Hyde Park Speaks

A Taste of Savannah Nights

by Youth Ministry Team

Here's a peak at our praise & worship from last night.  Enjoy.

Savannah Mission, Day 1

by Kenny Ashley

Today was a great first day…we started by eating breakfast, of course, then we went on to do devos. Then we broke up into our groups and went to our work sites. The first day was kinda chill, we first went to Union Missions and helped the finance office and helped them make and label the file folders…then we had a fantastic lunch in Forsyth Park and ran in the fountain. We then went to have a class with a guy that is in charge of the volunteer missions work for Union Missions. He told us very surprising facts about the homeless community. Then we went to the showers and the rest of the day went from there. ( The shower was GREAT!)

In Christ,

Kenny Ashley

Read more about the "Middle School Mission Trip to Savannah, Georgia"

Day 1 in Savannah

by Youth Ministry Team

We arrived safely, if not a little road weary, for our Mission Trip in Savannah.  We will split into six teams with two adult leaders per group and head out to sites in the morning.  At the end of the long day we will meet for a big group worship and then again as a church for some reflection time.

We're asking the students to give updates on their time here, so stay tuned for more.

Middle School Mission Trip to Savannah, Georgia

This year our youth Ministry will once again take a group of predominantly Middle School Youth to a Southeastern United States destination to witness firsthand how they can Make God’s Love Real in the mission field.  Thirty students and six adults were commissioned for the mission field on Sunday, July 25, 2010 and hit the road on Sunday morning August 1st. 

The Youth Ministry partners with YouthWorks to engage our Middle School students in ministry.  YouthWorks is a company with whom we have partnered for several years which is dedicated to providing life-changing, Christ-centered youth mission opportunities.  Their dedicated staff have lived and worked in Savannah, Georgia all Summer to build bridges with local ministries and organizations where our students will work. 

This summer our students will visit with residents of two area Nursing Homes, The Savannah Union Mission, a homeless advocacy and training center (similar in scope to Metropolitan Ministries), the Salvation Army and the local chapter of Boys & Girls Club.  In addition, our students will also work on home improvement projects for Savannah residents in need.  Our students are divided into six teams and paired with students from other churches who have partnered with YouthWorks as well. 

YouthWorks creates a great atmosphere for our students to engage in service and really dig deeply into what it means to Make God’s Love Real by providing not only the connection to local ministries, but a curriculum designed to enable genuine reflection and biblical teaching.  

Please continually be in prayer for our students and our Adult Leaders as they enter the mission field.

Nicaragua Mission Days 5 & 6: Take Me...To...The Volcano!

Hi Everyone,

We just had our last day of mission...sniffle sniffle. No really, it's been nuts. This place has been fantastic for all of us. I know I have seen God each day working in these communities and in the lives of each of our students.

We missed you yesterday because we got back to El Ayudante a little later than usual. We spent the morning At the volcano Cerro Negro and the afternoon doing some sight seeing in Leon. Then we spent last evening on the Pacific coast. Most of us swam (the water was super warm) and then we had dinner right on the beach. Find the link for pics of day 5 here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=191422&id=809443536&l=dc5c685845

Today's blog entry comes from Tyler Lindsey (a guy -- YAY!!). Enjoy and then find some of todays pics using the link at the end. :0)

~Esther

 

by Tyler Lindsey

    *Tap Tap* “Wake up, 20 minutes until breakfast.” This is how the men are woken up every day, besides the amazing smell of French toast in your nose, before we go out to work. Today was the last day of work in the city of Leon, Nicaragua. As many of us finished breakfast we soon felt the after effects of yesterday when we toured the city and climbed an ACTIVE Volcano. But soon after breakfast we loaded up the busses and set off on a wonderful day of work.

    Our first stop today was the houses numbered 1, 2, and 3. We were all tired but pushed the the pain of digging in mud, from the previous night of pouring rain. The jobs on the site today consisted of digging, yes, but also unloading huge rocks off of two large flatbed trucks, so that we could make the septic tanks for the houses we were working on. The work wouldn’t have been tough if it hadn’t of been so muddy and slippery, many people lost balance and fell in the mud. With the constant feeling that you are about to lose balance carrying the rocks and bricks made it very tough to make much progress. After unloading the two big trucks full of rocks our rides showed up, but one was missing so we had to cram on the “Rhino Rally” bus. Once we got back to El Ayudante everyone was greeted with the sweet smell of rice and vegetables.

