Detroit Urban Plunge in numbers

-3 Schools (Grand Valley State University, Michigan State University and Albion College)
-3 InterVarsity staff
-48 students
-6 days
-7 organizations that we partnered with
-7 people are able to fit in my NEW car
-52 loaves of bread bought
-4 grocery store trips
-13 pizza's
-1 trip to Urgent care for stitches
-1 house construction for Habitat for Humanity
-1 urban farm
-1 shower, 50 people
-3, the number of showers I had in 6 days
-1 student making a decision to follow Jesus as Lord and Savior
-6, roughly the number of hours of sleep I had each night
-1 crazy, getting lost experience in Mexican Town, that almost had us in Canada
-600 pieces of fruit, to be eaten (and all but 10 or so were consumed)
-3, the number of toasters we used, to split between 50 people. (We had toast and fruit every day for lunch).
-300, the number of bagged lunches made every day
-1 rap created to encapsulate the trip
-2 sheet cakes
-12 pies



Overall, it was an awesome trip! We served the city of Detroit, learned about injustice and what the Gospel has to say about it. We dealt with poverty, racism and plain brokenness. Loved wrestling through this with students!

I love my job!

Mission: Detroit 2011

 First Baptist Church in Albion took their first trip to Detroit for an urban missions trip. It was a great experience, with lots of potential and contacts made for future trips. Here is the group, (minus the two college students that met us there). It was the hottest week in decades, but you would never know by this picture. We are ready to roll!

 The poor, poor people that had to ride in the van without air conditioning! 

 Impact Church was our home for a few days. It was SUCH a blessing to come back to an airconditioned sleeping area. We ate our meals here, slept here, and showered here. I am proud of our group for dealing so well with 1 shower for 24 people. Way to go team! 

On Thursday we set off to work at Hope Church. Hope Church put us to work! Amber and Grace made a drab white hallway into an ocean mural.....

 Hope Church also put us to work in their garden. There are over 41 square miles of empty land in Detroit, why not plant a garden? There are no stores that sell produce within the city limits of Detroit---makes it hard to eat healthy! How do people get fresh produce if they don't have money...another advantage of community gardens! Speaking of community.....gardening together brings the neighborhood together!  

 And then more work at Hope Church......working with their kids camp. They have an 8 week kids camp, serving from 40-100 kids. 

Friday we sent groups to the Detroit Rescue Mission. The center we went to was a center for ex convicts re entering society. Our team prepared meals, served meals and cared for the men in attendance. 

 Also on Friday some of the team was sent to work at Impact Church, doing some cleaning work. The kids did awesome!!!!

 Following the work on Friday we went a local home and had a soul food dinner. It was great!! Delicious! We also met with a couple from Albion who have moved to Detroit to live intentionally for ministry purposes. 

Saturday we spent more time cleaning at Impact and then.....to Greek Town!!! Wahoo. Gotta love Greek Town in Detroit. 

A Late Monday Morning

I rolled out of bed at 8:30 this morning. Unheard of around here. Jon has been at work for a few hours and Caleb and I are definitely enjoying a quiet morning and sleeping in. We had a very busy weekend, and we needed that sleep.

Our time in Detroit was great. Jon and I have both been a part of urban ministry trips in Detroit, but we have never done them together. This was our first time together, and our first time having a child there. It was
 H A R D with a baby-almost toddler there. I was so glad that Caleb was there though. We want to have it instilled early on in our family that we do ministry together, we serve together and follow Jesus together. It may not be as hard as I thought, just realizing than an 18 month old is harder to work with than college students.

There is a lot of adoption talk going on at our house, for those of you who have been asking. If you have been paying attention, we have said that we would pursue foster care in July 2011. Here we are, almost done with July and we have not forgotten. We are so unsure of where to pursue at this point.  There has been a lot of discussion and prayer. This week there should be some emails sent and phone calls made.

I have lots of photo shoot ideas for my little man. This week may be the only week to get them done. I am looking forward to it!

Today will be spent catching up on my Bible reading. Apparently a 4 day missions trip isn't quite conducive for a 90 Day reading plan. Laundry will be done, including sheets, my bedroom will be cleaned, I will started back on my shredding (Day 9 today) and photos will be edited!!

What are you up to today?

In my own little corner

• In a few hours, I leave for Detroit. Our church is going on an Urban Missions Trip and I am so excited to be a part of it. It seems strange to be packing and getting the whole family (all three of us) ready for this. I am always the one to leave, to go on these trips, to staff these trips with college students as well as a variety of other travel fun. This time....me, my hubster and the baby. Wow. All of us. Feels great, even if I am weirded out. 

Because I will have my "Mom hat" on, amongst other things, I have a feeling that a lot of my time will be spent with Caleb and other kids. This will be different!

I am currently reading the Bible through in 90 Days. It has been a sure test of discipline. I have loved it. It has been hard to not dig deep and study, but I am reminded of the importance of a Biblical Overview. It has been 10 days and I have covered Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus and am currently in Numbers.

My to do list is bigger than the alloted amount of time in a day. When will that change?

I had a brush with insanity this week. The last straw dropped and I went to the salon and had Caleb's head shaved. Wow. I am both mourning and rejoicing. No more sticky, yucky food hiding in his afro, no more combing and picking through, no more tantrums with the grease, no more worried that his hair will get wet and then I will have to comb it out again.....but HE LOOKS SO    B I G.  Can someone please come and tell him to stop growing?

I have a few hours before we leave for Detroit. I need to finish my Bible reading for the day, clean out the car, pack the car, pick up cat food, find coolers, fans and paint supplies and work on some of our Bible Studies for our time in Detroit. Can't wait to take a few pictures in the city.....and then of course bring them to you:)