grade group; the second day was the 7th and 8th grade group; the third day was the 3rd and 4th grade group.
With each group it became my job to not only supervise the kids but interact with them as well. Before I even met the kids I was nervous because I did not want to let them down by just doing a minimal job. however, after we picked up the kids and brought them back to the mission, it became a lot smoother than anticipated. These kids accepted me and did not just put up with me. I would have never known these kids were "at risk" kids unless I had known beforehand because they did not behave or act any different than that of privileged child. It amazed me. They amazed me.
Even though I was kind of disappointed at the end of the day when everyone else came back and told of these fun relations they were having with kids they saw everyday, I found it worth it in the end to go to the mission. I was able to experience a bunch of different age groups and meet a bunch of kids that I could help.
There was one thing that I got to do at the actual camp which was go camping for a night with some of the kids. I did not have the advantage of already knowing the kids, since this was at the end of the week, but it did not tune out to be that hard because the kids were willing to accept me. for our camping trip, we stayed out in one of the fields overnight, cooked hot dogs and roasted marshmallows over the fire, played on the playground, and talked about the best and worst thing that happened to us while at camp. The only thing that caused a problem was when the kids did not want to go to bed when they were suppose to.
Overall, I had a great time and was very gratefull to hang out with a bunch of different kids. It was definitely a memorable experience. Oh and one more thing...

GO TEAM AC!

Just JACK

Welp, T.G.I.F for us here at camp. It's a bitter sweet day. For most of us its a really fun event that the kids and counselors have been looking forward to all week. The canoeing group is out on the River. The Sports group got to go golfing today. The art team had fun swimming in our neighbors pool, and the camping group (including me) had so much fun we stayed up until three this morning. But now we all had to say good bye to our kids that we have been teaching and helping with for the past week. It was cool that most of the kids and people around Dyersburg know my uncle, who was nice enough to lend me his sleeping bag and give us plenty of delicious cookies. Anyway I better let Ryan type some stuff so see ya! Thanks for reading.

Trujillo Tales

First of all, this first mission trip with my new family was such a blessing. The first day was hot. like I'm talkin' 99 degrees but the heat index was like 113 degrees. There were sweat bees and bugs everywhere. You should see how eatin' up my legs and ankles are. but through all the pain I made some amazing relationships. ANTHONY THOMAS IS MY BEST FRIEND. Let me just give you an example. he is like a brother to me. On the very last day, he asked me to spend the night with him. or at least eat dinner with his family. I was heartbroken to say no but what else was I supposed to do? Soon after, he gave me four numbers that I can contact him on -- his mom's cell, his house, his sister's cell and one more that he just texted me on in the middle of our prayer. I know that God put him in my life because he does not have a very good childhood, let alone family. He wants me to call every night and anytime he's in Nashville he's going to stay with me. Well its time for me to go. Just know that Anthony wasn't the only friend I had. All the others were a blessing as well. Ask me more about it when I get home!

Kathryn's Adventures

The week at New Life Youth Camp has flown by so quick! I have had so much fun being with the kids and teaching them about Jesus. As a youth group, this mission trip has been the most enjoyable yet. Although there is not much to do in Dyersburg, we always find something fun to do. My elective was art. I loved watching the kids draw and paint new creations each day. I also painted a sweet picture of a tree. It has pink bark with blue, green, red, and orange leaves. Being in Dyersburg and the New Life Youth Camp has been an eye opening experience to a totally different culture. I have seen God working through this trip and I hope they continue to seek Him. Mission Trip 2010 has been an overwhelming success!

Stephanie's Story

Today was the last real day of camp for the campers and us, though we still have elective trips tomorrow (and tent camping tonight). I am looking forward to canoing down the Buffalo River tomorrow with my group of kids, even though the canoing group is so small with only three or four children. With the exception of some behavior problems, today was a good last day of camp. The campers were eager to learn and recite their last memory verse for anyone who would listen, with everyone in my group earning a star for all of their verses throughout the week. I am surprised at how willing they were to learn these verses all week long.

I saw how quick all these children jump on a chance for a friend today, and all week long, while swimming in the afternoon. Although the playing in the water got to be a bit rough, there was no fighting or confrontation of any kind as everyone played together, the counselors, junior counselors, and adults.

Saying goodbye to everyone at the end of today was not easy for anyone, knowing that most of us would not see our campers again. Despite the sadness, we all finished the day feeling like we accomplished what we came here to do and helped these children's feel love in their lives.

On top of all the things I have learned this week, the most important is this: When a ten year old boy clamps onto your neck and face plants into the side of your face, RUN AWAY! They do not have good intentions. Important life lesson.

Matthew's Musings

So howdy from here in west Tennessee! We're having a blast so far. We're all getting along great with our apparently "troubled" youth. (They seem fine to me.) I'm the happy Jr. counselor of Group 6, the pink circles. It's a great place to be. So many memories and it's so fun. I'm supposed to be asleep and me blogging is letting everyone else stay awake. But still that wouldn't be enough time. I'm letting Lucas help me out with some things to say. Sick drum beats by "Tru-jello" (Lucas), while me and Jack, our red headed American friend, battled thru our golden verses. JESUS RAP COMING SOON TO A STORE NEAR YOU. LOTS OF PIGGY BACK RIDES. Pulled my hammy so i g2g see ya later mom.


