Hello friends and family of this awesome Petal Pusher team!

 

Things are getting crazy in sunny California!  As I told you in the last update, there were ten servants in our group who answered the call to work a double shift yesterday.  After devotions, group sharing and bonding time, they drove all the way back to Pasadena to help finish decorating floats after the second shift ended at 11:00 p.m.  They returned to our hotel about 3 a.m. this morning. 

 

The rest of our group headed back to Pasadena by 6:15 a.m.  Those who did the double shift stayed back to get some much needed rest.  Or, most of them did at least.  Hats off to Pastor and Vivian Ernst, who after two hours of rest, returned with us to Pasadena once again!  The only thing I can figure out is that being filmed for Australian TV yesterday has affected Pastor’s judgment!!  J

 

Our understanding was that the floats in our building were to be finished when we arrived early this morning.  We thought we were coming to watch the final judging and to get our first clear view of the floats with all the scaffolding finally out of the way. It didn’t work that way.  Some of the float crews were still working and had not gone home at all last night.  We were quickly brought into service doing heavy work.  The entire building had to be completely cleared of boxes, buckets of unused flowers, sticky glue containers,  stacks of styrofoam flower holders for the vialed flowers, all work tables, and the entire building had to be swept.   All scaffolding had to be taken down and moved by the float building company, Phoenix Decorating. Needless to say, the place was a beehive of activity.  Many of us did more physical work in an hour and a half this morning than in the previous days combined.  I even ended up on scaffolding again helping a volunteer cover some exposed spots with pieces of evergreen boughs.

 

At 8:30 the judges began their work.  The place was totally silent so they could talk to each other.  Our float was the fourth one to be judged and when they were finished we broke out with loud clapping.  The crew chief, Jennifer, was crying as the job was finally completed.  She has done this job for so many years and we have learned to absolute love and respect her so we were emotional as we said our goodbyes for yet another year!  The float is absolutely gorgeous!  It is a beautiful witness to Jesus with exquisite art work by His people and covered with the flowers of His creation!

 

Dick Gast, the LLL man in charge of the Lutheran float, thanked Ellie for sending ten of her people last night and for our coming this morning to help get it all finished.  However, after the judging we were leaving and he said they still needed more help at the other building where floats were being built.  With the driving skills of Pastor Ernst as our leader, we headed over to Rosemont to see how we could help.  Long story short, we joined the chaos in that place and helped where we could although there seemed to be a lack of organization there. It was good to be there and watch those floats being moved out onto the street and getting lined up for the parade.  Most of our group had not been there before and enjoyed seeing the activity there.  The Rose Bowl is visible in the distance from this building site.

 

 About noon we were dismissed so we drove over to Colorado Blvd to have a look at the street which will be one big all-night party.  It was too early in the day for much to be happening, so we headed back to the freeways and returned to our home away from home.  Many took naps upon returning to the hotel.  Some of those who had volunteered for the night shift had gone out to eat and spent time at the beach as well.

 

As we were driving back to Los Angeles we had a call on our two-way radio from one of the other cars.  By cell phone they had been informed that some who had stayed back this morning had turned on the TV and saw an update about the float building in progress.  They saw Ellie and I, David Dose, and Jeanne Kuhlmann standing outside the building waiting for a work assignment!  Now, how crazy is that?  The Iowans on L.A. TV!!  I will admit, not as impressive as being filmed for Australian TV, but TV nonetheless!  Again let me say, “Who would have thunked?”

 

At 4:00 Ellie called a group meeting. She assigned each car load of people a list of things needed from the Dollar Store to finish filling kits for the homeless on Skid Row.  For example, one car was to buy 325 small toothpaste tubes.  Everyone had fun with it, especially when 30 people entered the same store all dressed alike in Petal Pusher shirts!  We do draw attention to ourselves that way.  After that, some drove to Ralph’s Grocery with another assignment.  One was to purchase our evening meal from the deli and pick up the 80 pieces of broasted chicken that was already ordered.  There is no meal at the hotel tonight so we ate as a group in the meeting room.  Another group was to purchase items for our very early breakfast in the morning as we will be on the road for the parade route by 5:15 a.m.  Yet another group was in charge of the tailgate party in the parking lot after the Rose Parade tomorrow.  We learned years ago there is no reason to try leaving Pasadena for at least an hour after the famous parade.  If you do, you only sit in traffic as a million people try to clear out at once.  It is much more fun to have a parking lot lunch and simply drive away when we are finished.