    Our second job of the day was visiting children at a local school house, it wasn’t just a few children either it was 100 or so kids. As we sat and colored with about half of the kids, many of us found a new friend or two, I know I did. With the amount of kids we had some went to play soccer with the younger guys of the Hyde Park group. The school we were at was not big at all, I actually think it was the neighborhood church, but it made me realize how lucky we are to have what we do. Once we finished coloring and playing soccer all the kids came in for snack and a drink. We did not have any garbage bags so the kids just threw the wrappers and juice boxes on the ground, thinking back it is kind of sad that they technically live in their own filth. After doing some major cleaning up we said “Adios!” and headed out, back to El Ayudante for dinner. Dinner was a chicken dish with some kind of barbeque sauce with vegetables, not sure what it was called but it was very good.

    After dinner some people sat around while others played some Ultimate Frisbee. Although we are leaving the city tomorrow I feel like this experience will stay with me, and it is definitely something I will never forget.

    Tonight is a night of relaxation and reflection of what has gone on this week. It is also a night to look forward and remember that we will be home on Saturday. This trip was a blast and was a great spiritual experience for all who came. Thanks for reading, see you guys Sunday!

-Tyler Lindsey   

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=191861&id=809443536&l=daa0e18c6e

Nicaragua Mission 2010 Day 4, Going Deeper

Hello All,

Today's blog comes from the lovely Kate Heuker. Tomorrow we get back to the compound pretty late (having dinner out by the ocean) so we may miss a day of blogging. Don't worry though, we'll get you all up to speed on Thursday if we miss. Okay, here we go...and don't forget to check out the new pics from today. Thanks!

~Esther

by Kate Heuker

“Good morning Baltimore, Every day's like an open door, every night is a fantasy”. It was another wonderful morning waking up to Hairsprays Good Morning Baltimore. The people who weren’t too happy yesterday about the music woke up today with sudden excitement for the activities that looked ahead, even though many of us woke up  with back pain from all the digging that went on yesterday.  We started off our day with yet another hardy and delicious breakfast provided by El Ayudante consisting of grilled cheese and ham accompanied with rice and fruit as always.

  At about eight forty five we set off to Pablo Morales a school about 30 min away on the Rhino Rally buses.  Many of us enjoyed singing on the bus to songs like Build Me a Buttercup and Don’t Stop Believing.  The guys even joined in on some of the action even though they had a lot of protest against our beautiful singing.  When we arrived at Pablo Morales all the children were sitting waiting for us and they all welcomed us with a lot of “holas”.  Today’s activities consisted of more soccer, a coloring sheet, and a 3D fish bowl which many of the little ones thoroughly enjoyed.  Some of the older kids also had some games of kickball and duck duck goose which was a big hit.  On the way out of Pablo Morales Cort Lippe surprised us with jumping on a horse and trotting around the field we all had a good laugh at that.  It was another sad goodbye when we left all the children behind departing for El Ayudante.  When we arrived we were greeted with a tasty lunch of pork roast and rice.  It was “muy delicioso!”

After lunch we were scheduled to go to the landfill to hand out care packages to the people who lived there. We had to put the packages together after lunch but the supplies were running a little late so some of the team decided to play ultimate Frisbee.  It was a blast even though it rained because it made it more difficult to keep your balance and catch the Frisbee.  We all had to take showers after that because the grass was covering us from head to toe.  After the supplies arrived we made an assembly line to make up for the time that had been lost.  We made about 70 care packages to hand out in the landfill.  Since there aren’t enough packages for every family every week the pastor at a church told us which families had received one the week before so they could alternate.  The team was split up into two different groups so we could cover more ground in a more efficient manner.  Interpreters went with each team to allow us to talk to the people living there.  AT every family we came to the interpreters ask them what they wanted us to pray for them whether it be economic, family, or health problems.  This was a time for us to pray instead of the adults and for us to be able to give hope to these families.  At each house a different person stepped up and prayed for what the family asked them to pray for and gave care packages depending on the number of families living in the house.  (In some houses it was up to 3 families).  I had an opportunity to pray for a woman who was pregnant and who already had children.  She wanted me to pray for her children, her family, her pregnancy and to help her find a job.   It was a real eye opener for most of us who have never seen any conditions even close to this before. (Due to respect for the people living in these conditions there will be no pictures of the landfill on face book). 

