Day 4 from Dave

Today was filled with blessings. The hope junior high kids and senior high leaders (including Peter) have certainly shown their special skills that God has blessed them with. From the kids in the band, to Peter's playing the role of Joseph to Heather's art work to Joseph's ability to bring a smile to anyone to Anna in the kitchen. All the kids have worked so hard and with unity on the special projects, we've been hot and sweaty and everyone has delivered such effort with a joy and dedication that I have not seen from kids before. Klenk and Hayden became electricians because I needed them to help me with installing the lights in the new Happy Church thrift shop.

The hope kids have been so uplifting to me and each other. I received a wonderful banner signed by all the kids for my birthday today. I'm not sure how they found out, but they brought tears to my eyes. I hope they know how much they mean to me. I had a great time learning Frisbee with Heather and Anna. They have also shown so much love for the Jackson kids. They have been so dedicated to being prepared for each of their VBS stations. Stevie and Lindsley did a great job creating hand movements for the scripture memorization. Chelsea and Heather are doing great with the crafts. I don't think there could be a better market then the one Jimmy, Joseph, and Judah set up. Logan and Klenk have been great in all their support roles. Emma and Stevie have been incredible keeping all the check-in organized and eliminating much chaos. Britt's, April's and Grace's happy and upbeat attitudes has been contageous and a joy. Timmy, Austin, Hayden, Peter, and Linsley have been relentless on practicing their songs and it has paid off. the Jackson kids are loving the praise time. The VBS went so well today and even the mix-ups that would normally frustrate the best of us, was all taken in stride by the Hope kids. They are really making this VBS a blast for the Jackson kids. I just can't express how proud and impressed I am by them. You should all be proud. They are giving your family names and Hope name a fantastic reputation. Todd has done a great job including cleaning up after vomit and a nice surprise left in the bathroom by someone (what a guy). Janice is really kept us feed well even with the swollen ankle. Kellie has been a blast however she almost gave me a heart attack when I ran with her yesterday (I only went a mile, she kept going, the extra mile I guess you call it).

Again this was just a very blessed day! There was so much that these kids did, I wish I had more time say. I love them all and thank you for sharing them this week. They actually are doing a great job keeping the place clean too!

Day 3 Recap

Pop Quiz: You look around and you see a desert, pyramids, camels, hyrogliphics, mummies (christian mummies, of course!),and a Pharoah.....okay, where are you??? Jackson, Kentucky OF COURSE! That's right, our team spent the day on Monday turning the Happy Church into a taste of Egypt; complete with pyramids, a market place, and even an egyptian rock band (Joseph & the Mummies).

Our first day of VBS was a great experience. About one hour before the VBS was supposed to take place - Jackson was hit with a pretty significant thunderstorm. To quote one of our youngest team members, Grace Mease, "the boom booms woke me up from nap." The thunderstorm dropped 2.6 inches of rain in about an hour! But, thankfully, it ended just in time for our VBS. The rain clouds cleared and vans showed up filled with about 50 Kids. The Happy Church leadership was excited to see that our VBS brought out some brand new faces from the community.

Our team did a great job loving on the Happy Church Kids and taking them through the story of Joseph. Each and every team member put their heart into their role in the VBS. Running a VBS in Jackson is 'baptism by fire' :-). Our team had lots of changes and revisions to make after experiencing the boundless energy and short attention span of the kids. We look forward to an even better day today!

We capped the evening off with a good ole' fashioned 'Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest'. Andrew Klenk gave Pastor Brian a good run for his money. But, in the end, clergy won the day! After a late night 'debrief' session, the team hit their beds at about 11pm. We are battling fatigue, but feeling inspired and invigorated for the mission at hand! Please continue praying for our team! And remember...don't worry...be happy!

A word from Peter...

Hey everybody, this is my first time I've been to The Happy Church and I am enjoying every minute of it. This last year God has been doing amazing things in my life and my whole world has been turned upside down for him. These past few months, I have felt God calling me to fight in his army instead of living the christian life on the surface. When I heard that Todd Hinners was looking for another adult leader I jumped right on it. After choosing to change my life style in the pursuit of God, I have been looking for every opportunity to show Gods love to everyone I meet. This trip has been, and will continue to be, an awesome opportunity for me to show love and encouragement to everyone I meet including the other students that are here serving with me. I have no doubt that God is working in and through me and through every one of the other students here. There is no other feeling that is as good as knowing that I am fighting on the front lines for God.

We made it!

We arrived safely around 1:00 pm today and had a warm reception from Mike and Connie. We had a tour of Jackson and an orientation from Pastor Mike. After unpacking and getting our lodging in order we went to the Elk View to learn a little about the beautiful surrounding area. Pastor Mike took us to a herd of horses that were running free and we walked over and fed them some bread.

The gravel roads leading in and out of the area were rough on everyone in the vans!

Back at the Happy Church we had dinner along with many of the teens from the Happy Church and got to band practice and testing some of th VBS props. We also scoped out the new Happy Mart and planned our service projects.

More later.

Preview night jitters!

Ok, now all the jitters are behind us. Time to GO! Last of the preparations and some rest before the departure at 8:30am on Saturday.

Everyone did a fantastic just giving the parents and friends a preview of our mission trip. It is exciting to see how God equips us all in unique ways to carry out His mission.

Have a great Friday!

Allow me to introduce you to the team. From left to right: Emma Glemaker, Dave Glemaker, Timmy Carpenter, Kelli Phillips, Brit Prescott, Chelsea Coggins, Austin Hinners, Heather Tan, April Rumelhart, Grace Prescott, Anna Honerlaw, Todd Hinners, Lindsey Hartenstein, Stevie Carpenter, Andrew Klenk, Logan Hinners, Joseph Metzger, Jimmy Slyby, Hayden Worth, and Judah Hartenstein! (Peter Guth not in picture)

How it breaks down: Adult leaders - Kelli and Dave, 13 kids from 6th to 8th grade, 4 High School leaders, one college leader, and me, Todd, your tour guide.

It has been my privilege to lead this trip for the second time. Pastor Brian Mease led the first two trips in 2007 & 08 and it has grown every year since. Along with my son Austin, Happy Project has been in our family from the start. Pastor Mike and his family have become great friends of ours over the years and the trip is about more than just the week we spend in Jackson. Many small groups from Hope visit the Happy Church throughout the year taking on repairs, painting, or just helping with whatever needs to be done. The kids from the Happy Church visit us on their trips north competing in bible quiz competitions.

Did you know the Happy Church Quiz Team consistently ranks in the top 3 in individual and team competitions? Our mission team will get a chance to test their quiz-abilities against the pros from the Happy Church during our trip.

This years VBS theme is Egypt - From prison to palace! We look forward to sharing about Joseph and making his story come to life.

Follow this blog as the trip kicks off on June 19th!

Team is set for HP2010

We are 10 days away from departing on Happy Project 2010! This will be the 4th Annual Happy Project in Jackson, KY. 17 Students and 4 Adult Leaders will spend a week serving and sharing the Gospel with the people of Jackson, KY and the congregation and guests of The Happy Church.

Check back here for daily updates and pictures.