 

The evening concluded with some group games, sharing time and devotions once again.  It is time to catch some sleep.  Some are getting tired to the bone!   We anticipate the big day tomorrow as we take our spot along Colorado Blvd by 6:00 a.m. and watch the famous Rose Parade in the warm California morning sun.  We wish you were here to experience it with us!  To God be the glory!  Have a great time welcoming in 2014.  We will be sleeping by then I’m afraid!

 

As Ever,

Lynn Menz

Hello from sunny Los Angeles and Pasadena! 

We were on the freeways by 7:00 this morning after a great breakfast at our hotel.  We arrived at the Rose Palace and were put to work immediately on various floats.  Most of us were assigned to the Lutheran Hour float for a good part of the day.  The float is no doubt the most beautiful I have ever been privileged to work on.  The detail is beyond description and can only be appreciated by seeing it in person.  I hope you can get a glimpse of the stained glass windows as the float goes by on HGTV.  They, of course, are not stained glass, but made of all organic materials like rice, ground flower petals, beans, and many other things!  They do look like stained glass and are rich with special and meaningful symbols of our Christian faith. 

 

Many of us spent the day creating dark, medium and light pink rose displays across the back of the float.  Others spent the day gluing light green silver leaf and creating tiles for the roof, a monumental task!  Yours truly was actually up on scaffolding again this year putting uncounted roses into floral displays towards the top of the back of the float.  The crew chief on the ground would shout directions from her viewpoint to create symmetry and consistency from one spray of flowers to the next. 

 

We drove back to Los Angeles when our shift ended and hit rush hour traffic, but eventually all seven of our vehicles made it back.  After maybe an hour of relax time, we ate our evening meal in the Residence Inn meeting room.  We spent time sharing the highlights of our day with each other as we shared some of the beautiful moments of this day’s adventure. 

 

There was a young lady and her camera man who filmed Pastor Ernst as he was creating one of the beautiful rose displays on the float.  When they were done filming, I talked to the young lady and found that she had a very interesting accent.  It turns out that she is from Australia and was filming for one of their TV stations!  Who would have thunked??  You just never know what to expect on this mission adventure.  Others were able to share their faith with visitors who streamed through the building all day.  Our float is the first one the visitor sees as they climb to the top of the catwalk and peer down onto the unbelievable scenes below.

 

Ellie led devotions this evening and did an excellent job if I say so myself!  It had been requested by the Lutheran Hour crew chief that Ellie call her after devotions around 9:00 this evening to see how the second shift was progressing.  The final judging is to be done at 7:00 in the morning so all work must be finished tonight!  As expected, they need more help through the night and 10 brave members of our group are heading back for another work shift beginning at 11:00 p.m. tonight!  All floats in the building must be completed tonight and Petal Pushers are working on eight of them I believe!

 

Those who are not heading back to work another shift will leave at 6:00 a.m. and be there to see the judging take place.  It is a special time as the whole building goes silent while the judges spend a few minutes at each float for the final judging.  When our float has been judged and the judges bell is rung, Petal Pushers break out with hoots, cheers and clapping!  Sounds a little goofy perhaps but you have to be there to understand.

 

So, it is off to bed tonight for most of the team so we can be up bright and early.  We will no doubt say a special prayer for those in our group who will be heading back to work again tonight!  I will hopefully be bringing another update tomorrow.  Good night from sleepy Los Angeles!

Lynn Menz – Petal Pusher extraordinaire

 

Pasadena Update

Hi Everyone,

Sunday morning came early for about 25 Iowans and 6 other brave souls from different states.  We met in the Residence Inn for a very early abbreviated breakfast menu since we had to be hitting the Los Angeles freeway system by 6:30 this morning.  Residence Inn normally serves a fantastic breakfast but set out some simple items for us at that early hour.

 As we got into our cars, instead of zero or below, we were greeted by temps in the 60’s!  Hate to rub it in, but we loved it!

 After our caravan of 7 cars negotiated the California highway system and found our way to Pasadena, we began our day by attending the worship service at the Lutheran float in the Rose Palace building.  LCMS president, Matthew Harrison was the pastor and God’s spirit was indeed in attendance!  He delivered a short, but powerful sermon followed by powerful singing.  I have been to several of these Sunday morning services like this but never have there been so many people.  Instead of the normal 50 people, there must have been in excess of 200 or more.  Our day was off to a great start.  One member of our group, Pastor Ernst, was asked to do a service at the other building, Rosemont, and he gladly served as guest pastor for people in that building!

