Canyon Hills Community Church

We made it to Tucson along with ALL of our luggage! Our first stop was In N Out Burger for dinner. It was yummy, and we had fun discovering the Bible verses on our cups and food wrappers. We are excited to be able to serve and worship with our host church, Hope City Church, tomorrow!

We got to help Pastor Jeff set up the signs to welcome people to church this morning. Hope City draws people from as far as an hour away as well as those who live on the streets near the church.

Mrs. Heather let one of our groups help with Kid's Ministry during church. We had so much fun with them, and then they got to come hear us sing to close out the service.

We got to climb a mountain! It's really called Sentinel Peak, but they call it "A" Mountain because the University of Arizona students built a big rock "A" into it. It was hard, but we all made it to the top!

After we got to climb on the rocks and take lots of pictures, we took time to pray over the city we'll be serving in this week. Tucson is a lot like Seattle in many ways, so we also thought about how we can better pray for our own city.

*Leader's note: I've NEVER heard a group of kids pray as powerfully, purposefully, or honestly as these kids did. Their genuine connection to the Lord moved me to tears. Well done, parents and leaders!

We get to start our days learning about stories of missionaries who have gone before us. Their lives teach us more about what it means to sacrifice for the sake of sharing the gospel with others. It also makes us more excited about getting to be part of God's mission here in Tucson.

The Gospel Rescue Mission of Tucson is an absolutely beautiful facility that serves those struggling with homelessness and/or addiction. They focus on recovery and restoration through the dignity and hope of the gospel.

We got to help clean the warehouse after their Thanksgiving food giveaway and make room for other things that need to be stored there. The staff and residents were happy to share their stories as they worked alongside us.

We spent time this morning building clothing racks for the homeless ministry closet at Hope City. They are setting it up so that people can actually come in and shop for what they want rather than just having things handed to them that they may or may not like.

We went back to GAP today and sorted green beans into smaller packages for families in need. Lots of green beans!

It was tedious work, but we encouraged each other and got it done!

Wednesday was our chance to work on the outside of Hope City Church. And man! Did we work! We moved over a hundred wheelbarrows full of dirt to fill in the pot holes in the parking lot and entrance. It was hard, but worth the smiles on the church members' faces.

Ms. Cindy, who had taken us to minister to the homeless asking with Ms. Faith, came and shared her personal story of homelessness with us on Wednesday at lunch. She is such an inspiration in the way she has allowed the Lord to transform her life. It was a blessing to be able to love on her in prayer.

After our rec day Thursday we got to spend the evening with the youth of Hope City Church. We played a get to know you game and shared a meal prepared for us by a member of the church. Then we walked down the street to try raspados, which is a slushy treat with ice cream and real fruit. They were so good!