Thursday, June 28, 2007

From Jill

Hi all,

Having a great time. Everything has been so much fun. I can't wait to share my pictures with everyone. Bible School was fun, the kids were so cute. I want to say hi, especially to Grandma and Grandpa Lackey, Grandma and Papa Kitty, and Sadie Mae!
Bye, Jill

Brooke #3!

Today was our last day of vacation bible school. The kids definitley wore us all out but we are going to miss them very much. My favorite was Ariana.. she was the most beautiful little girl i have ever seen.. and we have 500 pictures of her between all the staff.

I learned alot this week, especially it being the first time i have ever taught primary. It was an ajustment trying to get the kids to learn but they all did very well and we had alot of fun this week! its all about planting the seed and God will do the rest. i was very surprised how much the young kids did know about bible stories. but we had alot of fun and i think the rest of the crew would agree.

So this morning there was a 40 degree difference in the temperature.. and all our team got a good idea to go swimming this morning.. needless to say they didnt last too long. Then Danielle blew the fuse from her hair dryer in the cabin... AGAIN.
but Were all still really getting along very well, last nights youth group was challenging but i think it was an eye opener to me because you could really see the results of kids with such bad home life situations. It felt really rewarding to be able to make a difference, and to be able to give attention to kids who dont get very much at home.

So after our vbs the sponsors got a good idea to go the beach again to play volleyball... which is our favorite thing to do.. its pretty much a routine now. But i was so cold so me paco jill molly and matt just played in the sand the whole time.
dinner was very good.. we got 2 desserts to split between me sara jenna and molly and they were huge.. so we gave the boys one.. and we downed ours in 2 minutes no lie.. it was amazing!
Then we stopped at a water fall and jared fell off.... i know.. how surprising.. and he wiped out jenna on his way down who clung on to me which resulted in my hollister capris getting covered in mudd.. wich wasnt as bad as jared because he was completely covered. molly laughed for 5 minutes strait then when jared got out of the water he fell again.. and by that time i think all of us had to go to the bathroom. needless to say.. we are having alot of fun
and i cant wait to go to macinaw island tomorrow to go bike riding and look at pretty butterflys with molly and sara!

please pray for our safety coming home and thank you all for keeping us in your prayers!


ttyl!


<3 brooklynn!
brooklynn!!
brooklynn!!!!!!!!!! ....... thats for mike.

Jeff's Final (from the road!)

GOD IS GOOD!!

As you all know, we took a rookie group (for the most part) on their first mission trip. But if you didn't know that it was their first trip, you would never know! God allowed this group to experience His goodness first hand. A portion of my message on Sunday at Munising Baptist was how we cannot rely on our own strength to do the work of God but we must get our strength from Him. He proved this over and over to us this week. God gave us all the strength and stamina to finish well.

We became a cohesive group very early on in our trip and have grown closer to each other and closer to our Saviour through this experience. We have tasted and seen that the Lord is good!

Our time at Bible School was wonderful as our group was able to see a world in need and was able to show these children a glimpse of what God's love for us can be like. I feel that we truly showed Christ's love through our actions and deeds as was our prayer for this week.

Pastor Jeff, I want to thank you for allowing me the opportunity to "step up to the plate" and lead this group. It was a wonderful experience that I will never forget. You and Michelle have been great mentors to us and I hope that we have been able to pass that on as well. Susan and I are already looking forward to next year and what it may behold. But more importantly, we are looking forward to what God holds in store for us each and every day as we serve God at home or wherever He leads us!

Pastor Dave, thank you for trusting me with this wonderful group and for being the shepherd at First Baptist who has guided his flock to have a true spirit for missions, whether it be through those called to full-time missions or to those such as our group who are called to go out on a part-time basis.

Brothers and Sisters at First Baptist, thank you for all of your support, whether financially, through prayer, or both. We appreciate you and cherish you!

Lastly, I would like to thank the parents of each of our teens that made this trip with us. Without your cooperation and undying support, our trip never would have been possible. We hope that their lives have been changed forever and that they will continue to seek Him daily! They are wonderful kids and have been an absolute delight to have with us! Thank you for allowing them to be a part of our lives for this past week!! God has been glorified through them!