After an emotional experience at the landfill we loaded up the bus and drove back to El Ayudante.  Dinner was served at 5 o’clock and consisted of fried chicken, refried beans, salsa, chips and fruit! Shortly after dinner Nica Made an organization that helps people make a small business’s came to sell some goodies.   There were beautiful frames, crosses, and bookmarks that we could purchase.  Their biggest hit was the Nicaraguan coffee that everyone bought to bring back as gifts (it's supposed to be superb).

Tonight’s going to be an early night because we have a packed fun filled day touring the city tomorrow!  Look forward to our blog tomorrow! Goodnight!

Kate Heuker

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=190997&id=809443536&l=b690a45c39

 

Nicaragua Mission 2010 Day 2, The Work Begins

Hola Nica Fans,

Today's post comes to us courtesy of Maria Cate. Don't forget to click the link at the end for today's pics.

~E

You know how everyone has those days that just stand out? When you feel something you’ve never felt before, or you see something that has changed your outlook on life; for the better. Well today was one of those days. This glorious Monday started by the song “Good Morning Baltimore” from the movie Hairspray blasting into the ears of every girl in the room. Some appreciated it more than others but it sure did wake everyone up. The kind people here in Nicaragua cooked up some delicious pancakes along with white pineapple and watermelon. There was a change of plans and we headed off to a new location after breakfast. Iglesia bautista  was our next stop. We arrived in style on a rhino rally (or a flatbed) which is an open air truck made to go on tough terrain. We zoomed through dirt, rocks, water, and the wilderness until we came to a tiny church in the middle of a small village. Kids of all ages ran to greet us and the smile on their faces was indescribable. We started off by making bracelets for them. At first there was about 30 children but as the word got around the village that we had arrived, more and more kids started arriving. They loved to be picked up and loved. Everyone was trying their hardest to talk to them and find out their name, age, and things they like to do. They giggled behind our backs at our Spanglish but loved us all the more. One thing we all noticed was how the oldest children, no older than 12 or 13, were taking care of the younger children like they were their own. As young as they were, their maturity radiated from their actions. The kids weren’t satisfied with just making one bracelet; they got bags to put all the beads in to take home. It amazes me how something as simple as beads was considered so valuable to the kids. If one was dropped on the ground they would crawl on their hands and knees just to get a bead! We also gave the kids cardboard airplanes to make and decorate with markers. They thought that was a blast. I met this girl today name Isabella and when she made an airplane, she decorated it with markers saying Maria y Isabella. That made my day and I just wanted to cry. After all the arts and crafts we passed out juice and cookies. All of us sat around with them and talked in as best Spanish as we could, which was fine with them. As the time approached for us to leave you could just see in the kid’s eyes that they didn’t want us to leave. They opened up to us so fast and so lovingly that you have to learn to go into those places knowing that you’re going to leave so you don’t get too attached. I made the mistake of pouring my heart into them a little too quickly and then when the time came to leave, that was the last thing I wanted to do. All of the little girls were hanging on all of us and dancing with us, only wanting to keep their new friends a little bit longer. We all knew that it was in vain as we hopped back on the flatbed. I was actually the last one on because the girls were hanging on my arms as I attempted to walk back to the truck. It killed me just to pull their little hands off me and not look back. As we drove away and rounded the corner, we all looked back to see a little boy chasing the trucks as fast as he could. He was sprinting after us and it broke our hearts to see him doing everything he could to get us to stay. About halfway back to arriving, it started to rain. It added affect to the blanket of sadness we were all feeling inside.

We arrived back to a delicious lunch of beef and rice which was extremely good. Without delay we headed out to el barrio which wasn’t any more than 10 minutes away. Once there we were ready to get to work painting a house and digging, digging, and more digging. Everyone was working so hard and it really was a sight to see as our sweat dripped down showing our dedication. We painted the house a beautiful yellow and on breaks went to visit a monkey that was a pet of the locals. Monkey in Spanish is “mono” and it was funny to us that the “mono’s” name was “monkey”. After a few hours of straight working, the ice cream man (ESKIMO!)  came by and we were treated to some delicious Nicaraguan ice cream! We sure made his day..

