Last Day!

We're heading home today, but first we are going to a church unlike any the kids have ever known. We will be attending Liberation Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in St. Louis, MO for their Hip Hop Service. Can't wait to see what it's like!

After the service we will be heading home and will probably arrive around supper time. See ya soon!

Day of Fun at Six Flags St. Louis!

Day 3 Schedule

After two days of hard work - day 3 features fun & relaxation.

7:00am – Wake up & Shower

10:00am – Leave for Six Flags, St. Louis

4:00pm – Leave Six Flags, St. Louis

5:00pm – Arrive Comfort Inn & Suites Chesterfield

6:00pm – Supper

7:00pm – Hang out & Swimming

10:30pm - Lights Out

Classic shots from the Mystery Mission Trip

Brian's had it. You'd think he could find somewhere more comfortable than the floor though. Nighty night!

Pure luxury! Webster Groves Christian Church provided us with free lodging, cots, mattresses and showers! Heaven on Earth!

Poor Megan - doing homework on the mission trip!

So far the boys have outperformed the girls by about 10-1 in the kitchen duties. We'll see what happens tomorrow.

Figuring out how much "kindness" to bestow on others at the "Random Act of Kindness" Lunch

The Mystery Mission Clue Book. Never leave a location without it!

Packaging pasta at the Food Bank - we look great in hairnets and gloves!

Day 2 Recap

It is night 2 on our Mystery Mission Trip. Today was a very long day filled with lots of travel, three mission stops, & a lot of tired people. (Kids and adults) We left Macon, MO at 7:00am and traveled to Columbia, MO. Our first stop was Woodhaven where we heard a presentation on their ministry and spent the morning landscaping two of their resident's homes. For lunch we had our "Random Act of Kindness Lunch" where we ate at a restaurant and offered to pay for a strangers lunch before our own. The kids were very frugal with their orders so they were able to give out extra random acts of kindness by blessing the waiters with generous and unexpected tips. This was very big of the kids since they could have kept the money for themselves.

We spent the afternoon at the Central Missouri Food Bank where we packaged bulk pasta into portions for over 6,000 people. Exhausting work, but rewarding. We are now at Webster Groves Christian Church in St. Louis, MO for the night. The kids have cooked a delicious meal of hot dogs and Doritos. (again, their choice) I bought some cherries, blueberries, and watermelon as a surprise for the kids - gotta get some nutrition in there somewhere!

I have a feeling the kids will be asleep earlier tonight - they are exhausted! Who knows what tomorrow will bring?!?!?

Orientation at Woodhaven.

The whole gang before heading out for the morning.

Landscaping is hard but rewarding work. The residents are developmentally disabled so they can't do it themselves.

So here we are in day two of Mystery Mission Trip 2009.

Last night we had a wonderful time with our friends from Macon, MO who held a BBQ and Boating party. A great time was had by all and many of our kids & adults got to go tubing for the first time. Awesome!

We woke up bright and early this morning (5:00am - yes, parents all the kids are up and moving!) and the kids are busy cooking a breakfast of eggs, bacon, & toast. (Their choice. The last challenge yesterday gave them $40 for breakfast and everything had to be fresh - nothing in a box or can. They only spend $21!)

Here is our schedule for the day:

August 7th -

6:00am – Wake up & Breakfast at FCC Macon, MO

7:00am – Leave for NBA Woodhaven, Columbia, MO

8:00am – Arrive @ Mission Site - Woodhaven, Columbia, MO

11:00am – Lunch, Columbia, MO

1:00pm – Arrive @ Mission Site – Central Missouri Food Bank

5:00pm – Leave Food Bank for supper challenge

6:00pm – Leave Columbia, MO for St. Louis, MO

8:30pm – Arrive Webster Groves Christian Church, St. Louis, MO

11:30pm – Lights out @Webster Groves Christian Church

We appreciate your prayers as we go out to serve in God's world today.

Melanie

Macon, MO - staying here tonight.

Testing out the pews in Macon, MO

Sunset in Missouri on night #1.

Making FLY lunches at First United Methodist Church in Marion, IA

Our whole group on the first mission stop of the trip.

FLY lunches ready for delivery.

At Culver-Stockton College in Canton, MO trying to identify campus buildings for Clue #6.

Welcome to Mystery Mission Trip 2009! Be sure to check back often for updates on where we are and what we're doing. Because technology has advanced to the point where the kids have phones & ipods on them which they could use to check the schedule to see what's next, I will only be posting bits of our trip at a time.

So for now - here is our schedule for the next few hours! Check back often for pictures and updates of our journey!

9:00am – Meet at MCC
10:00am – Prepare FLY lunches for Marion Cares @ FUMC, Marion, IA
12:30pm – Arrive Mt. Pleasant, IA for lunch
2:30pm – Arrive Culver-Stockton College, Canton MO
5:30pm – Arrive FCC Macon, MO – drop off luggage

The MCC ladies taking off for General Assembly in Indianapolis. More pictures to follow.