 

We did several jobs during our work shift.  About half of our group was taken to the flower tent where they vialed roses for most of the day getting them ready to put on the floats in the next couple of days.  Others were cutting status flowers while still others cut yellow straw flowers.  Some of us glued rice onto a railing on the Lutheran Hour float.  I had a job of gluing kidney beans on a window casing on the float, something I had never done before.  Towards the end of our shift, some of us began gluing mums to be glued onto the lead float in the Rose Parade.  It is being constructed in our building and was behind schedule and Petal Pushers were called in to give it a boost!

 

We left the Rose Palace about 4:00 when our shift was over and drove further into Pasadena to eat at the Soup Plantation.  We left totally stuffed and satisfied.  At this writing, we are resting before going to the meeting room for devotions and discussion of thoughts of the day commonly known to IOWAY people as “pows and wows.”

 Tomorrow we will drive back to Pasadena for another work shift, beginning at 7:30.  I know we will be amazed to see how the float decorating has progressed by the work of the night shift.  Temps are high here which affects the way flowers open and the time to begin installing the final roses is being adjusted by the crew chiefs.  We look forward to having all the floats we are working on look absolutely magnificent as they head down Colorado Boulevard in Jan. 1.  The Lutheran Hour float is a knock-out this year with such beauty and intimate detail.  We wish you could be here with us to see it take shape!

 Tonight we will begin the task of sorting all the items we brought in our mountain of luggage to share at Skid Row on Jan. 3rd.  Many churches and individuals sent money for that purpose so a trip to the local Dollar Store may also be on tomorrow’s agenda as we fill all the towel kits we have with us for the homeless on Skid Row as we show God’s love to them in that special way.

 God’s blessings to each of you!

Sincerely,
Lynn Menz

 

Haiti Update #5

 Hello Iowa:

 Crazy to think there is just one more day until we come home - we are all feeling mixed emotions about that. This morning we went to the orphanage, which was where the kids that we took to the beach came from. It was not your Anne of Green Gables orphanage though; we noticed plywood beds (with no mattresses), a small kitchen, a classroom, and a small play area. We spoke with the pastor of the orphanage, who shared that his number one priority was feeding the children (most of the time they get fed twice a day, but if funding is not available, they are fed once). He is also very dedicated to educating the children. He explained that following the earthquake the building was a gathering place. All of the children were happy to see us again, and we all enjoyed visiting with them again. Please join us in praying for Pastor Josef and his ministry at the orphanage.

Following the orphanage, we visited a few different schools, both public and private; many of the students are no longer in session at this time, but we were able to see many classrooms, supply closet, principal office, and other key parts of a school. There is a tuition to attend both; private school students pay about $250 a year for everything they need (if interested in sponsoring a child, contact Patti). Public schools are free, but students have to pay a fee about three times a year. Private school systems are similar to US school systems.

 Next we ate lunch; ham and cheese sandwiches, rice, fried potatoes, chicken, and sweet potatoes are a few of the staples that we have enjoyed in the past week. We have also enjoyed many unique foods, including a green golf ball sized fruit this morning at breakfast; those who tried it thought it tasted like peaches and gave you cottonmouth. This evening we also visited an ice cream shop, where we enjoyed vanilla, rum raisin, and chocolate flavors.

Later this afternoon, we went back to the tent city for the feeding program. If you remember from earlier in the week, this may be one of their only meals this week. We served rice, beans, and hot dogs today; we all continue to feel blessed by what we have.

Following the feeding program, we taught VBS for the final time this week, which was at the church near the guesthouse. Today we taught about helping our neighbors, the Good Samaritan story, praised Jesus, and had a snack. All of us haveenjoyed the VBS experience as much as the kids, as well as acting out different Bible stories. We also met many of the kids that are being sponsored through the ETCH Program (if interested, contact Patti), which was a rewarding experience. ETCH stands for "Education to Change Haiti," meaning that a person has the opportunity to sponsor a Haitian child to go to school. ETCH is a District-run program. These kids also had to be fitted for a school uniform and shoes during this same time.

We closed the day again in Bible study.  We started the week with the theme "we are here to love" and have added "serve, touch, change, and listen."  Tonight we met under the theme "we are here to share."   We read Ephesians 4:1-12 and discussed the importance of unity in the body of Christ.  We have grown together as a team and tonight went around the circle recognizing the contributions everyone has made - building each other up!

We look forward to a less hectic schedule - a little shopping, packing, and organizing the supplies and clothing we plan to leave here.


We're anxious to see all of you and are so thankful for your prayers.
God bless you - The Haiti team

Haiti Update #4

Hello Iowans:
(by Patti Anderson)
This morning we painted a cargo bin that holds carpentry supplies; in August, a convention for the Haiti National Lutheran Church is coming to the church to make decisions and praise the Lord. Other preparation work was also done - moving rocks, painting, and cleaning. 

