HUMC Youth

Washington DC mission trip 2011 - the fun

2011-08-06T14:18:00.000-04:00

so i can't do ANYTHING without fun. here are some select moments from the trip that i love to remember.

- on the way up tony and i decided to give opposite answers to the kids' questions. if i said yes, he said no. i also decided to give extravagant answers. any tower became the washington monument.

- the pranks. jamie told us that the camp director joshua had been playing pranks on them all summer. well no one messes with OUR JAMIE. his hair gel, toothpaste and t shirts went in the freezer. we collaborated with all the other groups there so that every night during service when we stood to sing we'd do something different. there was weak leg wednesday where we all stood and sat back down. we also played around with his car. regularly we lifted up the wipers. i had my dad call like it had been put on autotrader. and there was the car photo shoot with patrick cole amanda jamie and myself. it was great fun!

- 100 awkward things to say to your congressman: it smells like flowers in here - someone's been doing the herbal. have a shirt that says my congressman is just ok with me?

- telling everyone about cole and patrick on the very first TEAMeffort trip and having everyone think it was just as funny as we thought.

- running with the girls in the mornings. but most importantly the first morning when a stray cat ran out behind me, made claire scream, and then it ran straight into a parked car before taking off. all i heard was claire scream and thump.

- the little dance that the girls' made up late one night.

- me being so tired i asked the girls to PLEASE go to bed on time. and then i broke curfew with maryanna like a total hypocrite. i was delirious tired and we were playing in the candy shop downstairs and i made her fall on the floor, then we went upstairs and did the dance. but my favorite part was the look of death the other girls gave me when i came in the room. they were all in bed, just like i asked. and i was 10 minutes late and cracking up with maryanna. my mama never even looked at me that mean when i missed curfew in high school!

- the mini horse. no we didn't see a mini horse. but drew tony amanda and i were hanging in the parking lot when the topic of mini horses came up. amanda pointed out that they use mini horses for the blind. and that's when drew lost it. after laughing hysterically for a few minutes he let us in on his inner thoughts. what he had pictured in his head was the police having a mini horse unit that they pulled in a trailer behind their cop cars and used to sniff out drugs. which is indeed hilarious - especially when you pair it with a school lock down where the kids freak out because they heard the clop of hooves and knew they had brought in the mini horse to sniff the lockers.

- drew's 2 speeds. fast walking or sitting.

- people watching in union station. wow.

- riddles and brain teasers. they just aren't as fun when marcus wooton isn't involved.

- violent card games. who knew playing cards were so rowdy?

- yo mama jokes. zack wins. f we ever have to get in a yo mama contest, zack is our man.

- the international hand signals for awkward turtle and the mullet hairstyle.

- the speed humps. apparently speed bumps aren't enough for capitol heights. they have speed bumps every where. of course i took some of them slowly at first, but quick so the kids in the back would all scream. well one time the water cooler spilled. by spilled i mean completely dumped out in the van. all of it. the whole thing. i'm sorry. it was my fault. i did my best to clean it up and even put coffee grounds in a cup like dad taught me. with all of us and the water, it was pretty stank.

- the circle of trust where we planned pranks with other youth groups in the candy shop.

- the ice cream truck battles. i personally prefer the one with bars on it because they have everything in there. but there were several others that went through the neighborhood every 15 minutes or so. sometimes 2 would park on the block and battle it out with their music. christmas music, love songs, i'm tempted to get ice cream trucks greatest hits on itunes.

- the ride home and looking back in the rearview mirror and seeing them all sleeping.

it was the best week of my whole summer and i can't wait to see what God leads us to next!

Washington DC 2011 - Part 2 - Follow and Thirst

2011-08-01T18:05:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday we went to City Gate 2. Honestly, if it weren't for Amanda, Jamie (our group leader), and Drew, I really think Tony and I would have left and went to serve the city in some other way. I really mean it. by lunch time I was ready to bail. I was done. I was ready to do anything but what we had been doing.

