Day 3

Day three came and went pretty quickly. The team was back at the drywall again and getting pretty good. We finished up what we could within about an hour in the morning and then had to wait quite a while for everything to dry. The ladies also began staining the front porch and staircase and had quite a fun time doing it. Each day someone in the church provides us lunch as a thank you for the volunteer labor. Today was an experience as we went to a Choice grocery for a "soul food" buffet. It was surprisingly good for a grocery store. Who knew you could get bread pudding and beef stroganoff at a grocery?

After lunch we got the brilliant idea that it's time to begin sanding the large room you see in one of the pictures by hand. We quickly tired out after about 5 minutes of continuous sanding. Everyone has been working in long sleeves up to this point because it's been a little cool in the house. We quickly got down to t-shirts after breaking a sweat. All and all the little church is coming along. Everyone is beginning to feel a sense of accomplishment as we see the church come together and the drywall come to an end.

Steve, Johnathan, Andrew














Dinner Prep














Tonight was the extended time of sharing after a wonderful chicken creole dinner. For the next hour and a half after dinner, we entered into a holy place as we invited God in and began to tell the stories of how Hope City is impacting us this week. It's hard to write about and get all the details correct, but know hearts have been moved and burdened in a missional way in just a few days. To hear about some individuals describe their need to get out of their own way and to realize it's not about them. To hear the admiration and appreciation that we all have for each other in just the short time knowing each other. The relationships that have been built in a few days have been amazing and for people to share openly their appreciation for the other in public is beautiful. We then finished the night by having the Brenemen family come to the center and they all knelt and we laid hands on them and lifted them to the Lord to pray for their lives and their service to Hope City. This family of six gave up the comfort of their lives in Indiana to lead a bunch of ragtag northerners week in and week out down here. Talk about missional living.




























I was hit on Tuesday night about how Hope City has impacted our body at FMC. After seeing what happens down here now twice, and to see the body of FMC engage in serving others and a concentrated time of relationship building, I can see how these trips over the last two years have changed the way people live at home and at church. Take Steve Binkley for instance, who out of his missional heart came down on his first trip and has taken it upon himself to educate, promote, and continue to lead trips to Hope City. This is the impact this place is having on FMC as Steve spends most of his time back in Indiana affecting lives there as well.

Continue to pray for us as rains move into the area and put a stress on the project management of this place and limits what some teams have been doing up to this point.

The journey is good...