This afternoon we taught VBS in Ramon, which was near the beach. There were over 150 people there that learned about Jesus, Daniel and the Lion's Den, and praying. This has been the topic at all three of the past Bible schools. We also fed them lemonade, granola bars, and peanut butter sandwiches; this was very moving for all of us. Everyone was extremely eager to receive and thankful for just one granola bar. It was overwhelming to see this children so excited. 

Tonight we attended the churches prayer service. It was such a joy to hear them join their voices in song with zeal and enthusiasm. We also handed out toothbrushes, toothpaste, and witness bracelets at the end of the service. 

We gather on the porch each evening for Bible study, prayer, and reflection.  We enjoy sharing our highs and lows of the day. Each day our team grows closer to each other and to God. Please continue to pray for our team and the people of Haiti. 

In His love,
us

P.S- The crutches are no more! :)

Haiti Update #3

Hello from Haiti:

Today we went to Bassin Bleu. Check it out on Google. It was beautiful, and most of us got something checked off our bucket list. We traveled by dump truck through a forest, city, and river. Once we arrived at the destination, some of us went cliff jumping, while others of us watched.

After the fun team building morning, we went to the feeding program in the afternoon. We saw lots of kids and adults that were in desperate need of food. The feeding program is able to feed about 80 children two times a week - this meal includes rice, beans, and chicken. For most, these might be the only meals of the week. We feel so blessed after witnessing the hunger of today. We sang songs, shared Jesus with them, took photos, and fed them. The feeding program was located at the tent city's church, which is where we went next. We were fortunate to distribute 180 pairs of shoes, around 300 pillowcase dresses, and other clothing items. After seeing the day's events, we all feel incredibly blessed with everything we have.

The day was concluded by participating in teaching ESL Classes; we all enjoyed forming new relationships and making conversation with our new Haitian friends.

We are all ready for bed; it's been an exhausting, but awesome day. Thank you for your continued prayers. 
Love,
The Haiti Team

PS: Someone on the team is on crutches. Clues: She is very clutzy, and it's not Kim or Sue. Send back your guesses and love :)

Haiti Update

Greetings from Haiti!
It has been an awesome, amazing, and exhausting day! 
We enjoyed a great morning at the beach with the children from the orphanage.  They loved playing and splashing in the water with us.  They especially loved Zachary, Lukis, Hannah, and Abby!  It was so fun to see the smiles!  We then fed them lunch on the beach and they had quite the appetites! 

This afternoon we had our first experience at VBS - teaching at the church near our guest house.  It was a great afternoon - Jane estimated 100 children along with many other family members!  Kim, Sally, and Abby led them in singing - we presented many songs and they sang for us as well.  Our Bible story was "Daniel in the Lions Den" and we spoke to the children about the importance of prayer.  We also did crafts, played games, and fed them peanut butter sandwiches and juice.  They really enjoyed getting their picture taken by Patti, Sue, and Hannah --- they printed the pictures ---- and attached them to a frame to take home.  Haitian children do not often have the opportunity to see themselves in pictures - so they loved it!  And so did the moms :) 

We ended the day in Bible study and prayer - reflecting on our theme "we are here to love."  "We love....because He first loved us."  We are so thankful for the opportunities this trip has given .
We love and miss you and hold you close in prayer -
the Haiti IOWAY team

Haiti Update

Hi from the IOWAY Haiti Team,

We flew from Omaha to Dallas to Miami and finally landed in Port au Prince at 4:40 yesterday afternoon.  The airport was a pleasant surprise, nice big building with restooms.  We were greeted by Reginald who collected our luggage and stacked it in the dump truck.  We rode a van at least 3 hours to Jacmel where we went to Pastor Marky's restaurant for supper.  They served fried chicken, seafood pasta, salad and french fries.  We then went back to the guest house, our home for the week, for devotions and a much needed good night's rest.  Today, we are getting used to the heat and higher elevation.  Everyone is feeling sluggish. Worship service started at 8:00 this morning.  Nathan our interpreter along with the choir, sang a beautiful song in English for us.  Nathan was lead vocalist backed up by the choir.  We were not able to understand the language but we could follow the order of service as they followed the Divine Service. We were really moved by the 5 people who became children of God through Baptism.  After lunch we will be planning our week with Sydney, Pastor Marky's wife.  We plan to take the children from the Lutheran Village Orphanage.  30 children and our team will spend the day on the beach.  We hope to keep in touch this year as we are able to get internet at the guest house when we have power.  We send our love to all of you.  Please forward our message to friends and family for us.  Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Team Member Reflections-West Virginia 2013

