What a weekend! Hurricane Experience time!
Thursday was the day to do my last minute details. As I read through my plans, watched the videos again, and read through the devotions, I got a few ideas of how to improve some things. I always plan and plan and then God takes over and He has even better ideas! I felt like that's what happened Thursday. One of the most impactful things that happens every year during the 30 hour famine is some kind of closing prayer candle time the first night. It's different every year and I had been struggling with exactly what to do. And then it came to me just like I knew it would!
Friday I woke up so excited that it was finally the day! I am sure I get even more excited than my youth when it comes to these events! How did I get so lucky to get to do these things for a living?! I got to church and started setting up all of the rooms. We had a shelter store, a shelter waiting room, a storage area and our welcome area. I walked through and made sure everything was set up as planned. Then, my volunteers started to arrive. 2 of my former youth were the early volunteers to welcome the youth as they arrived. I can never express how happy it makes my heart when my former youth become part of my volunteer team! Watching them transition from youth to volunteer as they transition to adulthood and decide they want to share God with those younger than them is so awesome! I explained the plan to them and off I went to start picking up the youth...they all got picked up as a simulation of being rescued. So, they didn't know when I was showing up except it would be sometime between 4-6. I dropped them off at the church (the hurricane shelter) and went for the next rescue. The youth walked through the flood waters and were greeted by the volunteers who asked them to fill out a bunch of paperwork and gave them a store token and bottle of water. They were escorted to the shelter storage area to drop off their stuff- except for their 3 items. Those 3 items were the 3 most important items that they had decided they would grab in an emergency situation. They headed to the waiting area to join the rest of the group as they all arrived. Videos of the hurricane damage and news reports played as they filled out more paperwork, played a game, and chatted with friends. My first surprise came when I realized the group really hated the paperwork! I mean, I think they hated it more than not eating during the 30 hour famine! Seriously! I took it from the Red Cross shelter forms online, so it was pretty authentic. And, I didn't think much of it until I started hearing them talk about it. I used it just to set the scene when they came in. But, it became so much more than that! At the time, it caused some grumpiness, but in the end, I think it helped them realize that going through that in reality was even worse because that was just part of what they had to do to get help and get into a shelter.
Once everyone arrived, it was time to welcome everyone and introduce our theme, scripture for the day, and thank our good Samaritans who brought us food and hygiene kits. The scripture was Joshua 1:9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” It's one of my favorites as it always reminds me of my first mission trip ad is a great reminder that God is always there even when we have struggles. Then, we got to sing with our live trio! The youth sang semi-enthusiastically, but they had to learn the songs so that was expected. By the next day, they were much better. By the end of the mission trip they will know them by heart...I think!
The evening continued with a silly game to decide which team got to go to the store first, shopping at the shelter store, and a scavenger hunt for more items. They had fun with this and it was interesting to watch them choose their items and to start to work together as teams.
As the scavenger hunt was ending and they were gathering back together, one of my favorite parts of the night happened. The sounds! I had 3 videos of hurricane sounds and sirens on a playlist and I looped them to continuously play throughout the intercom and in the main room we were in. It was eerie, loud and surprising. Then, the lights throughout the church went out! The group was told the power was out. Luckily, there were flashlights around from those who brought them, bought them, or found them during the scavenger hunt. Those moments definitely made an impact...not too scary but definitely eye opening. But, the group seemed kind of excited about hanging out with their flashlights. I had wondered about their feelings when this happened, but they definitely weren't as upset about this as they were the paperwork! Haha! We played some games and they had a good time with it all.
Our evening finished with our devotion/ prayer/ candle closing. (This was what I mentioned from Thursday's thoughts.) I started by reading from a journal my friend's son kept just after experiencing the hurricane. It told of his activities and thoughts in the first week after it happened. We talked about how hard it must have been to not be able to communicate with family and friends and what tears of joy he had as he was finally able to talk to his parents. Then, I shared about the thoughts after a disaster happens...thoughts of forgiveness, regret, letting go. We always thing we will have another chance later on to forgive, ask for forgiveness, or reconcile. But, one day we won't. We wrote down things we needed to let go. Then, we gave them to God by burning them. We closed with a prayer to end the day.
So, where was God Thursday? He was in the details, in the planning.
So, where was God Friday? He was in the preparation and in the moments with the group as we strived to get closer to Him and understand He is always with us even in the disasters in our lives. And, sometimes He's in the friends that surround us during those disasters.