City Gate 2 is in a super nice facility. it's practically brand new. the firs thing we did was play with kids. Then some of us went to work on science tutoring while the rest of us did an impromptu bible study. we chose to do Noah's ark and we had fun trying to herd the kids into some sort of interactive reinterpretation. but it was loud and we couldn't get their attention. by the end of it i was losing my voice. i think we reached maybe 4 of them. i held on to that for all it was worth and then some throughout the next hour. during the next hour we watched them run around the gym and hit each other with noodles. there was no direction. we basically stood at the doors of the gym like bouncers. the kids argued and cried. the chaos drove me nuts. not only that but i felt like i was wasting my time and not serving the Lord.

after we ate lunch the adults got together voiced our concerns to jamie. then she and amanda went to talk to the director of the program so that we could focus our time in the afternoon. they came back with a plan and a parachute. no literally a parachute. so, i followed their lead and it was awesome from that point on. first the group came up with some codes. for example "i have a snake in my boot" means that "i need a break from these kids." my personal favorite was "where are my pants?" which really means "someone help me." that was our first step in putting some fun in there. then amanda led us in games with the parachute. by the looks on the kids faces you would have thought it was Christmas morning. when the fun of the parachute wore off, i sat in the bleachers and talked to some kids. maryanna was chased down and tickled to death and the only way to get them off of her was to tell them she was going to wet her pants. the kids pretended to turn into mermaids and the youth had to carry them to the mermaid shop to get legs. claire showed off her fabulous jump rope skills. the kids did a mini step show. it was smiles all around. but the best part would have to be the lessons learned.

that night the service was about following Christ. Christ's mission for us was to work with those kids - no matter the circumstances and to make the best of it. i was ready to abort the mission by noon. Christ requires us to have patience on our journey with him. that afternoon i met a man in the neighborhood and Drew and Tony talked to him longer than i did. but during devotions they pointed out that he had been looking for a job for 3 years. how frustrating is that? 3 years of being ready to work, actively looking for work, but remaining empty handed. i couldn't take an hour of wanting to work with kids and not having the direction or tools to do so. i am thankful for God for this lesson and for putting people in my life to help me learn.

thursday was probably one of my favorite days. we made hotdogs, drove into the city, and handed them out to homeless people in the park. yes i drove the church van in downtown DC. note - you can drive the van in downtown DC but you can't park it. Drew had to park it on the other side of the city and walked to meet us halfway through the day.

so we met David. David used to be homeless in the very parks that we visited. he was a crack addict. God has changed his life and now he and his wife work with an organization called Teens Opposing Poverty. he gave us some guidelines and the kids went out and gave everyone a hotdog, chips, and water. david came from a normal family. david married a wonderful woman. david has kids. then david chose drugs. he told me about what the park looked like at night time and how he sold crack for someone so he could get his own crack for free. he told me how it almost ruined his life. he and his wife had to leave that morning to go to a meeting about housing. we saw a man in the park who was addicted to heroin and currently on it. we met a woman named kat who was an amazing artist who suffered from mental illness. the homeless people in the parks were normal people. if kat's medication was managed well, i'm not sure she would be there. if david hadn't gotten hooked on crack, he wouldn't be there. my favorite part of the parks was our youth. they prayed for people - out LOUD. they prayed for people they didn't know. for some of them it was probably the most uncomfortable thing to do, but i smiled and reminded them that we weren't there to be comfortable. i hope that this is a practice that they start incorporating into their lives. it's one thing to talk to God privately, it's a whole other thing to talk to God publicly and for another's benefit. and they did benefit. the homeless loved to hear our kids pray for them. i wish you could have been there.

youtube. that was a special moment. he's definitely taken in a lot of information and he jumbled it all up and shares it with everyone. fortunately he didn't sit down.

after lunch we went to the Holocaust Museum. in the future we'll have a movie night for the high school kids and a devotion about forgiveness. forgiveness is probably one of the hardest Christian concepts for me to get. it has to be hard for someone else.

