SERVE 2015: Day 5 - Bowling, Etc.

Day 5. 

Wow, is it day 5 already. 

Time flies. 

Seems like a dream at times...though I don't know why since sleep seems to be at a premium these days. : ) 

We are settling into routine once again, and before you know it, it will be time to go.  : ( 

It's been a great SERVE week so far. 

As we continue to reflect each evening, I keep hearing how special this week is to our Participants. 

Some, this year, do not come from the best home environments and it has been neat to see them flourish and grow during their week here. 

Some have discovered the artist within themselves. 

Some have more hope for the future. 

Some have experienced positive love that has been lacking in their lives. 

Makes this week so worth it.  

Watching our Mentors see these things, hear about these things, absorb these things - has also been priceless.  

We awoke again for breakfast at 8 a.m.  

Today it was Bacon and Eggs. 

I walked into the kitchen this morning and paused to drink in the enticing aroma of bacon sizzling on the electric grills. 

Ruth said it was worth taking a picture of. : )  

Justin and Joey reading the daily blog entry. 

I finally corrected some of my errors. 

Ryan is actually Ryan again, not Steve.  Whew  : ) 

Ryan noticed this several times over the week. 

Ryan is one smart cookie. 

Samantha has learned all kinds of new fact from him this week. 

Like drag racers have these bars at the back of their cars to prevent wheelies from happening.  They are called Wheelie bars. A fountain of knowledge that Ryan is.  : )  

Seems that Kaleb wasn't quite awake enough for Alex this morning.  : )  

Cool story. 
On Monday night Pastor Kaleb was trying to figure out how to connect Ephesians with LOVE, which was for Tuesday Morning devotions, and couldn't do it.  He was going to use John 3:16 and as he was thinking about that, Philippe handed him this piece of paper. 
Apparently Philippe had been working on this and wanted Pastor Kaleb to use it for devotions. 
And so he did.......
Cool Story.  

Alex....gross!!!  : ) 

Finally an eating picture with me in it.  

Way to go Lisa.   : )  

After Breakfast it was off to our work sites. 

This group made cookies to hand out to residents at 220 viewmount.   

Kyle is having fun making the cookie dough.   

Some went to RCHS again and this time cleaned the gum and other gucky stuff off the desks. 

Fun work eh Mackenzie.   

Tyler enjoying himself.  Way to go Tyler.   

Now this is really Steven, cleaning off the desks.   

Yes Kaleb, we actually caught you working.....

I know it's rare, but it does happen. 

How do I know? 

I'm a youth pastor as well.  : ) 

I can identify.  

At 220 Viewmount with Jessica.   

Everyone at coffee time at 220 viewmount.  

Meghan socializing as well. 

She's a very nice person...and as Alexa would say, "of course, she's my cousin after all!"  : )  

Caralynn at Bible's for Mission store.  

Rey trying to figure out how to put the cage together.  

Braidon, those plastic chairs aren't that heavy.  

Stop with the wincing face.   

Tyler smiling as usual.  

He enjoys a day with hard work. 

I've seen it many times.   

Alex at the Carlington Community Chaplaincy doing dishes. 

I never thought he enjoyed it so much. 

Maybe we'll have to put him to work in our kitchen. : )  

Ok, this time I get it right. 

Ryan making cards.   

The end result of all the cards.  

Janine into card making as well.  

Alex and Nicolette and Katrina making cards.   

Hmmmmm, what to draw...... 

Joycegina talking with someone who dropped in for coffee at the CCC.  She was taking Lisa and Sarah and Olivia around so they could get these pictures for us. 

Thanks sweetie.   

hmmmm, I wasn't here. 

So what's the significance of this frozen drink Samantha.   

The last place pictures taken were at the Food Bank Farm again. 
Heather and Stephanie are weeding away. 

As are Philippe and Liam.  

In fact it seems all of the group is. 

Looks like more plants were planted again to day as well.  
You can see that the ones we planted yesterday have coverings on them already. 

After work sites are completed. 
Time for lunch.  

Potato salads of different sorts. 

Johnny boy. !  

Nice glasses Alex. 
I didn't know you wore glasses....hmmmm

Using paint during small group time today. 
Kaitlyn loves paint.  

Had to paint a flower pot today. 
Shawn concentrating on that.  

Ben, nice sun glasses. 
hmmmmm

Joey with the finished product.  
Nice work. 

Shannon enjoying her small group time with Brittany.  
Shannon is a gentle spirit.  
She's had some health issues here, but she has overcome them.  I'm very proud of her and her tenacity. 

Francine working through the small group workbook. 
Francine is another quiet, gentle spirit in the group.  

Hmmmm, these two seem to blend together. 
Jessica and Lysanne, your hurting my eyes with all that pink.  : )

After small group time it was off to Merivale Bowling lanes for another round of glow in the dark bowling. 
But first, some video games with John and Justin competing against each other. 

Alex learning to drive.  : ) 

No, Philippe's book is not lit up...just glowing in the black light.  

Bowling is always a highlight for our participants.  
Shawn did very well.  

As did many other of our participants.  