PS: IF U EVER WANT TO PLAY MONOPOLY DEAL (this crazy fun card game) TEACH A 3RD GRADER HOW TO PLAY AND HE WILL FOLLOW U AROUND AND STRAIGHT BULLY YOU TO MAKE HIM PLAY.

Zoe, Zoe, Zoe!

So far I have had an amazing mission trip and know that I will be very sad to leave on Saturday. I have really started to create bonds with the campers. I spend most of my time with Dai-Dai, Kyetra, and Sierra. Luckily, I have not had many fights in my group and everyone seems to get along really well. I have my morning group with about seven kids where we do various things like fishing, archery, crafts, and horses. In the afternoon we have elective groups, mine is sports and so far we have taught them baseball, soccer, and golf all of which was a lot of fun. I am so grateful that I got to do this and I'm sure that I will never forget this amazing experience!

-Zoe

Katie's Komposition

Let me just start by saying that this mission trip has been a such blessing to me. Getting a chance to interact with and impact the lives of the children at the New Life Youth Camp, and in my case, the kids at the Union Mission's Youth Center as well, is so amazing. Believe it or not, these "at-risk" kids are no different than us; they just lack some much needed attention from their parents and adults.

While the camp is hosting the 5th and 6th graders this week, the Youth Center at the Union Mission does not forget about kids of all other ages. Everyday a different age group comes to the Youth Center. Instead of working at camp in the 100 degree weather, I get the privilege of working with in the nice air conditioning. Group AC! :]

Anywho, Tuesday was my first real day of working at the Youth Center. We got to hang out with the youngest kids, the 1st and 2nd graders. I was super excited to be with the little ones: they always love you and accept you and trust you no matter what. I met the sweetest little girls, Anhelica and Jania, who both immediately took me by the hand and clung to me the entire time.

Today was the 7th and 8th grade day at the Youth Center. Group AC was a little bit worried about the huge age jump from the day before. We were afraid that the middle school kids wouldn't be as open and accepting to us as the younger ones. But surprisingly, the boys and girls did not show any attitude toward our group and were just as welcoming as the youngins. I even got my hair done by a girl named Fantasia! :D

All in all, I'm very happy that God has given me the opportunity to come on this trip, to touch the lives of these children, and to have such a wonderful experience unlike any other. I think I have learned more from these kids than they have from me. Listening to their stories has made me realize how fortunate I am to have such a loving and caring family back home.

I love and miss you all. See you Saturday!

Colleen's Corner

Today was a great day at camp. It hasn't been as scorching hot as the other days, which has been really nice. We went to fishing and most of the kids in our group kissed one of the fish they caught. I did so also and it was disgusting! Anyway, I am so impressed by all of the kids here. You wouldn't believe the positive attitudes and the will to participate that they have. We are going on an overnight camping trip tomorrow night and I'm pumped. The kids have been awesome and hilarious and I'm going to be so sad to leave at the end of the week.

Devin Discusses

The past two days have been crazy fun! These kids are so funny and sweet. My new favorite girl is Princess. She is in my morning group and my camping group. We are going to be tent buddies Thursday night when we go camping. I was immediately drawn to her because of her name alone and once I got to know her I realized she is a girl with attitude and sass. The heat is crazy here and so are the bugs but I get distracted from listening to these kids tell stories about their school and friends at home. I know that when Friday comes and I have to say bye to the kids it will be the hardest thing I've had to do all week.

DEVIN:)

Ms Sheryl Says...

I am having a wonderful time at New Life Youth Camp watching both the campers and our incredible youth! I have been amazed at the enthusiasm and excitement by the young campers, especially when you consider the temperatures are in the 100's. They are so happy to be here experiencing opportunities they might otherwise never get to see or do. Some of these kids have never been fishing or seen a horse up close. For many of these kids, this may be the only opportunity to enjoy doing something fun for themselves over the Summer. A lot of these young kids work very hard babysitting smaller children at home.

We get to help the children work on a memory verse each day, and the children are so eager to see and learn the memory verse. When we break down each memory verse and help them understand what it means, you can see in their faces the excitement of understanding God's word. You can truly feel God's presence here at the camp with his children and that has been a powerful experience for us all. It has been a blessing to be able to help do God's work with his precious kids!

We are excited to be able to share our experiences and pictures with you all when we return.

In Christian Love,

Sheryl

Kristin's Time

So this mission trip is pretty much amazing. I'm really impressed with the kids that are here. The camp here really amazes me too. I met this little girl named Alijiah. She calls me her "best friend". Me and her are always together now. Well me, her, and my other best friend Xavionna. My friend Amber taught me how to do the "Frankie". I'll have to show everyone when we get back. ha ha. The kids seem to enjoy it very much. We've all come so close. Its gonna be tough to just leave Saturday. So far this week is a week I will never ever forget. - - Kristin Wattenbarger

Confessions of a 14 year old Matt

Yesterday was our first day of our summer camp, and I did a lot of work that I had never done before. In the morning I was part of the work group and I helped set out water and prepare for the camp day. Then, I helped clear out a new trail to make traveling across the campsite just a little bit easier. In the afternoon, I was a part of the sports team and we taught the kids to throw and catch baseballs.