That night was the final worship service on thirst. being thirsty for Christ. i'm not sure that as humans we'll ever be able to fully understand what Christ did for us. but i know for a fact that we can catch a glimpse of it. life is a messy thing. we mess it up. some choose drugs or drinking. some choose not to take care of their health. some came into this world with nothing and can't get out of the trap. some lie. some cheat. some steal. we all mess it up one way or another. if we aren't careful and surround ourselves with fellow Christians we can lose the connections that we have with God. the ability to confess your sins and lay them at the cross is a beautiful and humbling thing. i hope that every time we go to the altar in prayer that we take the time to admit our mistakes, accept His love and forgiveness, and carry that lesson with us to change our lives for the better. i know that there were times on this trip where i messed up. i faltered. i got tired and frustrated. but i was able to point it out to the youth, fess up to God in front of everyone and ask for forgiveness. yeah, you're going to mess up, but it's how you handle it that matters.

in my work with the youth, i want more than anything for them to take this away: i will mess up. i have messed up. there were times - years - that i was so distant from God that i wasn't sure He was really there. it took time to get back on track but i didn't do it alone. i had my family. i had the church. i had the youth. nothing motivates me like kids. they raise my expectations of myself and challenge me. a big part of that transition had to do with breaking down and actually saying out loud what a mess i had made. the second step was actually believing that He forgave me. it's hard to grasp that when you struggle to forgive yourself. once you get it, it's the most amazing thing ever. it's grace.

of course none of this went down without a little fun. later in the week, i'll tell you all about the pranks, speed humps, sightseeing, and me breaking curfew. imagine that. me breaking the curfew that I set. i still blame maryanna.

De Colores!
Psalms 25

TEAMeffort Washington DC 2011 - Come & Trust

2011-07-30T17:31:00.001-04:00

First I give thanks to God for providing all we needed for a safe and meaningful trip. He was with us the whole time. He worked through us and the TEAMeffort staff to provide for others. I miss the ice cream truck.

We went to Capitol Heights not knowing what in the world to expect and we left with a an understanding of the world that you don't see when you come to DC. We stayed in an old apartment building and shared apartment space with other youth groups - 1 bathroom per apartment. in the basement there was the fellowship hall/dining hall and sanctuary. ice cream trucks made regular intervals through the neighborhood. but they didn't just have ice cream - they were like mobile quick shops. so you can get a pickled egg to go WITH your ice cream. the house next door was raided by the US Marshal's on Monday because someone there had been stealing cars. it was very exciting. so there we were, out of our comfort zones, doing God's work - whatever it might be. it was a little intimidating. the at the first service the camp director, joshua, told us at least 15 times to not be afraid. we trusted in God and He rewarded us with rich experiences that we may never have again.

Jamie was our group leader for the week and we have adopted her. She's from SC and she's thinking about being a Counselor someday, hence I LOVE HER. On Monday we went to a local farm and dug up carrots and cut up garlic. How is this mission work? well some of the fresh produce that this farm provides goes to the food bank. it's also the last thing you would expect on an inner city mission trip. but it eased us into the week ahead. maryanna, mary katherine, and claire got lost in the house on the farm looking for the bathroom. this provided us with a great detailed story and fabulous entertainment. cade made a carrot man. i hope it made it home to his mother and that a picture will appear in the near future because it's a lot cooler than it sounds here.

