Thursday, June 9, 2011

Wednesday Dinner Highlights


Our students and adults enjoyed dinner at the famous Billy Goat Tavern. It is at the level of life below the street level in the heart of Chicago. The burgers were tasty!

Will's Wednesday Words

By Will Whetzell:

To start the day, large groups went to Dunkin’ Doughnuts and Panera to eat breakfast (because the normal breakfast is getting old).

Today, we sang and served at the following locations: Shriner’s hospital for children and the Illinois Youth Correctional Center. I saw several people at the end of our songs that were in tears. God really touched people’s lives today through our music. We ate diner at Billy Goat Tavern. It served the best hamburgers I have ever tasted. After diner, most of the students went to a Blue Man Group show. The students who did not go to the Blue Man Group explored Chicago and had lots of fun shopping and seeing the fireworks at Navy Pier!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

The Leffel Report

Ah... sitting at a baseball game where the underdogs are wining!! Seattle Mariners-1, Chicago White Sox-5.

But lets start at the beginning. The bus ride up was fine with no major glitches. Once we got to Montecello, the people there welcomed us into their church and homes with love, enthusiasm, and joy. We had dinner with them, which they graciously prepared. Once we had done a run through of the show, they broke us up into groups to go to our host homes. I can speak for the whole group when I say that these people we overly kind to have all 70 of us in their personal homes.

The next morning we got up to go to church and worshiped with and led the congregation of Calvary Baptist Church. Once the service was over the FBC youth group and the Calvary Baptist youth, who served us dinner the night before, went to the Lincoln Memorial Museum. It presented Lincoln’s life in a systematic, clean, neat, and fun way. They incorporated all of the senses into the museum with visuals, smells, objects to touch, and sound effects along they way. When we were through at the museum we went back to Calvary and did a concert for the church congregation. Then we had a POOL PARTY!!! It was so much fun :) They had a high dive, low dive and slide, and it was hilarious to see people jump of the diving boards and hurt themselves :) like Garrett doing a belly flop, to Mitch attempting to dive.

On Monday we were served breakfast again by the youth. Then it was time. We loaded the bus to go to CHICAGO!!! We finally arrived and went straight to the Nave Pier. We rode ferris wheels, swings and some of us girls got henna tattoos... my mother was less than happy! After the Navy Pier we went to our first mission trip site, called Catholic Charities. The choir sang, and the people who were not in the choir served the homeless who had gathered in the dining hall to receive a free hot meal. Finally, we got back on the bus and drove to our new home, the Chicago Youth Hostel.

Tuesday Report

By Jacob Dean:

Today we went to the Pacific Garden Mission and sang for the inhabitants of the shelter. They loved it! They joined in singing and started shouting AMEN!! Afterwards, we helped them around the shelter with multiple tasks. People worked in the kitchen, cafeteria, and outside. Dishes were washed, food was served, rooms were cleaned and organized, and worked in the greenhouse. They appreciated everything we did, and we left and went to get drinks. We went back to get ready for the ballgame.

Monday Report

Today we left Monticello and headed to Chicago. The Navy Pier was a lot of fun, and we got to experience some of the flavor of Chicago. Our time at Catholic Charities was truly a blessing. It was hard work, and we were already pretty tired, but God gave us the energy to shine His light to the people who came to eat. As we mingled with the guests and listened to their stories, it gave us a better appreciation for the many blessings in our lives. We could feel the connection with some of the people as we performed and served. When we finished, we had one of the guests turn his chair so he could shake our hands and thank us by name (as shown by our name tags). It was truly a blessing to see how powerful the Holy Spirit can be, moving through our hearts and into our guests' hearts. It was really emotionally moving to see their eyes tear up, to feel tears in our eyes, and to see the energy flowing through the room. God was with us today, and we need as many prayers as possible; prayers for patience, flexibility, and the Holy Spirit to be with us and our audiences.

With love in Christ, Sarah Fowler

Sunday Report

By Ben Vaughn
Today we went to church at Calvary Baptist in Monticello, IL. The youth there treated us like we had known each other for years. We performed in their church service and visited the Abraham Lincoln museum in Springfield, IL. Later tonight we will have our first concert at Calvary Baptist and then have a swim party later tonight. Then we will head back to our host homes and the next day leave for Chicago.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Prayer Guide for Chicago Mission Team

Our First Baptist Huntsville students are on their summer mission trip to Chicago and we need your prayers as we live Christ out loud in Monticello and Chicago, Illinois. We are going as representatives of Christ and of you, our home church. Thank you for your continued support and prayer as we go to live out loud in the third largest city in our country.

Saturday, June 4
Travel to Monticello, Illinois & stay in Host Homes
Students of the Day: Kendal Aldridge, Amanda Anderson, Brandon Andrews, Ashley Belk, Griffin Blake, Logan Blake, Erin Blythe, Robert Boothe, & Brooke Bowlin

Sunday, June 5
Calvary Baptist Church—Morning Worship & Evening Concert
Tour Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum
Students of the Day: Charles Boyd, Leah Anne Boyd, Kevin Broadway, Madison Shieble-Broadway, Ethan Canup, Jennifer Cox, Juliana, Darby, Jacob Dean, & Patrick Dickson

Monday, June 6
Travel to Chicago, Illinois
Serving and Singing at Catholic Charities
Students of the Day: Anna Grace Eldridge, Caleb Eldridge, Garrett Ellison, Brian Faulkner, Allie Foshee, Ben Fowler, Sarah Fowler, Emily Frady, & Rebecca Frady

Tuesday, June 7
Serving and Singing at the Pacific Garden Mission
Serving at the Greater Chicago Food Depository
Students of the Day: Matthew Gean, Mary Beth Gordon, Michael Hoffman, Mike Holloway, Sarah Jarnigan, Haley Jarnigan, Sarah Leffel, Alexandra Martin, & Allison Mattox

Wednesday, June 8
Singing at the Shriner’s Hospital for Children
Singing at the Illinois Youth Correctional Center
Students of the Day: Matthew McDavid, Britney McEwen, Connor McKay, Mitch McKenzie, Juliana Mucci, Rebekah Phelps, Kyle Reasons, Riley Anne Sharpe, & Sarah Sizemore

Thursday, June 9
Concert in Six Flags Great America
Students of the Day: Ryan Stallcup, Britney Talent-Smith, Adam Thompson, Andrew Toomey, Ben Vaughn, Jesse Westerhouse, Erin Whetzel, Will Whetzel, & Olivia Willoughby

Friday, June 10
Serving with the Chicago Lights Ministry and the Urban Farm
Beginning the trip back to Huntsville
Student & Adults of the Day: Alex Wilson, Christy Eldridge, Kelli Ellison, LeAnne Fowler, Suzanne Hefner, Hope Mackey, Amy McKenzie, Dana Mucci, & Anne Reasons

Saturday, June 11
Travelling back home to Huntsville
Adults of the Day: Al Boyd, Bobby Broadway, Jamie Mackey, John MacTaggart, Wayne Westerhouse, & Jeremy Wilkerson