Fox Valley Presbyterian Church

We made it! We are excited to settle in to our new home for the next week and see what the Lord has in store. 

After church today we went to the global market for lunch. It was awesome! We tried food from South America, Asia, and Africa. 

Today is our first day helping out with LifePoint's VBS! Pastor Ryan led our team in a bonding activity with the church's Crew Leaders for the week through a game of Giant, Wizard, Dwarf, a spin-off of Rock, Paper, Scissors. He's also already recruiting Fox Valley kids for your VBS in two weeks, so they'll get plenty of training here. 

Our team got to sit down with their "crews" for the week before the start of VBS this morning. LifePoint's pastor, Pete, informed us of the large Karen population in the neighborhood that will be attending. The Karen here are mostly refugees from Burmese or Thailand, fleeing conflict in their area. Please pray for bonding between the team and the children during the week, for the refugee population, and open hearts this week. 

After VBS, the team stopped for lunch at a local park and then headed to Peace Lutheran, a church that provides gardening space for Loaves and Fishes, a nonprofit that exists to "... provide nutritious meals to people who are hungry across Minnesota in an atmosphere of hospitality at site locations where the need is greatest and to develop joint ventures/partnerships with like-minded organizations assisting guests with additional basic needs key to becoming self-sufficient." With a recent storm, hail destroyed the garden before the plants could be sheltered. We were unfortunately cut short in our work by a thunderstorm, but please prayer for enthusiasm and initiative towards the project, as there is now much to accomplish!

In each day, there are subtle reminders of God's glory, if we simply take the time to appreciate His creation.

Tuesday morning we were really looking forward to VBS and seeing the kiddos we connected with on Monday. It's amazing to see how fast they latch onto us. We've also gotten to know some of the other VBS leaders. One of the young men we met spent ten years in a refugee camp in Burma. It's so cool to hear such unique stories from people living not too far from home. 

Tuesday afternoon we returned to Loaves and Fishes for gardening. It really hit us today how this has been God's plan all along. He knew that it would storm but also knew we would be here this week to rebuild the gardens. It's amazing how His plan works out! 

We got to experience the delicious burger creation from Minnesota  where the cheese is Inside the meat! 

Today was the team's last day volunteering at LifePoint's VBS. Fantastic bonds, though brief, were formed between us and the kids this week, and all will be missed dearly. Overall, we shared fantastic opportunities with the church and wish them the best for the rest of VBS! 

As we wrapped up our ministry projects , the team pushed to get as many rows tilled, as many irrigation lines laid, as much lettuce planted, and as many lettuce shades constructed as possible. This was a great outlet for those craving physical labor, and PPM is thankful for this great local partner and looking forward to future association.  

Pastor Ryan, unbeknownst to the team, had talked to Rachel earlier about fitting in a pack at Feed My Starving Children. Timing managed to work out, and the team was ecstatic to volunteer, some of them even having packed at local sites before. In total, the team packed 26 boxes. It was equally wonderful to learn about the ministry and its return to Christian foundations, which produced much of the nonprofit's growth. Now, each pallet is prayed over before it leaves the warehouse, and verses line the walls.

We kicked off rec day with a trip to nearby Glam Doll Donuts for breakfast. The donuts there  were absolutely gigantic, and they even had vegan options for those in the group. 

The rest of our morning and afternoon consisted of a Minnesota pastime, a visit to one of the state's plethora of lakes. There were plenty of recreational activities, including ultimate frisbee, swimming, walking paths, and kayaking. The warm, sunny day provided a fortunate opportunity to cool off by the water or bask in the sun.

All week, we've been working with Loaves and Fishes in the garden.  Now, we get to see where the food goes and how our work impacts the community.  We ate with the people receiving the food and learned their stories.  Then, we took time to pray with these people and show them God's love.

Not only have we seen how the small seeds we planted will grow to be part of the bigger community goal of Loaves and Fishes, we have been able to see growth in ourselves.  Some of us are uncomfortable in these new situations.  But, stretching ourselves to learn more about others contributes to our growth as people and as believers.

Thursday night was our final meeting.  We presented Ryan with a gift signed by all of us and we think it looks pretty good!  The seniors also presented their paper plate awards.  It's great to take a moment to encourage our team in the things we have seen throughout the week.

Guilherme may be new to the group but it doesn't feel like it.  His work ethic, passion, and character are like no other.  To celebrate the hard work and the growth we've seen in Guilherme, we prayed with him as he took his first communion.

It's time.  Bags are packed, vans are loaded, goodbyes have been said.  But, that doesn't mean our mission is complete.  When God calls us to be disciples for Him, it is a lifelong commitment.  We are excited to continue serving as we go home to our own community.