Tuesday we went to City Gate 1. City Gate is a day care of sorts for inner city youth. This sight was directed by Ms. Vix and the Holy Spirit was in her. In the morning we went to the playground where we were educated by the kids in the following:
1) They will try to steal your iphone.
2) They will use foul language.
3) They will hit you.
4) They will try to run away to meet up with other friends in abandoned houses.
5) If you let them ride on your back/shoulders, you will regret it. They use your head to steer.
6) They love our hair as much as we loved theirs.
7) They will fight each other. by fight i mean with closed fists.
naturally by lunch i personally was questioning my ability to work with kids. it had always been so easy in the past - why was this so hard to do? it was hard because i was expecting them to be like kids i have worked with before. they don't fit that mold. so after lunch when we went to the pool i worked with them like the kids that they are and the kids that they can be. they were so proud of being able to swim and wanted to learn more. one discovered the freckle on my right hand, the one i use to tell my left from my right, and tried to wash it off in the pool. the concept of white skin with freckles didn't make sense yet. we were the only white people there. nervous at first? yeah maybe. but when it was time to leave, i didn't want to go. we prayed with them, sang to them, told them Jesus loved them. Cade grinned from ear to ear the whole time - even when they told him his hair felt like cat hair. at one point i returned from the kiddie pool to find jack in the middle of a group of older black guys who were picking him up and tossing him into the deep end. one kid was so tired when it was time for us to go that he cried every time i put him down. i wanted to find a place in the shade for him, make him a place to lie down, and let him sleep.

Ms. Vix loves those kids. Unconditionally. She disciplines them with love. She attends to them and creates an organized environment for them to learn and play. The people in the community were amazing too. when one kid wandered away from the group and wouldn't come back, the people in the community made him come back. they made the kids behave. when you go in and you don't know the kids, you don't know the community, you are essentially just another white person that shows up and leaves at the end of the day. why should they listen to us? but after lunch we began to build a relationship based on trust and respect. once we proved that trust and respect were there for them, it was amazing the changes that took place. all for the glory of God.

I think about all of them now while i sit on my couch in my home with my dogs where it's so quiet it's deafening. i think about the youth. i think about the worship services. i think about how i had no idea what God had planned for us on Wednesday and Thursday. i think about His grace, forgiveness, and the subtle ways He teaches us through our actions. i thought i knew....but i wasn't even close.

De Colores!

Mission Trip 2011 - Washington DC

2011-07-23T18:09:00.000-04:00

yes i work in a middle school. yes i work with the youth group. yes there are kids all around me and it might seem like they are there all the time. they aren't. i live alone. i have 2 dogs that never ask questions. on a typical day, i make decisions for me about me concerning me - ok sometimes concerning my family. for the most part though, it's just me. so whenever there's a mission trip or any event that requires more than 24 hours with kids, i get this worried dreaded feeling. it's probably hard for some to understand because you've lived with your kids forever - but i haven't.

part of me dreads the fact that i won't have the personal freedom i have right now at this second. it's 6pm and i still don't know what i'm having for dinner, nor do i plan on deciding. the dogs are sleeping and it's quiet. that kind of stuff is gone for the week. then there's the worry. i worry about safety issues with the kids. i worry about them fighting with each other. i worry about them asking me questions or talking to me before my required 3 cups of coffee. i worry i'll lose my patience with them and have to put myself in time out. then after all those thoughts i feel guilty, because how silly is all of that? these are my problems? these are my biggest concerns at this moment in time? really? it's totally selfish.

the fact is, i'm human. i act and think selfish things. i need coffee when i wake up. i get tired and frustrated just like everyone else. on the flip side of that fact, i love the Lord my God with all of my heart. i have talked with Him a great deal over the past year. i love that He puts me in uncomfortable situations to make me grow. i love that He puts me in the lives of these kids and gives me the opportunity to do His work with them - side by side. most importantly, i love that He is a just and forgiving God and that he laughs at/with me when i am human and selfish and worried. He made me that way.

so as we prepare to travel to washington dc here's what is on my mind. i don't know where we are sleeping. i don't know what we're doing. i don't know how dirty we'll get or what we will be eating or if it will be good. i don't know if we'll have a place to run in the morning. i don't know if our clothes will be destroyed or if our shoes will be lost. i know that we will move beyond our comfort levels to do God's work. i know it's not about me. it's not about us. i know that it's way bigger than we'll ever be able to describe in words. that alone provides me with what i need to move forward, to put the other stuff behind me.

