Day 7 - Thursday

It's Thursday afternoon now. 5:15 pm. The church is quiet. No sounds of laughter coming from the kitchen, or mentors and participants running around the church. No one to ask me a question, or bug me just for fun. No Janine taking pictures, or Shellie rolling her eyes at my dumb comments.

Just the sound of the air conditioner humming away in the sanctuary. An erie sound, now that this place has been filled with so many memories.

Everyone is on their way home now, and soon I will be too. It has been a good week together. Read on and find out how the final day materialized. Tomorrow or Monday I will post one last blog entry with some thoughts about the week, and each member who came or helped out.






We begin at about 1:00 am this morning. Shellie is talking my ear off, and I'm nodding alot, and working on my pictures. Had to in order to get things done. We also had some good discussions. It was truly good to get to know you Shellie. You were amazing this week.

I couldn't help but post some of the pictures of the girls who kept us company in the early hours. Here is Danielle singing a solo. It was so high pitched I couldn't even hear it. If you look really close, you can see her tonsils.


Shellie used a broken motorcycle for an object lesson yesterday. The girls attempted to put it together using sticky tack. I think it worked too.


Then there was alot of noise and screaming and I realized that Hannah was being attacked. She laughed so hard she almost peed herself. Oh, and you should ask her about those doors that keep walking into her. Quite painful.

Here Elysha shows off her talent of touching her elbow with her tongue. We all tried it and couldn't do it. AMAZING

After a couple of hours sleep, it was back to work. Well, for the kitchen crew at least. They kept us fed, and worked VERY hard.

Bethany helped us out each morning. THANKS a bunch for your work Bethany. (She gets special mention because she's in my youth group).

After breakfast Jenny shared her testimony with the group. Thanks for doing that Jenny. You did GREAT. I will remember your words for a long time.




It was time to clean up the rooms, but I think this was just amazing. Amy's stuff was EVERYWHERE. It took Amy and Janine about 45 minutes to pack everything away. It was a miracle it all fit !! : )

After clean up time, Lindsay spent some time jamming with various participants. They had a Blast.

It was Shona's Bday today. She woke up Danielle V at 6 am just to tell her that. : )

Here Melissa and Elysha are taking notes on my blog picking out the 1/2 truths so they can reply to them sometime. (at least that's what I THINK they are doing) : )

Adrianna-Rose catching up on some last minute warm fuzzies.

Then it was time for Worship again. The band just keeps growing.

Shellie once again did an excellent job of speaking to us. Today's final theme was SERVE. She used oil, water, salt. You'll have to ask why and what for.

Shellie also used rolled up paper and books to illustrate how we are strong with God surrounding us.

Then it was time to give some gifts. For the past many months, Calvin's quilting group has been busy making a quilt for each participant that came to this year's SERVE. Annet represented the group, and here holds a magnificent labour of love.

Each participant was called forward and handed a quilt to take home with them. Here Olivia poses for us. Again, too many pictures to put on the blog, but we did get a picture of everyone receiving their quilt, and that will be coming to you soon.

Now you need to know that through the entire week, Shellie was dropping hints that she REALLY liked the quilts. That she'd REALLY like to have one, but she knew that there were only enough for the Participants. Well, I'm a sucker once in a while, so I gave in and was able to acquire one. We thank you for all your hard work this week Shellie. More than you signed up for. Enjoy the quilt.

Tamar wasn't with us, so we presented a quilt to her for Anneke and video taped it. It's a very nice quilt. We hope Anneke enjoys it.

And then, low and behold, who should arrive, but the DeWaards. They were swarmed when they came into the building. We were able to present the quilt to her, and I think I even saw Tamara get misty eyed. Oh, and I think the hospital staff is still wondering where she went. I here she bolted out early. Didn't I tell you she'd be here !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : )

Janine did a GREAT job taking pictures. However, it seems that one of her eyes just won't open any longer. The hazards of taking great pictures. THANKS Janine, and yes, we'll try to find someone else to do it next time.

Janine has been a youth leader here for as long as I've been here (6 years). It's been a joy to work with her and Chad, her husband. Thanks for all your hard work and putting up with me. This picture was just for fun.

As you've read, today is Shona's Birthday. She's 29 today. She's been talking about this day all week long. She thoroughly enjoyed herself and just LOVED the pink cake. Isn't is lovely. It was a bitter sweet day for her, in that she also had to leave the many new friends she made. Many tears were shed.

Tomorrow is Olivia's Bday, so we got her a cake as well.

Here is Olivia proudly posing with one of her two ice-cream cakes.

Shona did the same.

Two peas in a pod.

It seems that Jackie and Hannah will be having Bday's this weekend too, so we sang happy birthday to all four of them, and then we devoured the cakes BEFORE lunch.

Here Shona is making her wishes.

So too is Olivia.

Serving the cakes.

Some parents came to experience this morning as well. Here two of them get acquainted.

Tamara looking over the blog. I don't think she thinks I'm always telling the truth, and she wanted to verify.

Time for one last picture before saying goodbye.

And then it was time to say goodbye.

Here Kyle and Olivia say goodbye. At the beginning of the week they were strangers, but now they are fast friends.

And time to clean up the church. Took about 1.5 hours. Thanks for helping clean up everyone.

So you have the facts of the day. I've got to do one last errand (dropping off freezers) now, so I'll post a more phylisophical blog entry either tomorrow or Monday.

Blessings as you all travel home. May you arrive home safely, and may your sons/daughters share much with you about this week.