     What a joy to share Jesus with children

Stand Strong!

in Lewisburg, WV.  His children both young and old are so unique and such special blessings.  It has been a week of unique experiences.  Whether we are in Iowa or WV God is with us and His love never changes. Eileen

What an unforgettable amazing week.  The children enjoyed the week but I’m sure not as much as the adults. (Even if it was WORK) It certainly was an emotional time and really pulled the strings of my heart.  I was asked to step outside my box several times, but it did me good.  I’ve learned to talk more openly about Christ and His love, even to strangers.  Go figure-they thanked me for it and even wanted to pray with me.  I believe we had an impact on the city of Lewisburg even if it was a drop in the bucket. Speaking of bucket, is a mission trip on your bucket list? If not it should be! Deb Preul

I would have to say my biggest impact was being grateful to have Jesus in my life.  This trip opened up my eyes and made me realize what I have is better than what some others have.  If you are thinking about this mission trip to West Virginia go for it because you have one life to live and this trip opens your eyes.  Many children don’t know about Jesus but we were able to teach them so much about Jesus.  When the children heard about Jesus - it enlightened their minds.  Kendra Hopp

It was a great blessing for me to share my faith with the people and especially the children of Lewisburg, WV I also had nine awesome friends in Christ to share this blessing with.

I would recommend this trip to anyone considering a mission trip. Sharon Witt

The week of July 12-19 has been an exciting experience of being with Iowa Christians working together to spread and share God’s love and word. 

The amazing children of Lewisburg are truly the most versatile and fast learning group.  They may not act like they are listening but the Holy Spirit is working in them to hear and learn all the Good News.

This week’s experience provided us with the knowledge to share the unique environment of the family life here in West Virginia.  Karen S

I volunteered for this trip without knowing what was involved and without knowing what my position entailed. It was a long ride to West Virginia but with the three other ladies I rode with from my church, it all promised to go well.  Upon arriving at the church in Lewisburg, I was impressed with Pastor Lohmeyer and his wife Judy.

The school we held the day camp at was pretty large, and at first the class was small, but grew throughout the day. We were very well treated by the staff and others belonging to the school-a big help if we needed something!

We started singing with Eileen leading us, and to watch those children sing, dance, and do the actions, made me love them from the start!  Every day was a treat to watch the children participate in all the activities and to see them learning and remembering the bible accounts.  My faith has grown right along with them all.  I feel I have grown in my love for Christ and my power and self confidence has grown to the point where I can help someone find God’s love also.  Shirley

An Ioway West VA mission trip has so many facets from getting to know your team members who come from all across Western Iowa, to meeting new people in West Virginia, to sharing God’s love with people all along the route, to teaching God’s love to children at the day camp and to understanding a different culture than ours. Over and over we saw God’s presence in our days as he protected us with safe travel even in the winding roads of the mountains and the thunderstorms that made it difficult to see. Plus He gave us the energy and the willingness to do the things he asked us to do.

One highlight for me was the prayer walk through town as our group was able to ask several people what we could pray for them for.  How appreciative they were to be prayed for. It was with goose bumps that we prayed for the people in the houses that we didn’t meet.  Knowing that God knew what these people needed. The other happy-sad highlight was in saying goodbye to the children. Giving the hugs and one last time telling them that God loves them. They literally hung on to the promise of God loving them and because of Jesus we will see them later. Ruth

How to express the joy that the children at the day camp experienced?  They learned about Jesus through songs, skits, crafts, and interaction with the Mission group.  I have been privileged and honored to have been among such spiritually uplifting people for my week in West Virginia.  This has been such an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life. 

I would encourage any and all of you to experience this joy at least once in your lifetime.  How about next year?  Shirley Kading

Photo Journey

Team Member Reflections

Greetings from Los Angeles! 

We had a great day today, Sunday, at two of the churches where we had VBS last week.  The people were very appreciative of our help.  This afternoon we enjoyed a delicious meal at Hometown Buffet.  Then off to the beach for some relaxing and building some sand castles. There is amazing talent in this group.  The sand castles were awesome.  Then back to the hotel to reveal our secret servants and to have a special foot washing service.

Monday, July 22, we head back to Iowa to serve God there.  Thank you for your prayers and your support.  God has truly blessed our outreach.  It was a fulfilling, rewarding, exciting, learning experience.