Matthew 6:25 NLT That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life - whether you have enough food to eat or drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing?

De Colores!

Walk to Emmaus/Zoe progress

2011-02-21T19:21:00.000-05:00

1) I miss you guys! This past weekend I did the Walk to Emmaus and it was truly the most magnificent event of my life. I can't wait until your time comes - even if it's after your time in youth. I'm excited for where your journey with God will take each of you. I received many letters of agape and for those I am SO thankful. I will keep them forever!

2)I have emailed a local representative of Zoe Ministry. I hope to hear back from them soon. I'm trying to get someone to come and speak during the rock-a-thon. I would love to set up a skype with either an orphan or a worker in Africa. Most importantly, I want our President Jessica Brown to hand the check of the money you have donated to this ministry to one of their representatives. This is an amazing way to help around the world and I'm so proud of you for all of your work.

Madison Cates in Nicaragua!

2011-02-04T07:44:00.000-05:00

Our former youth group President Madison Cates has an amazing opportunity to serve God. El Presidente will be going on a mission trip to Jinotega Nicaragua March 12-19, 2011. This is one of the wonderful things he gets to enjoy about being a student at Gardner-Webb. He's going to have the chance to work with local pastors to visit orphanages, hospitals, schools, dental clinics, do a water project, lead in worship and distribute supplies to villages. I am so excited for him.
This trip is going to cost $1,300. I'm a firm believer that we should continue our love for our youth family, even after they leave the nest. Here's how we are going to show our support:

1)I'll be taking up a love offering at the next couple of youth events. Even your spare change is welcome.

2)If your parents would like to write a check and send it to Gardner-Webb they need to write "Nicaragua Mission Trip/Madison Cates" in the memo line and mail it to:
Gardner-Webb University
P.O. Box 7328
Boiling Springs, NC 28017

Anything over $1,300 will be applied to another student or to the work on the mission field - so you can't go wrong!

Let's get Madison out there to serve God!

give thanks, give hope

2010-11-25T07:34:00.000-05:00

i'd like to introduce you to Zoe Ministry. Zoe Ministry works in Africa to give hope to children who have been orphaned due to the AIDS epidemic. For $30 a month a child can get seeds, animals, and skills to provide for their siblings. Zoe teaches these children how to survive long term whether it's farming or starting their own business.
This year on 12/3/2010 hundreds of these orphans will walk 10k in the Hope Walk. Our youth group has decided to sponsor one of these orphans. Our goal is to be able to provide this orphan with a year of support. Please help us give someone in Africa something to be thankful for. You can make checks out to HUMC and in the notes put Zoe Ministry. Youth will be sending out letters and taking collections in church.
Our long term goal with Zoe Ministry is to support as many orphans as possible through events like Rock-a-Thon. Our youth also have the opportunity to meet these orphans through letters and skype. Imagine, talking face to face with an orphan who has developed a new business and is able to support their siblings because of your help. It's amazing!

Youth if you need additional letters or information please go to this link: http://www.zoeministry.org/you-can-give-hope/children-and-youth-resources/hopewalk

see you Saturday Night at the Hanging of the Greens and Sunday morning at church!

the survey - take 2

2010-11-17T21:01:00.000-05:00

Take This Survey!

2010-11-16T18:04:00.002-05:00

you can use this direct link to take a survey about Pilgrimage, a possible ski trip, a bible study and other youth group things. we need your input so please take the time to do this. you can only do it once and all responses are confidential.
thanks!

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22BGT5BLP98/

blown away...

2010-11-14T19:29:00.000-05:00

i am literally blown away from Pilgrimage 2010. i don't know what happened to you guys there, but i know that i personally was forced to look at myself, to question my actions, and to really want to commit to making sure that my life becomes more like Jesus. i want that passion. i know i will falter along the way, but i also know that i have a family that will pick me up and dust me off. i love each and every one of you, sincerely and honestly.

there will be a very cool youth group meeting this coming sunday. we will talk about Pilgrimage and ask questions that we may or may not have answers for. i hope that all of you will be there - even the really quiet folks. details will go out in email.

keep you eyes open for a very important survey that will be sent out through email, blog and facebook. this will provide the opportunity for you to sign up for bible study that will be taking place prior to youth group each sunday, give input on a potential ski trip, Zoe Ministry, and provide feedback on Pilgrimage 2010.

i don't want you to miss a thing!

pilgrimage - oh MY!

