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'Tween Mission Trip - 2007
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On
June 1, 2007, a delegation of HPC's 5th and 6th grade 'tweens set off
for Louisville, KY and spent a weekend together of mission and
fellowship. It was a wonderful trip. The kids worked and played
hard throughout the weekend. The following brief photo page has been
prepared to share some of what they experienced and accomplished that
weekend. |
The volunteers of Harvey Browne Church were fantastic hosts supplying us with cereal, juice, milk and paper products in order to get us going on
Saturday
morning without a trip to the grocery store. They view hosting mission
groups as a ministry of hospitality and we could not have been treated
better. They did everything to enable us to have a wonderful trip.
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We
met up with Sharon Mohn, the Director of the Presbyterian Child
Development Center in Smoketown. She is in the process of establishing
a sensory garden in the playground area of the center. Our tasks were
to:
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... assemble and varnish child size benches, paint stepping stones ...
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hoe and rake a large area where they had put down weed killer in
preparation for their garden, and assist her with some landscaping
duties (trimming, weeding, etc.). Our group arrived at 8:30 a.m.,
and by 11:00 a.m. we had completed many of the tasks which she had laid
out for us. |
| We took about a 30 minute break during which Mrs. Mohn gave us a tour of the Presbyterian Community Center buildings .... |
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and the Smoketown neighborhood in which they're located. Being a
part of the Smoketown Community for just a few hours gave us all an
appreciation for the hardships that many people experience daily.
The things we often take for granted are absent from their homes and
from their community. The children of Smoketown have minimal
resources. Without the services of the Presbyterian Community
Center, many would have no place to work on a computer after school, or
to read a book for pleasure, or be read to, or have a safe place to
play, or a safe place to wait for their bus in the morning.
Without the PCC’s ministry, many children would go without lunch
during the summer and would never have regular access to health and
dental care. At the PCC, the children find adults who care about
them, want the best for them, provide safety and encouragement, and who
challenge them to grow in their minds, hearts and spirits. In a
neighborhood where many adults have lost hope, it was a joy to be able
to contribute to the work of the Child Development Center which brings
hope to the children and their families. |
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returned to finish up a few tasks and begin the clean up process.
Then, we gathered for a group photo with Sharon, and by
12:45, we were off to lunch at a nearby McDonalds. |
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After
lunch, we took in the city’s Great Lawn and its water play area.
It was determined that our hard work at the center had created a less
than desirable group fragrance and that the good tourists at the
Louisville Slugger Museum would appreciate it if we rinsed off before
arriving.
Then, we were able to catch one of the last factory tours at the
Louisville Slugger Museum and were introduced to how a baseball bat is created. |
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Returning
to the Harvey Browne Memorial Presbyterian Church we all took turns
freshening up with a welcomed shower and then headed off to experience
Kentucky BBQ at Mark's Feed Store – a local favorite. We couldn’t
depart from Louisville without visiting the Krispy Kreme Doughnut
bakery.
Worship at HBPC on Sunday gave us a new perspective as
we were able to participate from the balcony! The children immediately
noticed the difference in how the folks at HBPC do communion vs. our
church. |
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On
our return, we took a short side trip to see northern Kentucky’s Big
Bone Lick State Park. There is a small herd of buffalo at the park,
which we were able to walk down and see (including 2 babies). |
| The trip was a success in so many ways, and we're thankful to have had both the opportunity and the 'tween particpation! |