Blessings,
Jennifer
Thursday was the day to do my last minute details. As I read through my plans, watched the videos again, and read through the devotions, I got a few ideas of how to improve some things. I always plan and plan and then God takes over and He has even better ideas! I felt like that's what happened Thursday. One of the most impactful things that happens every year during the 30 hour famine is some kind of closing prayer candle time the first night. It's different every year and I had been struggling with exactly what to do. And then it came to me just like I knew it would!
Friday I woke up so excited that it was finally the day! I am sure I get even more excited than my youth when it comes to these events! How did I get so lucky to get to do these things for a living?! I got to church and started setting up all of the rooms. We had a shelter store, a shelter waiting room, a storage area and our welcome area. I walked through and made sure everything was set up as planned. Then, my volunteers started to arrive. 2 of my former youth were the early volunteers to welcome the youth as they arrived. I can never express how happy it makes my heart when my former youth become part of my volunteer team! Watching them transition from youth to volunteer as they transition to adulthood and decide they want to share God with those younger than them is so awesome! I explained the plan to them and off I went to start picking up the youth...they all got picked up as a simulation of being rescued. So, they didn't know when I was showing up except it would be sometime between 4-6. I dropped them off at the church (the hurricane shelter) and went for the next rescue. The youth walked through the flood waters and were greeted by the volunteers who asked them to fill out a bunch of paperwork and gave them a store token and bottle of water. They were escorted to the shelter storage area to drop off their stuff- except for their 3 items. Those 3 items were the 3 most important items that they had decided they would grab in an emergency situation. They headed to the waiting area to join the rest of the group as they all arrived. Videos of the hurricane damage and news reports played as they filled out more paperwork, played a game, and chatted with friends. My first surprise came when I realized the group really hated the paperwork! I mean, I think they hated it more than not eating during the 30 hour famine! Seriously! I took it from the Red Cross shelter forms online, so it was pretty authentic. And, I didn't think much of it until I started hearing them talk about it. I used it just to set the scene when they came in. But, it became so much more than that! At the time, it caused some grumpiness, but in the end, I think it helped them realize that going through that in reality was even worse because that was just part of what they had to do to get help and get into a shelter.
Once everyone arrived, it was time to welcome everyone and introduce our theme, scripture for the day, and thank our good Samaritans who brought us food and hygiene kits. The scripture was Joshua 1:9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” It's one of my favorites as it always reminds me of my first mission trip ad is a great reminder that God is always there even when we have struggles. Then, we got to sing with our live trio! The youth sang semi-enthusiastically, but they had to learn the songs so that was expected. By the next day, they were much better. By the end of the mission trip they will know them by heart...I think!
The evening continued with a silly game to decide which team got to go to the store first, shopping at the shelter store, and a scavenger hunt for more items. They had fun with this and it was interesting to watch them choose their items and to start to work together as teams.
As the scavenger hunt was ending and they were gathering back together, one of my favorite parts of the night happened. The sounds! I had 3 videos of hurricane sounds and sirens on a playlist and I looped them to continuously play throughout the intercom and in the main room we were in. It was eerie, loud and surprising. Then, the lights throughout the church went out! The group was told the power was out. Luckily, there were flashlights around from those who brought them, bought them, or found them during the scavenger hunt. Those moments definitely made an impact...not too scary but definitely eye opening. But, the group seemed kind of excited about hanging out with their flashlights. I had wondered about their feelings when this happened, but they definitely weren't as upset about this as they were the paperwork! Haha! We played some games and they had a good time with it all.
Our evening finished with our devotion/ prayer/ candle closing. (This was what I mentioned from Thursday's thoughts.) I started by reading from a journal my friend's son kept just after experiencing the hurricane. It told of his activities and thoughts in the first week after it happened. We talked about how hard it must have been to not be able to communicate with family and friends and what tears of joy he had as he was finally able to talk to his parents. Then, I shared about the thoughts after a disaster happens...thoughts of forgiveness, regret, letting go. We always thing we will have another chance later on to forgive, ask for forgiveness, or reconcile. But, one day we won't. We wrote down things we needed to let go. Then, we gave them to God by burning them. We closed with a prayer to end the day.
So, where was God Thursday? He was in the details, in the planning.
So, where was God Friday? He was in the preparation and in the moments with the group as we strived to get closer to Him and understand He is always with us even in the disasters in our lives. And, sometimes He's in the friends that surround us during those disasters.
Blessings,
Jennifer
No comments:
Post a Comment