2010-11-09T19:15:00.000-05:00

this friday 3pm at the church! it's the beginning of a great adventure together. pilgrimage is a weekend where we travel to fayetteville with hundreds of other youth groups for a weekend retreat. during this time we play, we sing, we dance, but most importantly we open our hearts to God. we give Him the chance to work in us and through us to make us stronger not only as individuals but as a family.
this year's theme is "with one voice" and i can't wait to worship with you. check your emails for frequent updates including who your sibling and parent will be for the weekend.
peace!
Hope

Got a Ride?

2010-11-01T07:56:00.000-04:00

We know that sometimes your parents might not be coming to church and you want to go. We know that sometimes your parents can't get you to youth and you want to be there. We even know that sometimes your parents can't pick you up from youth and we need for you to go home.
We don't want transportation to be something that keeps you from participating in church events. YOU ARE MISSED when you aren't there. We are currently working on a formal system for you to sign up for rides, until that is put into place please email me and I'll be your persoanl taxi!

Thanks
Hope

yeah i know i'm totally late

2010-10-28T15:33:00.000-04:00

can you believe it? Halloween is actually on a Sunday?
I hope to see as many of you as possible in church becacuse we will be mentioning that people can give money to UNICEF during the services.
At 5pm we will gather at the youth barn. we will have a costume contest and i have some really great prizes for you. Then we will go out in the neighborhood to trick or treat for UNICEF. If you are unable to attend this event but plan on trick or treating in another area, come to the youth barn at 4:30 and i'll give you a UNICEF container to take with you.

We will return to the youth barn where the Wooton's will be playing games and I'll take a van load of ya out to the corn maze!

It's going to be a blast and you'll be raising money for a really good cause. UNICEF helps kids in other countries stay in school and help their families.

I can't wait to see you all there.

apples, my pretties, apples

2010-10-08T07:34:00.000-04:00

This sunday we will meet from 4-6pm at the youth barn. we'll have a meeting to discuss some of our upcoming events and i've got a very special devotion planned for you. then we are going to eat candy and caramel apples!!!!!!!!! yummy! we'll be outside most of the time to enjoy the beautiful fall weather we've been having.
see you there.

Rally Day!

2010-10-02T11:19:00.000-04:00

wow! what a busy week! it's been nuts and i haven't been able to update the blog like i typically would. the harvest festival was a hit. when i see the youth work together and put in the hours like that it makes me happy. you guys really carry your weight and contribute to the church family.
On Sunday we will be going to District Rally Day at Camp Chestnut Ridge. You MUST be at the church parking lot no later than 1:30PM!!!! We don't want to be late and miss out on anything! we plan on being back around 7 or 7:30pm. We will make sure parents are called when we leave the camp so that you know when to pick your kid(s) up at the church parking lot.
District Rally Day is when all the youth groups in the area get together for fellowship. There will be kayaking and canoeing along with games and worship time. You will need at least $6 so don't forget your cash.
See you there!

Camping is the BEST

2010-09-20T15:19:00.000-04:00

This weekend was AWESOME! We camped out in the preacher's backyard. Everyone gathered around 7:30pm and we set up some tents. Big thanks to Cade for setting up a tent and bringing the fire pit. After we got everything set up we got our campfire going and ate some s'mores. We told stories, which was an adventure all in it's own. The twists and turns were out of control. Then Benjamin showed up with pizza - like he had to win our affection or something. Ben - you are a rock star even without pizza!