In Him,

Jeff Cumberland

Greetings from the Kaylors from Munising

Hi all!! This is the first time we have been able to blog and it will also be the last. We are in the middle of nowhere (a very beautiful nowhere) and to be in one spot to have computer or cell access does not last long. We try to get all the kids a chance to blog and by then its off to the next adventure. Never a dull moment. We have really been enjoying our first missions trip. It is everything Pator Jeff, Michelle, Susan, and Jeff said it would be. Susan and Jeff are great sponsors and wonderful role models for us and the kids. Everyone seems to be having a great time and the kids are all doing a wonderful job. They are working so hard and sharing God's word with great pride and excitement. We are very proud of all of them. We are growing so much in the Lord and our experiences have been very rich. This not only has been a wonderful experience but a very tiring one. Jill was so tired the other night while looking for her toothpaste in her suitcase, she fell asleep. Yes, in her suitcase. It was a sight, can't wait to show you the pictures. Everyone we have met this week has been so nice and so giving. They are all doing wonderful work here in the UP. We can tell by all the blessing we have received you are all sending lots of prayers our way and we really appreciate it and thank you so much. Today was the last day of VBS, the kids did a wonderful job. They were really sad to see it end. We are leaving Munising Church in a few minutes, back to Boot Lake to pack up and off tomorrow to Mackinac Island for a day of sightseeing and finally some shopping (that has nothing to do with fishing or hunting). Well we are leaving Munising church in a few minutes, back to Boot Lake to pack up. C-ya soon.
JR and Deb

Sara's Last

The funniest thing happened today, but i will tell you about that later. today was the last day of bible school=( all of the kids were amazing as always but one was the cutest, her name was Ariana. we went to the beach again but left early 'cause it was FREEEEEEEEZING! After that we went to a place called Sydney's for dinner to have some white fish. Brooke, Jenna, Jill, Molly, and i had this amazing dessert! It was the best! When we all were full, we decided to stop and explore this mini waterfall that we have been seeing on the side of the road every day. We all climbed it and were waiting to get pictures when we heard a chain reaction of screaming. I looked over and see Jarrod sliding down and taking Jenna with him. Luckily, the girls caught Jenna and Jarrod stopped himself on some little rocks. It was soooo funny! Well, that was the funniest part of the trip so far, but we still have Macinac Island to go. We'll see what happens there. This week was so amazing and fun to be with every one. I hope that i will be on the trip next year. Can't wait to see you all! By the way, sorry for not posting the past few days, it has just been so busy. This will be our last blog.

~Sara Cumberland

(P.S.) A couple of nights ago we could not find jill, then i walked in the room and saw something hanging out of here sleeping bag and realize that it was here! It was sooo funny. When we woke here up she said that she was looking for her tooth brush and fell asleep.

Nicole can't think of a clever title... she's tired, ok?

At Bible school, I was the lucky one to be drenched in water... One of my kids suggested we have a koolaid fight, but I took the idea and ran with it. I told them at the beginning of the Bible lesson that if they all behaved and listened quietly, then each of them could throw a cup of water on me. Well, they got the chance to do that, and even more... That MEAN and HORRIBLE Josh Cumberland got the "brilliant" idea to dump the bucket of water on me. Did I mention that it was FIFTY DEGREES today?! Thank you so much, Josh, and you too, Tim, for actually dumping the water. Thankfully I had clean laundry in the Suburban, and Lisa and Molly were kind enough to let me borrow a shirts...

I think it was worth it though, because the kids loved it. And during the Bible lesson, I got to talk to a few of the kids about sharing their Wordless Braclets and the Gospel with their parents and family at home. When I asked one student, Emily, if her parents knew what the colors on her bracelet meant, she thought for a moment and said, "No, probably not." Another boy, Merritt, got really quiet when I asked him the same thing about his cousins. I pray that a few seeds were planted this week in Autrain.

Tonight we went out to eat, and I had a great meal. Two years ago when we were in Munising, the group got to try white fish and pasties for the first time, and I haven't had them since then, so Debbie and I shared white fish and pasties... delicious!

Well, I think that's all, folks! Thank you for your prayers; today went very well, even if I was a wee bit chilly! What else is there to write? Tomorrow we go to Mackinac, and then home... I'll admit it--I'm dreading Sunday, because that means I have to go back to work at Friedman's...

But then, of course, Monday camp begins, and all will be right with the world. ;) See you all soon, eh?

