Mission Trips: Country Club Christian Church

by Chris Wehr 

The group’s day started out like all the others: wake up and eat breakfast. There was just one change in the plan, an eight hour drive! With the new addition to the Haun family, Gracie the cat, we packed the vans and were off.

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Early and Late Thursday by Ben McBride

This morning we awoke from a restful night of sleep, ate breakfast, packed our lunches, and headed off to the Horizon House one last time. Today we worked together to sort toiletries and clothing. Many of us had fun. Part of the experience included opening hundreds of toothpaste packages and pouring out mouthwash. Horizon House neighbors often have addictions, so the staff will not give them anything that might have alcohol in it. We finished our work just in time to head to the Hittle house.

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by Mary McBride

Today our activity started at Horizon House.  Horizon House is a day shelter for the homeless of Indianapolis that provides services for homeless “neighbors.”  It is not a shelter where they can spend the night, but one where they can go to spend the day, do laundry, see a physician or nurse and be safe. They even provide mental health professionals for the neighbors.  Read the rest of this entry »

by Scott Fuller 

Today was fabulous.  We started this morning by going across the street to work on a parking lot.  Our jobs were to stain the wooden fence, paint the parking blocks white, and pull all the grass and weeds out of the cracks in the asphalt.  All the kids rotated jobs and did a great job.  All we have left is to finish the fence. 

At one point, Kelly and I needed to check in with our unofficial crew boss, Bob.  As we were walking across the street a man in a truck pulled up beside us and said he noticed some kids doing some painting.  He offered us more supplies, just in case we needed them.  That, along with a thumbs up from a passerby and a question about our weeding techniques, makes us feel as if we are having an impact in this community.

In closing, outside the church is a thin, stray, black cat.  She is friendly and sweet.  This morning she followed us to the parking lot and hung out while we worked.  We could bring her home with us—any takers?

Later on Tuesday by Elizabeth Daugherty 

After work, and girls’ showers (the boys had to wait), we went to the Horizon House.  Horizon House is a day shelter for the homeless where they can get some basic needs met as well as meet with case managers. We learned about an experience we will have tomorrow. We were taken to a back room where we created a collage on what we thought homelessness meant. After, we were divided into groups and each group filled out a questionnaire. Finally, we returned to the church. The boys took showers and we had a taco dinner. Scottie set off the smoke alarm when cooking the beef.  For 30 minutes the alarm continued until a member of the church shut it off.  For the rest of the night after dinner everyone was at play until worship and sleep.

Food Pantry by Tyler Moffat

Today was the first mission of the trip.  The group helped with the food pantry to get food and other things for poor and homeless people.  Once when I helped someone, he hugged me! Later, we went to a pond on the campus of Butler University, which was fun.  I saw blue gills and crawdads.  Once I even saw a huge crawdad.  I also collected some snail shells.

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First Day by Andrew Long and Steven Miles

To start we drive 8 hours to Indianapolis.  The ride was only half the fun!  Some people got makeovers.  On the way here we stopped at a McDonald’s.  Steven, one of the members had issues with another child while playing computer games at the restaurant.  In the blue mini-van, we got to know each other with a game of questions.  In the “church mobile” (15 passenger van) we also played games.

When we stopped in Indianapolis, we unloaded our luggage at Centenary Christian Church and then went to a Chinese restaurant.  The food was good.  We took all the seats in the restaurant.  Afterwards we went shopping for our lunch and breakfast food.  It was a magnificent adventure and it was lots of fun.

The closing worship ceremony was one of great emotion, great happiness and great hope. It began with prayer and then a group conversation which was led by Kelly. Kelly would ask us a question, and we would share our favorite moments at work, at play, or with a special person who touched us in some important way.

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