Then it was time to be sneaky. We all went down to the field behind the rec department and played capture the flag and sardines by the light of the moon! Once everyone had run around to the point of being bored we went back to our campsite. Since everyone was being so pleasant we stayed up a little bit longer and played apples to apples and uno in the youth barn.

Then we went to bed and we all slept very well. In the morning we ate breakfast and went to the early service.

To me, this was one of the best events we have ever had as a group. We turned our ipods off and put our cell phones aside and spent time in fellowship together without distraction. I hope that we have the chance to do it more often. I hope we become known for our Lock Outs rather than our Lock Ins.

This Saturday we will have the harvest festival at the big barn! Nothing says lovin like some stew!

camp out camp out oh how i love to camp out!

2010-09-16T07:43:00.000-04:00

This Saturday at 7:30pm we will be camping out. Details of the camp out have been sent via email, so either check your email or let me know if you need more information.
it would be awesome if some parents would donate some of those pancake sausage stick things and some syrup for breakfast. those things ROCK!
as for the campfire, we will be using the patio fireplace. if there is too much dryness and the weather says there's a burn warning we won't have one at all. safety first little ones!

9/12/2010 It's story time kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-09-07T15:47:00.000-04:00

This coming Sunday from 4pm-6pm we will have story time at the youth barn. Story time is becoming an annual tradition where we all share stories from events past. If you are new to our youth group it's a fun way to learn about all the inside jokes and silliness. In order to keep it organized we do have a few rules that we'll go over when you get there. As always, we'll feed you something too.
Our vice president Cole will be leading us in a devotion towards the end of youth group.

You definitely want to be there on time and not miss one second because we'll be going over information for the camp out too!

God is Good ALL the time...

2010-09-01T19:53:00.000-04:00

This Sunday we won't have youth group because it's Labor Day weekend.

Also, the office of treasurer will be shared by Maryanna and Cade this year.

God is good all the time. It's something we say in church when we have great blessings. But have you ever really thought about it? If you are like me, the you probably didn't think about it while you were going through rough times. Rough times = pouty me. Which means I've been super pouty.

But today was different. Today a parent told me that my school has a group of parents that gather each day right before dismissal to pray for everyone in the building. Teachers, kids, custodians, EVERYONE. It's like having a prayer partner at school. I haven't had rough times there. The building is clean; everyone is pleasant. A result of this little prayer group? I'm going to go with yes on that one. When and if times get bad, I'll think of them and give thanks to God.

I prayed for less stress at work, less pain in my face from my tmjd, reduced doctors' bills, happiness, strength, courage, to be able to work with the youth again. While I had to endure some rough times to get results from those prayers, God was good the whole time.

I got cards from my church family encouraging me.
I got hugs from my mom.
I had a dad that stood strong and logical.
I got a new school that has parents that pray.
I had prayer partners in church supporting me.
Last week my physical therapist could not feel the lump of muscle in the left side of my face that had been in a constant cramp for a year.
Yesterday, for the first time in 2 years my specialist at the Dental Faculty Practice didn't have to adjust the splint/mouthguard that I have to wear at night.

All the time God is good. I encourage you to think about things that you've had to go through or something that you might be going through right now and how God is blessing you, supporting you. Give thanks.

Sunday 9/29/2010 by Ms. Wooton!

2010-08-24T20:25:00.002-04:00

Is everyone ready for the first day of school tomorrow?? I can't believe summer is over! I only wish January and February would go by this fast. :)

This Sunday, we have two things happening.

First, there will be a brief, but informative parent and youth meeting right after the 11:00 service in the Fellowship Hall to discuss communication, Pilgrimage and the calendar for the fall. Please bring your checkbooks -- we would like to get a $50 deposit for those kids who are interested in going to Pilgrimage. FYI, Pilgrimage is November 12-14 this year, so check those calendars! For those who aren't familiar with Pilgrimage, we'll be giving you all the info on Sunday.