Much better than many of us....
right Kaleb?  What was your score again? 
Oh yea, the lowest....hmmm
I find it so funny each year how our participants usually score the highest.  : )

Synchronized Bowling.  

Dance bowling. 

Philippe got a strike or spare here I think. : ) 

Lots of fun with the lights and loud music. 

Kyle and Tyler celebrating their wins. 

Christina, nice pose, but get bowling would ya! : ) 

Ben and Jonathan relaxing between turns. 

Shannon was able to come and bowl today. 
I was very glad she came.....until she beat me....  :) 

Hmmmm, Emily......that's a new way to bowl. 

Ben, another strike.....I can't believe it.  !!!

Francine did well too.  

Jessica watching the result of her throw.  

John took this all too seriously. 
Nah, not John....  : ) 

Hey, look at that bowling form from Pastor Ron. 
You'd think that would have helped his game? 
Not! 

Daniel, nice pipes.  
Didn't help his bowling much either.  : ) 

Kaleb's had enough.........

After Bowling it was shower time and then back to the church for supper. 
Hamburgers and hotdogs. 
THIS year, Harold and I got out of cooking. 
Yeah! 
And thanks to Pat (left) and Andy (right) for taking our places.  

We've had this shuffle board sitting around for days now, and it FINALLY came out once I suggested it to a few people. 
It was a hit. 
Ben took it real serious. 
More than bowling I think.  

Joey with Justin and Brittany.  
Joey came with mixed emotions, but he's really settled in and has enjoyed himself.  

After a good supper, it's worship time again. 
Great songs, great atmosphere, great Holy Spirit presence. 

Ryan praising God in his own way.  

Steven loved the sticks with ribbons.  
Uses them every time.  

Mackenzie and Lysanne enjoying the worship.  

Each in their own way.  

After worship time it was time for Ronny Boy and Marky Marky to have some more time together. 
This time I was in the hospital with an injured eye. 
I didn't let go of the bowling ball during bowling and I hit myself in the eye with it. 
I was so hopeless. 
My bowling friends made fun of me and made me a sign and called me "one eyed Ronny". 
I was not in good spirits.  

But Marky Marky found me new friends. 
They came to visit me and hug me and tell me I was loved. 

Now, it was supposed to only be 5 people that were supposed to come to console me, but Joanna would have none of that. 
She got EVERYONE to come up and hug me.  I didn't realize that because my left eye was covered and I didn't see them at first.  
When I turned my head, they were lined up down the aisle like a processional. It was too funny. 
Mark didn't know what to do. : ) 
Then he was to read a story to me and the computer  wouldn't cooperate so Mark and I addlibbed (? sp) things for a while.  Loads of fun.  

Seems Alex was overcome with grief for me too.  : ) Looking for support from Marky Mark.  

The story was a max lucado one. 
Forget the title, but had to do with people and dots. 
During its reading, you could have heard a pin drop in the place....and that isn't usually the case. 
Was a special moment for me as I listened.  

Then Mark had people reenact Zacheus in the tree.  

John was Zacheus and had lots of dots on him. 

They were for all sorts of negative things.  

At the end Mark had us all put on dots those things that people said to us that hurt, or were not nice, and they were placed in a bowl at the foot of the cross. 

During this time music was playing by the worship team. 
Normally that's a cue for the others to come on stage and play too, but not this time. 
They stayed down, without prompting, and they took the time to fill in a dot and place it in the bowl. 
A Jesus moment in my books.  

And then it was time for worship once again. 
I think this is just a neat picture. 

CRAFT TIME!!!  
So, we needed a picture of Jordana laughing, and apparently, only Mark can get her to laugh. 
So, we called Mark down, and all he said was "hey Jordana" and she burst into laughter...to the point where Mark was concerned because she wasn't inhaling.  : ) 
Not sure what she finds so humorous in you Mark. : ) 

Today the craft was wind chimes. 
DeShawn wasted no time.  

Shawn liked this craft. 

All the themes we are covering 
(Today's was Hope BTW. I forgot to mention that earlier).

Joey's end result.  

A nice way to end the day, with gentle Francine. 

After craft time it was SNACK TIME, and then off to bed. 

Then it was time for our mentor meeting. 
Jeff, from Youth Unlimited has joined us for an evening and a day, to listen in and observe.  It's nice to have him here. 

Lots of sharing tonight....went overtime, so it's later now, but all worth it. 
We heard about some hillarious moments today.  I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. 
We also heard some touching things too. 
How one of our participants had a vision of seeing God on the cross as the play was enacted of Jesus' Crucifixion and seeing actual blood.  for this person it really hit what Jesus had done in this person's life. 
It was a privilege to hear that and know that God works in this week in ways we don't even know or imagine. 
I think our Mentors are seeing that now too, and that is priceless. 
I'm so proud of all of them. 
All of our planning team and the many volunteers who help make this SERVE happen.  
I truly hope we are able to continue this week in years to come. 
So many positive spin off things happen that I don't even know about, but God does... and that's all that matters. 

Off to shower now and then bed for me. 
See you tomorrow night. 
It will be dress up day, banquet day, and TALENT SHOW. 
Should be LOTS of fun........
Thanks for sticking around and learning about our week. 
Come back tomorrow..........................