Following are the reflections of the team as they looked back over their two week mission trip:

I’ve been on two other mission trips, but this trip has really been special and meant so much to me. I’ll start with the amazing people we met. I’m not going to list their names, but they’re so loving and supportive right from the very first time we met. I never one felt uncomfortable or awkward.  Skid Row was one of the major highlights of this trip. It really opened my eyes to how blessed I really am. We think we have it bad sometimes, but people there basically have nothing, yet they’re still smiling and living their life. VBS at the churches was absolutely amazing. I’ve never had that much fun before teaching God’s word and helping out. One really cool thing that I got to do was play piano while our VBS director, Joe Mitchell, who is also a professional musician, played percussion. (This was at Christ Lutheran Church by the way.) I was blessed to work at St. Philip’s church too and I loved the diversity with getting to work with the elderly and the kids. You get so close to the people you work with and teach that it’s hard to leave. This trip has strengthened my faith more than other trips I’ve been on. (The other trips are still really good though!) I’ve taken on a while different perspective on so many things.

-- Jena Nahnsen

This trip meant a lot to me. This was my first trip so I was kind of nervous about it. I didn’t know what to expect because I was going to be with people I have hardly talked too. As soon as we landed in California everything felt normal because everyone that came was so caring and supportive about everything. Also, every new face we met in California was so welcoming and it felt like I have known them for years. When we went to Skid Row I was nervous at first because I have never really seen anything like this before. The nervousness went away fast because we were all working as a team. Also, by the end of the day I was handing out Jesus bracelets to the homeless and wasn’t scared at all. I find that surprising because I am literally scared of everything, but this time I wasn’t at all, it just kind of fell together. After that weekend was over we had VBS and that went great. Both churches had a great group of kids. All the kids had their unique personality and each one had a story. It was such a great feeling when they knew the answers to what we asked. This mission trip was a great time and also it built my faith and taught me many different things.

            -- Sierra Pauley

Having the opportunity to be on this trip has changed/impacted my life in more than one way. From the moment I took my first steps onto the streets of LA, I knew that this trip would involve many ups and downs, but in the end, it has been worth it. Being able to serve at Skid Row was such a humbling experience. In the way that I realized that my life truly isn’t that bad after all.  I have a family that loves me, a roof over my head, and food to fill my stomach. What else could a person ask for? Most of the people on Skid Row don’t have the privilege to be blessed with any of these things. To be specific, there was a lady with four young kids plus a newborn strapped to her back. All I wanted to do was rescue the baby and find him a better home. No one deserves to grow up homeless. But life isn’t fair, and it’s pretty much impossible to help save all of man kind. Other than working on Skid Row, we helped with Vacation Bibles Schools and it was also a good experience. The kids at the various VBS programs were very welcoming right when we stepped foot into the churches. It was an overwhelming experience that I will never forget. I never would have thought that when my two weeks in California was over I’d want the trip to last longer, but I was wrong. This trip has changed my perspective and has opened my eyes for the future.

-- Abby Schmidt

Throughout this trip many wonderful things happen. You will meet many people and it is such a blessing. First off, Skid Row is a major part of this trip. It will most likely be the time that you realize many, many things. We have so much that we take for granted and I truly hate it. I do it myself. Once you come here and experience Skid Row, I promise that it changes. Secondly, you get the amazing opportunity to teach Bible School to kids that might not even know about Jesus. Teaching the kids is always a highlight of my day. There are many kids that you will open up to and you will find yourself attached to them. I was blessed to be able to see Heidy this year again. Last year I became very attached to her. I also got very attached to a little girl, Khalea. I loved it when she would run through the door and hug me. God sent me on this trip a second time for a second reason. He has a plan for me as well as everyone else. I believe that this mission trip is a part of his plan for me. I hope by writing just this little information about how wonderful this trip is and how it touches your heart in so many different ways, so that othersmight consider going on this trip. God bless everyone who reads this.

-- Alexa Rowedder.

Once again this trip has been amazing for the third time. Every year I’ve grown in my faith tremendously. I’ve loved making new friends, both members of the IOWAY team and the students we work with at VBS. It’s amazing how some of the students remember us, our names, our likes/dislikes year after year. One of my biggest “Wows” came from a student in my class. He lives with Carlos, a boy I taught last year at VBS. This new student told me Carlos wished he was at VBS, but his mom signed him up for summer camp, so he couldn’t make it. But he told me that Carlos said hello and he reads his Bible that I gave him last year at VBS every night before he goes to bed. This was just another testimony that we make lasting impressions, more importantly Christian impressions, on these children and by doing that we lead them to Jesus Christ. I’m glad I came a third year. I’ve become stronger in my faith and have become more confident in proclaiming our Savior.

