PowerPlant 2009

PowerPlant 2009 was an amazing trip! On Friday morning, we met at the church and then hit the road shortly after for Spartenburg, South Carolina to work with a local church plant. Our job was to put on a youth basketball skills camp in order to connect with young kids in the community and share the love of Christ. One thing I think all of us learned on this trip is that sharing your faith doesn't always mean that you have to be talking about your faith...sometimes just taking time to pour into the lives of others by taking time for them and loving on them goes a really, really long way!

Daniel's van...getting ready to leave!

Leigh Anne's van full of students:

Along the way, we stopped to grab a bite to eat and give everyone a chance to stretch our legs before driving the last part of the trip to South Carolina.

Valerie, Taylor, and Leigh Anne grabbed CFA:

Daniel, Nate, Evan & the rest of the guys at the DQ:

...and the girls eating their ice cream!

Grace & Tessie:

Once we were back in the van, it wasn't long until we were the first church to arrive for the weekend. We unloaded our bags, set up our rooms, and then ate our first dinner together. After dinner each night, we met in a building called The Storehouse for "The Gathering", a time to sing praise and worship and then listen to Pastor Art speak before breaking up into our individual church groups for Devo time.

Each morning, we met back in the Storehouse to listen to the Evangelism speaker who taught us how to share our faith and a Power Plant teacher who taught us what a church plant is and what it takes to set one up. Shortly after the speakers, we'd have lunch and then head off to our individual church plant projects for the rest of the day. Yay, Hoop Skills '09!

In the Storehouse, wearing our PowerPlant '09 shirts:

On Sunday, we went to church at our church plant and then had a "planning day" so we could get ready for the basketball camp and figure out what our individual jobs would be each day at the camp.

Upstairs at Connection Fellowship:

Ha! Poor Connor got stuck taking a pic with a leader (me):

The Boss:

Connor & Corinne:

Alex & Corinne:

Hunter & Amy:

Two of the fav kids wearing their Hoop Skills '09 t-shirts:

More camp kids:

Coach Grace watching out for her team:

Hunter & Connor teaching their Bible Story during snack time:

CB, Corinne, & Connor with Lessie:

At one point, Harrision got ahold of the camera and took a self-portrait:

...and took pictures of LA and several others while they weren't looking!

Hunter laughing with Jared, our church plant leader's son:

Thumbs up for Hoop Skills '09:

On our free night, we went to eat at Johnny Rockets and then hung out at Frankie's fun park where everyone played laser tag, raced the go carts and played putt putt golf.

Johnny Rockets:

Evan & the girls: Blair, Tessie, & Grace

Nate, Harrison, & Nathan (the church planter's other son):

Daniel, Brandon, Trey, Hunter, CB, and Jared:

LA, Valerie, and Sha-tay-tay:

Hunter & Garrett (one of the fav kids) on the last day.

I think Hunter was teaching him to say "What's up, Bro?!"

Harrison was exhausted and wiped out in the van on the way to dinner in "the ghetto" as Nate called it:

Valerie and Taylor, riding the escalators:

While we were walking around the mall, we found this booth that simulated hurricane force winds. You stand inside of it while the wind gets stronger and stronger and stronger until it reaches 78 mph. Several of the kids took a turn getting their faces blown off!

Nate, Blair, and Grace got a new hair do...and look a little wind blown:

Part of the PowerPlant Crew:

Headed back to the church for the last "Gathering". Do we look tired or what?

Brandon & Trey, chillin on the ride back:

On the last night, we had one last Devo time and one more "Gathering" with everyone from all of the churches. We all talked about what lessons we'd learned in the week, what it meant to take all this home with us and how not to just have this mission "high" and then return to "normal" when we got home. We also started the packing process since we were leaving really early the next morning!

Valerie & Amy at the last Devo session:

A beautiful night to spend talking about what we learned this week:

Grace & Corinne:

LA & Harrison:

Nate & Daniel:

The room where the bomb went off! Oh wait...no...that was just the girl's room! ha!

I miss the PowerPlant group already and hope and pray that the things we learned this week aren't quickly forgotten. I had a blast with everyone on the team and I know each of us walked away with our own lessons and memories. For those of you who went, I'd love it if you'd leave a comment about something you want to remember from this trip, a funny story, or maybe tell people about why you'd recommend serving on a mission!