We arrived back to shish kabobs for dinner and they were delicious. Vegetables accompanied the meal, along with rice and fruit once again! After dinner a man came and took orders to make personalized bracelets for us and our families. I’m pretty sure we made his day too... A few of us made friends with the other group here from Germantown, Tennessee and jammed with them and their guitars for a little while. Hotel California sure was a hit!! I played guitar with two other boys who were quite talented as well and many of the girls joined along. That concluded our day as we finished up with a prayer and a preview for tomorrow’s day, which is said to be the most emotional yet. I can’t wait.

Maria Cate

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=190730&id=809443536&l=319bd1ac7c

Nicaragua Mission 2010, -- Day 2 Settling In

by Esther Will

Germantown UMC from Memphis Tennessee joined us late last evening and some of the HPUMC group was fortunate enough (and awake enough) to greet our new friends. The rest of us had a treat when we woke up this morning and were able to mingle with them over a breakfast of eggs, beans and rice, watermelon and of course white pineapple. YUM! After breakfast we split into teams and headed off to church. We visited Apante, located about 45 minutes from El Ayudante. It was our first experience mingling with the community. It was definitely a wakeup call as El Ayudante is soooo beautiful. It’s almost like a retreat and you forget where you are. The spirit was definitely with us as we started worship with both children and adults through music. Next, the kids (about 75 of them) moved us outside to the lawn where we shared a Bible story (Cast Your Nets; John 21:6) and then shared time coloring pages of Jesus and the fishermen pulling in mucho peces. A snack of juice boxes and chocolate cookies and we were quickly back on the bus.  After lunch we headed over to the Metropolitan Sports Club with the team from Germantown. It’s a private club here in Leon for soccer and swimming. We took six children from the Child Protection Center here on campus with us and they had a blast. One of the little boys, Jose, really liked one of our chaperones, Jimmy Kalamaras. 

The day went by so fast. Tonight several members of our group are playing volleyball by the bunk house before our nightly team meeting where we will prepare for tomorrow’s activities. Team meetings start at 7:30 pm. The days are very well scheduled here. 7 am breakfast, lunch at noon, dinner at 5pm and team meetings at 7:30 pm. God also blessed us today with cool rain that brought the temperature to down to a tolerable level. God was good (He always is) in that he only let it rain when we were on the bus and resting after lunch before heading to the sports complex. Sweet!

It was good to be in fellowship this morning with the people of Apante, the children of El Ayudante, and the team for Germantown. Be sure to check out some pics from day two using the link below. I think we’re all ready to get to work. Tomorrow we’ll head to El Jardincito Preschool (about 40 children) in the morning for VBS and crafts, and then after lunch back at the team house we’ll split up and head out for construction at two different home sites. Looking forward to it!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=190460&id=809443536&l=b1ff14b642

Nicaragua Mission: Day 1 Continued ...

by Esther Will

Hola Nica Fans,

See the link below for a few pics of our adventures today.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=190180&id=809443536&l=ec1b5e88cb

The team at the meeting house made us a delish dinner of pasta and yummy white pineapple. We're just winding down and getting ready for tomorrow. I hope we can all sleep tonite with all the napping that was had today! Night!

 

Nicaragua Mission 2010, Day 1 -- We made it!

by Esther Will

Welcome to Leon! It’s been a challenging 24 hours but it sure has gone by fast! First we were a little delayed in leaving the church due to a miscommunication with the bus driver. We left right around 11pm and high tailed it over to MIA for our just after 5am flight. We made it in plenty of time and have enjoyed seeing the view as we made the 1.5 hour bus ride form Managua to El Ayudante. The compound is so beautiful. The team house is lined with a porch full of rocking chairs for relaxing and fellowship. The sidewalks from the bunk house to the team house are lined with green grass and flowers teaming with yellow butterflies. It’s hot here but no worries because each bed in the house comes with personal fan. After a few hours of napping some delish pizza arrived for lunch and now we are simply enjoying our free time. Some are playing baseball in the yard, some have returned to napping, and some are enjoying the rocking chairs under the shade. It’s a lazy afternoon here at El Ayudante…but we need our rest. It’s going to be a busy week!