-- Spencer Owen

This trip was definitely a faith builder for me. It helped me remember and realize what we’re really suppose to be doing here, and that’s spreading God’s word. Many of the kids that I worked with and taught had such strong faith even when things were tough. They reminded me that God is ALWAYS with us and no matter what is happening, you always praise Jesus. There was one girl in my class who didn’t know Jesus at all and honestly that was a shocker to me. I often take for granted the fact that you think everyone knows or at least has heard of Jesus. She was interested though and asked lots of questions. I think that was one of the moments when it really hit me how important and crucial it is to be telling about Jesus and spreading His word. There is so many people  that haven’t heard about Him and need to. Also, this trip opened my eyes to how materialistic we can be. I think so often we try to find happiness in buying stuff and having the newest stuff when really none of that is really going to keep you happy. This trip has shown me that Jesus and God’s word and promises are the most important things in life.

-- Bailey Dammen

As one of the adult leaders on this mission trip it has truly been an honor and a personal faith builder for meto watch the IOWAY young adults on this trip witness and grow in their faith. They were all very willing servants of Christ and exemplified Jesus’ great love. I met many amazing people with their own Christian testimonials and they will continue to be in my prayers. As for the VBS kids we taught, some knew Jesus and some did not. I pray we touched their hearts so that those who believe continue to grow in the faith and that those who just are learning about Jesus that they continue to learn and accept Christ as their Savior. This is my fourth mission trip and each one becomes more amazing.

-- Doris Nahnsen

My purpose for this trip was to fulfill God’s plan for me. He has a plan for me, and just like the others who went on this journey, it was just another part of life that He has in store for us. God wanted me to be here to tell about His love for us, and how He sent His Son to die on the cross for us. Once you start letting other people “In” on his word and his love, their emotions brighten, and it builds their faith. That is if they have already heard about our Lord and Savior. This feeling is a thousand times better when you open up a new door for them and you’re the one to share the love of God with them for the first time. The kids you meet are so open minded and want to learn because a lot of them don’t feel love at home. Their relationship builds with God and you.

-- Emma Meseck

Snapshots of the Journey

A Need for Prayer

By Doris Nahnsen

We met a man at Skid Row in Los Angeles whose life resembles the life of Saul/Paul in the Bible.  The following is his story. He shared his story with the group during the worship service.   Please keep these people in your prayers.

Today we met Ritchie who is now a Christian.  At the age of 13 he committed his first murder.  He was at a bar in Mexico and an individual was harassing his friend so he pulled out a gun and shot him.  The individual he killed was an enemy of the Mexican Drug Cartel.  The drug cartel then kidnapped Ritchie and trained him to be an assassin.  He continued to be an assassin until the age of 17 when he was arrested in the United States.  He was convicted and put on death row.   During his time in prison the guards were basically on his pay-roll and he continued to commit many crimes.  If a Christian would try to talk to him about God he would tell them “I am your god and you will worship me”.  He would have any Christians beaten by the guards or killed.  He would then smoke their bibles by using the pages as papers for cigarettes or drugs.

During that time in prison (for the assassin charges) he got off on a technicality.  However, because of the crimes committed while he was in prison he was sentenced to 10 more years.  He served his sentence in Colorado in a cell that was 11 stories below ground.  He had NO human contact for those 10 years.  Two peanut butter sandwiches were placed in his cell daily.  The shower was mechanically wheeled into his cell.  He said he basically lived in boxers since there was no need for clothes since he had no human contact.  Besides the very basic needs the only other item in his cell was a bible.  After 5 years he decided to read it and it was then that he accepted Christ as his Savior, asked for forgiveness and became a Christian.

When he was released from prison the Drug Cartel wanted him back.  When he refused they kidnapped his daughter (which he fathered at the age of 13).  He told them that it was against God’s will and refused to return.  Through God’s divine love the Drug Cartel released his daughter.

Now, several years later after reestablishing a relationship with his daughter, his daughter got into some trouble with the Drug Cartel and they have kidnapped her.  She is currently being used in unimaginable ways and they plan to kill her when they are done with her.   Ritchie and his wife continue to be strong Christians during this difficult time but DESPERATELY need your prayers!

An Update from the West Coast!

Hello everyone! We have some free time now, so I (this is Spencer Owen) am writing a little update about the happenings here in LA. We thank you for your continued prayers for our group and for the people we serve here in LA. I know it's been a while, so we have to get caught up a little bit.... Hope you enjoy! 

