Texas Mission Part II

Brennen writes: Thank you all so much for your generosity in sending me back to Texas! It was a fantastic trip where we got to serve the community down by the border once again!

 

The focus of this trip was a little different than the last one. We finished one of the houses we built in January (painting, plumbing, putting on a deck, flooring, trim, cabinets, etc.), but the main focus was really serving the kids in the community. 

 

On worksites, the little ones would come along with their parents to watch us work. We were given much more time during the day to play and hang out with them! We had multiple "Carnivals" where we set up little games for the kids to play and just really had a great time with them!

 

It truly was a blessing to see those kids smile, and to know that God is at work in Southern Texas! Thank you all so much again for your support! Your generosity funded all the building materials we needed to finish the project! God Bless!!

Above is the kitchen of the *port-a-potty* blue house Brennen, Graysen, and their cousins worked on in January. It is finished now, and Brennen got to be part of the home dedication that took place the weekend of his second trip! The photos above that are some of the many projects Brennen described in his thank you note :)

Both high school and college students participated in the March/Spring Break mission trip, and their leaders kept them plenty busy in the (very) hot Texas weather. Below are pictures of the skit team (my niece is next to Brennen, in the white shirt), one of the many puppies that my niece and the other girls couldn't resist--even if they had fleas-- and several photos from the Vacation Bible School days all four in our extended-Crew helped out with! 

Brennen volunteered as a small group leader for the middle school boys. He said he was super worn out at the end of full days shooting hoops and running through the soccer field, but he enjoyed spending this time with the local kids!

Of course, there were also some shenanigans :) My nephews attempted tree trimming in a not so OSHA-approved manner, while Brennen and the lads tried on fancy full-length cowboy coats at the border mission. I think these moments count as finding joy in serving the Lord!

The hope is always that when we share the time and talents God has given us, He will draw hearts to Himself and Eternity. Maybe that looks like a roof over a homeless head or an encouraging word to an athlete in a wheelchair or perhaps putting on a carnival to make a child feel loved and a parent feel seen. God works beyond our understanding when we show up to serve Him. In turn, we often get a glimpse of the joy and laughter that will be never-ending in Heaven with Him . . .