Signing off,

Nicole

My Final Post

Hi everybody,
i was wrong. i did get another chance to post. but this WILL be my last. today we had 18 kids at bible school. after that we went to Superior for volleyball but it was freezing. then we went to a seafood restaurant called Sydney's. we had white fish there. we ended up stopping at a waterfall called Alger Falls. we climbed it and Jarrod fell. now we are at Munising baptist again.

see you all on Sunday,
Matt Cumberland

Danielle Quatro

Today was the last day of VBS.. it was very sad to say goodbye to all of the kids. I can't believe it's all over. Isabelle and I have grown very fond of each other, and I want to keep in touch with her. It was freeeeeeezing outside today, but we went to the beach anyways. Drew, Lisa and I layed down by the river in the sand to keep warm. It was extremely relaxing. Then we ate at Sydney's and I had the whitefish dinner. It was SUPER good. Mom, I'm still on a HUGE seafood kick... maybe we can do up some crab legs from Sam when I get back?? GREAT.

Tomorrow is Mackinac Island, and then our last night is spent at the Azure's. I'm not quite ready to leave.

This will be my last post on the trip and I just want to thank everyone for thier prayers and support throughout this trip. I am blessed to be able to go on this trip, and I'm looking forward to more in the future!

Susan's final thoughts

Hi all! We have come to our last day in Munising and Au Train. It was a busy, fun, lots of work kind of day! This morning the kids took one last swim in Boot Lake - it was 51 degrees! Ouch! They really didn't seem to mind, at least until they had to walk up the hill to the cabins dripping wet!

While they were freezing themselves, Debbie and I took a few loads of laundry - 10 washers to be exact - to start at the laundry mat. After lunch 5 kids and I went back to the laundry to fold and pack up while the rest went on to VBS. VBS was great today. We actually had 1 more student than teens! We had 18 kids there. It all went well, but as always, the kids were very sad to see it end. We are so proud of them all! We all have learned so much this week - adults included. I think the most valuable lesson we have learned was about judging people before we have all the facts. We are warned about judging in scripture, but God gave us a real life chance to learn it first hand this week. We'll tell you all about it when we get home. For those of you who are familiar with Dr. Eggrich's "bus ride" story, you will know what I am talking about.

After VBS, the kids wanted to swim (still freezing) and play volleyball at Lake Superior one last time. It was the fastest trip to the beach I have ever witnessed! We didn't have to ask twice when it was time to leave! Not to mention, we were on our way to enjoy a fresh Lake Superior whitefish dinner at a local restaurant. Delicious!! Michelle and PJ, Debbie tried a Muldoon's pastie. She said it was "okay, but she hasn't acquired the taste yet!"

We are making a quick stop here at the church to send you all one last post, then it is time to go back to Boot Lake to begin putting the explosions back into the suitcases. Michelle and PJ, again, you know exactly what I'm talking about! lol!!! Tomorrow it's off to Mackinac Island for a day of biking and shopping. We can hardly wait!! Then we'll be making the long 12 hour trip back on Saturday.

Thank you all for all of your prayers for us this week. God has been so very good to us! There is so much to tell, I don't think we could remember it all. But, it is embedded in the kids hearts and minds for all eternity. Now we pray that what they have learned and experienced this week will be used of God to become life changing!! We'll see you all in church bright and early Sunday morning! Can't wait to be back with our family at FBC!!

Love to all!
Hello,

Hey how is it going in Pennsylvania? Everything is going well in Michigan. I am so glad to be here! There is so many that need God in there lives. Thats why im glad that our youth group is here. When the little kids see us, they attach to us so easily, and you know that they are going to tell there parents about what they learned. Maybe the families will give it a try. I just hope that God will do some amazing work in this town. Anways today is our last day of VBS and its going to be sad to leave all the little kids. Now i should probably go because we have to go and pick up our laundry from the laundry place. Then go to VBS. Hopefully I will be able to write later. Thanks for all the prayers everyone!
Molly
Hi this is mike, the trip is sweet . I am having fun ,well got to go VBS is soon.

Caleb#1

Hi, this is Caleb. I am having a great time in Michigan. Bible school is going great. Please pray for us as this is our last day and we say goodbye. We are about to go to the community center for our last day so I have to go.

Drew #2

hey its drewski, its thursday and not really much changed except for us going to the limestone baptist for their youth group. we really didnt talk to much it was fun either way. anyway we are at munising baptist and we just ate lunch. well we're going to going to vbs in a few minutes so see everyone later. bye

matt again

hi everybody,
this is probably the last time i'm going to post. tomorrow we'll be @ mackinac island and the azure's, so we can't post then.

here's some of what happened the past few days. Tuesday we started the VBS. we had about 15 kids each day.

on tuesday after bible school and supper, we went to the beach again. there we swam in a little creak and then played volleyball. during the game, there was a chipmunk running across the beach and five or six people were chasing it. Jarrod caught it. yesterday we went to vbs and then went over to Limestone Baptist Church for youth group. we played games, sang songs, had a brief message from Pastor Ted Jolls. then we had a birthday party for one of the youth group girls. then we went back to the camp, had devos, and went to bed.

now we are at the munising church eating lunch.

i miss you guys and i can't wait to get home at the same time as i want to stay here in da up don't you know.

bye and i'll see you on either saturday or sunday.