Later in the afternoon, there is a Cluster Event (a cluster of churches in our area will come together for this event) up at Lake Michael. The aim of this event is to celebrate and bless the students, teachers and staff at the return of school. We plan to leave the church at 4:00 and will return around 7:15ish. We will be having supper there (still working on those details, as we have to bring our own) and there will be games prior to the program/blessing.

I hope the first day of school goes great for everyone and see you on Sunday! Let me know if you have any questions.

Elections and homework!

2010-08-16T06:43:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we kidnapped the new youth group members and introduced them to our youth group family in true HUMC style! I hope that everyone had a good time and is still laughing about it today.

We have 4 new officers that are ready to serve: Jessica is our new President, Cole is our Vice president, Claire is our Secretary and Maryanna is our Treasurer. Officers remember that our first planning meeting is 8/19/2010 at 7:30pm. I look forward to working with you this year.

To get them ready for school, I gave the kids some homework. In case you are a parent and they didn't tell you, here's what they have to do:

1) Get you to donate food. They ate wheat thins and water and didn't complain once, but I know they would like some variety. The shopping list is on the blog and facebook under "Hungry Hippos"

2)There is no youth next week due to open house for the public schools. But we hope to run into each other at the church picnic on Saturday at Chestnut Ridge.

That's all for this week! Don't forget you can follow our blog and even have it sent to your email when we make a new posting.

Rising 6th graders are coming on up!

2010-08-08T11:40:00.000-04:00

We will be holding a welcome party for our rising 6th graders on 8/15/2010 from 4-6pm. During this time we will be participating in games brought to us from our very own Marcus Wooten and we will be holding elections.
If you have a child that will be in 6th grade next year please contact me this week.
If you are thinking about running for president, vice president, treasurer, or secretary please keep the following things in mind: you will be responsible for making announcements in church, planning meetings, herding of other youth, and being a leader and role model.
I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you all at 4pm on 8/15/2010

Hungry Hungry Hippos!

2010-08-01T19:23:00.000-04:00

The kids have eaten EVERYTHING that was stocked in the youth barn! I thought Cole was going to eat the paper towels. If I hadn't walked down town with them to get loco pops I'm certain it would have turned into a very dangerous situation for me. They have given me a shopping list and they are supposed to tell their parents to buy something to stock the cabinets. I'm posting the list of foods that they like here so you can get whatever you want. I would like to see at least one fruit or vegetable at each meeting. We'll have to figure out how to set up some rotation or sign up for that because some things don't keep well. So, below is the list - let's feed these yougins'!

PS-Rising 6th graders are invited to a welcoming party on 8/15/2010 at 4pm. If you have a rising 6th grader send me an email or give me a call. Thanks.

Pirate's booty - i have no idea what this is but Amy loves it.
fruit gummies
cookies - oreos, chips ahoy, nutterbutters
pop tarts
chips - bbq, regular, tortilla
salsa or other dips for chips
wheat thins
cheese - cheddar, american, string cheese
flour tortillas for quesadillas
frozen pizza
chicken nuggets
carrot sticks
apples
grapes
nutella
frozen fruit pops
nabs or other packaged crackers
granola bars
fruit juice boxes
soda in cans, like a flat from costco or something
gatorade
kool aid
hot chocolate

Welcome to the HUMC youth group!

2010-08-01T14:35:00.000-04:00

My name is Hope and I'm the youth counselor for the Hillsborough United Methodist Youth Group in Hillsborough NC. I definitely don't work alone. There are parent volunteers that are priceless. Not to mention our youth officers who are awesome.

We are setting up a blog to help parents and youth follow our activities. Our schedule of events along with details and updates will be posted here. We also wanted a place for folks to learn about us if they are considering joining our community. This will give us an outlet to show you how these kids are working for God in our community and in other communities.

I hope that you find this to be a useful tool. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email me.

Today we were suppose to go tubing on the Dan River but we got rained out. Maybe another day...instead today we are going to clean the youth barn and play some games. Maybe even take a stroll down town.

peace be with you!
Hope