Let's start all the way back with last Saturday (almost a week ago already! I guess they say time flies when your having fun! And boy, are we having some fun Serving God!) Saturday was our day we went to Skid Row in downtown LA, so we were forced to take the Freeway (known as the Interstate in Iowa!) You can say that's an experience in itself, but we arrived safely and we didn't get lost! We arrived in the parking lot of a place called Union Mission. This is the place where Kimberly and Gerald Fortier do their "Urban Street Church" on Skid Row. We helped them set up and prepare for their service. It's pretty cool to see a parking lot with nothing in it transform into an area with numerous canopies with tables for food, clothes, and health supplies, along with an area where people give their testimony and Pastor gives his sermon, along with an area for people to sit. It took quite a while, but by 11:15-11:30 the service started for 40 people or so that are Skid Row residents. 

Skid Row is an interesting place, and if you've ever been on this trip you'll probably agree. When you're driving to the area known as Skid Row, there are people on the streets everywhere! It's just almost incomprehensible. There are so many people in poverty. But to get through Skid Row you have to drive through the "Diamond District" and the "Flower District" -- areas where there are numerous jewelry stores and numerous flower stores. They are two of the richest and fanciest areas of LA, and they are situated right next to the poorest part of LA. There is seriously just a block difference between the two. 

During the service our 9 IOWAY members introduced ourselves and sang a song. They seemed to appreciate us being there and were thankful for us bringing all the items. We also listened to a man give his testimony to the crowd. Doris wrote his story and it was put on the blog yesterday.  Hope you had a chance to read it.

That was just one testimony. Everyone on Skid Row has a story. Why are they homeless? Drugs? Alcohol? Family issues? Fired? Laid off? and on and on and on. It seems like their biggest question is WHY? "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" This is reassurance to us, and to the homeless that God has a plan for us. He knows  and we have to Trust him. 

Saturday evening was pretty relaxing. We went out to eat and just enjoyed each other's fellowship, recognizing how nice we have it back at home. 

Sunday morning we woke up and went to church. We split up as one group went to Hope and one group went to Christ. We drove directly to Santa Monica where we enjoyed a nice relaxing day doing some souvenir shopping and doing some things on the pier. It was really sunny, not too hot, just sunny. But imagine that...sunny in California..but guess who forgot to pack sunscreen...Yup. Sunday night I was hurting and I was really red. I can still feel it today and it's Thursday afternoon. We went out to eat as a 'family' Sunday night and came back for evening devotion.

We headed to bed early Sunday night as we knew we had an early morning ahead of us. We were all going to be early to our churches for VBS just to finalize the plans, check over things, etc. My group left for Hope and the other group headed to Christ. We welcomed new kids and returning kids. Some of them had smiles on their faces recognizing a few of us from last year. It's amazing how they remember us year after year. We had a good turnout at all of our churches on Monday morning. 

Monday afternoon most of us took a nap when we returned to the hotel so we could get 'recharged' for our night VBS at two different churches. We left for Faith and St. Phillip's in the late afternoon. We had a great turnout at both of our churches. We did crafts with them, taught them the lesson, and learned songs. 

Our theme for VBS this year is "Set Sail With Jesus" with a sailboat theme. The theme at Hope is "Investigation Destination - Searching for clues for the King of Kings."  The lessons for the week and the theme words are as follows:

Monday - "Come" Fishers of Men

Tuesday - "Go" Jonah and the Fish

Wednesday - "Trust" Jesus Walking on Water

Thursday - "Serve" Paul serving God

Friday - "Celebrate" Paul's experience of being shipwrecked on an island

At Hope the their lessons are:

Monday - The Birth of Jesus and the Wise Men

Tuesday - Jesus feeds the 5,000 

Wednesday - Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem  

Thursday - The King dies and lives again

Friday - He Lives and will Come again

Throughout this week we have seen many old friends and have gained many new friends at the various churches. There is nothing quite like a bunch of kids jumping all over you (no matter how crazy it sounds), but we all enjoy it and they enjoy us too. We've had a lot of fun and it's sad it's ending tomorrow, but it's awesome to know that even if we never meet again we will see each other in heaven. These kids believe in Jesus and they know where they are going when they die on this earth. I will miss all of them, but knowing that I will someday see them again, maybe not on this earth, but in heaven is exciting. 

  

Thank you again for keeping us in your prayers at home and in your congregation. We certainly can feel the presence of God here in LA! Please continue to pray for safe travels and for the children and people that have been blessed by our work this week!

Have a great evening everyone! 

Spencer