At the end, the sports counselor also taught them how to bat. They seemed to have a lot of fun and I look forward to the work ahead! - - Matt Day

Confessions of an almost 14 year old Ashley

Heyyy Brenthaven!!!!! So, we met all the kids today, which was really cool. they were really friendly, and surprisingly polite. first we played kickball, which apparently I'm really bad at. then, we went to bible, and all the kids learned the daily story. after that we got to make hats at crafts, which is awesome, because it blocks us from the sun. Then we got to eat lunch. at this point, I had already been stung by about 10 sweat bees. After lunch we went to chapel, where we sang songs and listened to Ms. Lisa talk to us about joy and love. Then we broke into our groups and went swimming in the pond, which is filled with nasty mud, but feels really good after being in the hot sun. afterwards, we went to art which only had 3 kids. after the camp day was finished, we took showers and headed over to the mission where we played medic dodge-ball, which was really intense, but fun. We also got free t-shirts there. After that, we went back to the building we are staying at, which is where I am right now. Overall, it was a really fun day, but also a really exhausting one. I learned a lot, so tomorrow should be better. plus, it will be our birthday!!! -- Ashley :Day

Confessions of an almost 17 year old Madison

Hey Ya'll! We are at the New Life Youth camp, and I would just like to say that it is the most beautiful place I have seen in along time. First it has green everywhere. Second, it has a pond. Third, it has hills and trees, and fourth it has air-conditioned cabins! Today was Sunday, and we did not do any work, but we went to two worship services, and got to hear from Mr.Greg about the work we would be doing the rest of the week. We then, all went to the pond, and had a wonderful time swimming, and zip-lining. At first the zip-lining was scary, but after the first time it was simple, you just have to be brave and jump off with confidence. Personally I kinda can relate this feeling to what I need to do to the children at the camp. No, not throw them in the water, but build up their confidence to do anything they want to. The thing is most kids just need to know they are loved, and cared about even if they do not have that at home. I am really excited about the experiences I am going to have, and the lives we all hopefully will change this week. It is crazy to think that a simple smile, hug, and hello will make their week even better then they thought. Maybe sometime later this week I will blog and share an experience or two, but I know for sure I will share when I get back home. We have three Birthdays on Tuesday, so Ashley Day, Matt Day, and I will all come back a year older, and hopefully all of the youth will come back changed and looking at things differently. I hope everyone has a safe week, and please keep all these precious children we are going to help in your prayers. Also thank you for all your support and help you have given us! Bye Ya'll! --- Madison Rush

Jack's Ruminations

I am having fun so far on my first mission trip. I snagged some pretty cool shades for under 5 dollars. But overall I am very excited to be around the "at-risk" children at the camp for this week. I feel like I can make a difference in these kids lives and to me that's pretty awesome. In the miscellaneous activities, Monopoly Deal is a big hit, along with a few games of Blokus. I am having a purdy good time so far, and i hope it gets even better. To all my peeps back home, i love and miss y'all and can't WAIT to be back (debatable). Alright that's it, peace - - Jack Emerson

Emily's Shout Out

Hey Brenthaven! We made it safe and sound to our homey destination in Halls Tennessee. When we first got there, we were happily surprised on the very amazing architecture. In other words, the cabin we are staying in is amazing!!!! We were so happy about the rooms and bathroom space. very comfortable with air conditioning. Our camp director Greg first showed us around on a mule. I started looking for an animal, until he showed us a golf cart vehicle with a trailer at the end. So he took us on a mule around the camp site. And of course front seat is always my kind of view. But I don't think it would've mattered where you were on the mule or on foot. It's like a picture out of a magazine everywhere you look. It is beautiful!! Greg told us all the churches that had been there before us had helped in some big way to help build if from a one lake camp with a barn to so much more. It's absolutely breathtaking. As I was on the tour, I kept thinking how could you not feel God in this environment. It would be pretty hard to not teach the kids about God in a peaceful, quiet, and "naturey" place. as the tour came to an end, we all being the energetic youth group we are just had to play some kickball. And of course, my team won! :) Even without the kickball, it was a great day. And also, since it's Fathers Day, HAPPY FATHERS DAY!! To my dad and all the dads out there - - - Emily Ghianni

Lisa Leads Off...

Our group arrived safe and sound around 7pm after a great meal in Jackson, TN at the Casey Jones Restaurant. Several bought "Hey Y'all, Bye Y'all" t-shirts (we will post a picture of them soon) and then on to the beautiful New Life Youth Camp.

We met the staff and their family, went to Wal-Mart for supplies (of course) and then back for an evening devotional led by Kathryn (she did a great job!!) and lights out.

Today (Sunday) we are going to two CP churches (Dyersburg @ 8am and Poplar Grove @ 11am) and then lunch at El Patio (highly recommended by the locals and others) - - - then back to camp for orientation.

Keep us in your prayers and have a great Sunday!!