Opps from Lisa

i meant to say 6th day in my blog and i totally messed it up.
ok bye

Opps from Lisa

i meant to say 6th day in my blog and i totally messed it up.
ok bye

Danielle Tres

Well, now, right now we're back in the previous hot room upstairs at Munising Baptist, but now it's not so hot. It's actually about 70 degrees out... the coolest all week.
Two nights ago, we did end up going to the beach AGAIN! It was a lot of fun. All of the boys caught a chipmunk on the beach!!! He was soooo scared when we put him down in the middle of all of us... he could have had a heart attack!
Yesterday morning we all went swimming in Boot again. It was a lil chilly, but we got used to it.
Yesterday's Bible school went so well. All of the kids were so good and adorable. They really attached themselves to us. Lisa, Jenna, Molly, Brooke and I always had a little girl on our backs. They didn't want to leave us to play games.

I was so relieved that yesterday went well. I hope today goes well again. I'm very sad that today is our last day of VBS. I really feel a conviction for these people here. I had no idea that the conditions of these kids were so bad, especially they're family lives. When we went to Limestone Baptist last night to hang out with they're youth group, you could tell there was a huge difference between our group and theirs. This trip really made me realize what a great family I have and I'm so thankful that we ended up in First Baptist. I know from experience that who I am is a result from whom I've met and where I've been. I could be a completely different person if my parents would have moved us to a different school or had chosen a different church. I am so thankful for God's guidance so far, and I have confidence that He will lead me throughout the rest of my life. I am so happy to be on this trip.

Thank you for reading this, and thank you for my comments. I love you and miss you Mom and Dad!! Don't have too much fun!!!

P.S. Hey PJ --- Okay... okay.... NO. haha, I miss you, Michelle and the girls. Tell them all I said HELLO!!!!!!! See you when we get back!!!

Lisa's First Post

Well it is like 6 and it is my first blog haha. I just wanted to let everyone know that everything is going great. There isnt 300 kids like there was in st. vincent but the children here are just as close to my heart. I know a lot of people thought that i came on this trip for a lot of different reasons and yes i do love hanging out with my family and friends but this is actually for the children i love seeing there faces light up when we sing a certain song and like to see them learning about Jesus, and just having a great time. It is so fun here i am going to miss these kids so much. Thank you for your prayers and just keep praying for us. Love and miss you guys, see you in a little.
- Lisa

Nicole's Hungry!

We're all hanging out at Munising Baptist right now for lunch. We're having hot dogs, and I am hungry! Debbie and Susan are great cooks, and I'm very thankful for not only their cooking, but also their leadership! I've have some good conversations with each of the adults this week, and I hope that I could be of some help to them as well.

Thank you all for your encouragement and prayers. I'm doing much, much better--God is good, all the time! The night I was feeling discouraged, Jeff shared the passage from Mark 4, where Christ calms the sea. What manner of man is this, that even the sea and the wind obey him? God is proving Himself faithful, just as He has time and time again. I've been spending some time in Psalms in my devotions; today I was in Hebrews 11.

Yesterday's Bible club went well; I hit a few bumps with two boys in my class, but God's grace sustained me and kept me calm!

Each of the team members are doing a great job. Jarrod helped Pastor Jolls with music yesterday during the opening session and he sat with my class during the lesson time. Each of the boys took part in a skit (yes, even Josh!). Brooke and Danielle are really stepping up as leaders. Sometimes I'm left standing there, twiddling my thumbs because there is no work to be done!

Today is our last day of Bible club. Even though we have done well so far, we still need the prayers. Thank you to you all back home who are praying. God's hand is on our team.

Please pray for the youth group at Limestone Baptist Church. The teens are in need of spiritual encouragement and growth. We had a great time hanging out with them last night, even though they were kind of freaked out by the moose song...

Love you all! Thank you again.
Nicoleon

from Tim

the last two days have been the best. Every one has opened up and got to know each other lake superior is still cold but vary refreshing .here is the link to one of our videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp7hgJQ5FaU
Ps. Anna i got your comment.