Other pictures are from our group times in the evening called CLUB time where we worshiped and sang and named our PMAs (positive mental attitudes) and our Yeah Gods (naming how we saw God working in the day).
On our final night we had a leader fashion show where the adults modeled the YouthWorks t-shirts that were available for purchase. The t-shirt sales benefit Youth Enterprises which helps teens in need. The fashion show was a big hit!
On Friday after we left Beckley, we went to Charleston to pick up the bus and drop off the rental vehicles. Then we went to the River Outfitters base camp. We stayed in cabins there and spent the afternoon and evening relaxing and trying to stay dry from the rain showers.
Saturday was our whitewater rafting day. The staff from YouthWorks joined us (Kevin, Noah, Allison and Emmalee) along with our to bus drivers (Kent and Kenny). We were 37 people strong. The river was running high because of all the rain (about 6 feet above normal for this time of year). So we got in some great rapids. Only one set of rapids caused us trouble when Kevin, Noah and Tom T. fell out of the boat. Kevin and Noah were pulled in by another boat, but Tom took a little more work to retrieve. Fortunately, he was wearing his GoPro camera and he filmed the whole thing. After our day of rafting, we showered and loaded up the bus for the ride home. We are driving straight through 20+ hours.
It was a fabulous week. When we talked about how this week has affected us, the kids named off several...
* it makes me appreciate my family and my home
* it makes me not take my life in Grand Forks for granted
* I am thankful that these kids are in the United States and even though they are poor, they still have many opportunities
* I am thankful that the kids have a few hours to be in a place where they are safe, fed and supervised
* I have learned to try and not judge people so much. We never know their stories.
* I have loved visiting with people. I am going to be more deliberate about visiting with my neighbors at home.
Ask us about the trip. We would love to share some stories about our experiences. Thanks for following us on the blog!
