SERVE Day 6: Fancy Dinner and Talent night

Day 6. 

It's 11:01 already. 

Lisa had to sort through 1500 pictures....yes, you read correctly.  : ) 

We also had a slightly different schedule today, so she started sorting later as well. 

This means a later night, but it's all worth it to be able to share with you the great happenings of this day....

and they were great.   : ) 

Today is fancy dress up day and talent show. 

Always a special day. 

Our day started at 8 am again. 

Here's Gerry making us pancakes this morning. 

Thanks again for helping us out each breakfast time.  

Kaitlyn needs TWO cups of coffee this morning : ) 

She needs more sleep.   

Hey Ryan...and Samantha. 

Bad timing for that picture eh! : )

I like it Lisa...keep it up.   

Joey in thought...... 

Tyler with Ben getting ready for the day.   

A great picture of our breakfast. 

You are getting the hang of what I want in pictures Lisa. 

Thanks. !  : ) 

Ah, Braidon at his best.  

I think he posed for this picture.   
Edit: This is Lisa! This pic was Braidon Au Natural... no posing required :P

Ben with his sun glasses. 

He LOOOVVVVEEEESSSS those sun glasses.   

More pictures of the rooms. 

They are looking more like lived in rooms now. : ) I'll let the pictures speak for themselves

After breakfast it was off to our final day of worksites. 

Harold is driving to the farm today. 

Steven seems to be enjoying the ride.   

Kyle found some flowers for Christina. 

Braidon, looks a bit muddy out there today. 

All that rain from yesterday, eh. 

Shoes must be getting pretty heavy.  

Farmer Harold.   

 Tyler deciding if he wants to work or not.  : ) 

The leader at the farm explaining what needs to be done.  

Time to weed.  

And weed they did.   

Ben getting his hands dirty.   

We also went to the Ottawa Food Bank today. 

Here's Stephanie sorting cans.   

Looks like they have a new system of using bins now. 

Interesting. 

Here's Heather helping out Stephanie with the sorting.   

Nathaniel working hard. 

But he almost wasn't able to work because he forgot his running shoes. 

Good thing Jeff was just leaving with Lisa and Olivia to take pictures.  

His shoes arrived and he was able to help out.  

Evert and Zach packing up boxes.  

Cute picture Zach. 

Zach had a real great week.   

Lisa and Christie sorting. 

I think I'm going to like this new system when we go to the foodbank the next time.   

We also went to The Mission. John getting butter cups ready to go for lunch.   

Shannon made butter cups too. 

She was feeling well enough to go to a work site today, and was VERY happy to be able to go.   

Alexa helping as well. 

It's been neat to see Alexa working between two different participant groupings to allow other mentors time to rest when needed.  Thanks for that Alexa.   

That is a great picture.

Check out The Mission Facebook page to see a picture of our group today.     

Caralynn making cards at the Carlington Community Chaplaincy.   

With Jordana.   

And Jessica and Brittany.   

Lots of Cards.  

Hey Meghan (with an H) 

 Jeff chatting with Ella and someone from the Carlington Chaplaincy.  

Ella got to plant her first flowers today. 

Apparently she's never done this before. 

Looks like you need to put her to work in YOUR gardens at home John.  She REALLY enjoyed planting. 

SERVE teaches you sooooo many new things.   

At the BFM store sorting cloths. 

Alex, always the ham in the group.   

Shawn. 

Nice picture. 

And a hard worker at the BFM Store today.   

Becca, I don't think those are your style. : ) 

 Shawn sorting through clothing.

Samantha enjoying the sunshine with Philippe at Starwood Extendicare. 

Hey Deshawn.  

Today, no lunch pictures.
Too many to sort through. 

Gotta keep moving. 

After lunch we had small group time. 

Not sure what happened there either, since Lisa didn't provide me with any. 

But I know it was a great time of fellowship and learning because that's what ALL our small group times are.  

Edit: It's Lisa!! It's morning time and my brain is a little less foggy than last night, so here are those lunch and small group pics! 

Matching again! I see a trend... Here's Alex hanging out with Jeff and Rey before lunch.

Tyler enjoying his lunch.

Because Ron asked... another eating pic :)

 Members of the host team. Thank you all so much for your hard work.

Time for small groups! Here's Ryan working on his tool box. They were talking about the tools and gifts God gives each one of us.

Phil having a good time as always.

Alex and Daniel getting thoughtful. 

Hey John. 

After Small groups we went straight to showers. 

The boys ended up at the church after showers and played Wii games to pass the time. 

You look very nice Philippe.  Nice tie.   

Nathaniel tying Liam's tie. 

Apparently Mark just learned how to tie a tie a couple of weeks ago. 

He couldn't last year and was bugged about it so much he wasn't going to let that happen again this year.  : ) 

Shawn passing the time with Justin.  : )  

Hey Lisa. 

You look nice. 

The ladies went to Redeemer to be pampered, as usual. 

Shannon, you look marvelous.  : )

Carissa ready to go to the dinner.  

Megan and Bea hard at work.  

Thanks for helping out.  

Christina and Lysanne. 

You both look great.  

The supplies used. 

Takes a great deal to get the ladies looking nice. : )  

I decided to continue my tradition of getting my nails done for the fancy dinner.  This time Alexa did the honours. 

Sorry Niesje, but Alexa has more style.  Those rainbows last year.....nah....old news.....  bahahahaha

Monogrammed nails this time. 

SWEET! 

I got lots of comments about my nails.....both good, and interesting.  : )  

Annual group shot. We do look nice.  : )  

Just the ladies.   

 Just the men.  

The 5 "almost" men in black. 

You had to be wearing a jacket and tie to be in this picture.  : ) 

Zach with Megan and Joy laughing it up.  

Awe, a nice picture.  

Another nice picture.   

Shawn, you look content.  

Must be having a good time.   

Our fancy dinner about to begin.

Now if only Mark would sit down so we could start.   

Meghan and Jessica. 

They have become good friends during this week.  

Olivia and Katrina and Alex.....no,no, that's Nicolette. 

Boy, they sure look alike tonight. 

Nice hair...... all three of you.  : ) 

The boys...... 

Great pose gentleman.   

We  had some musical entertainment between the main meal and dessert. 

Everyone loved the music and got up to dance to the music.  

Interesting moves boys.  : ) 

And the best part of the meal.....

Dessert. : ) Made with the loving hands of Anne and others.   

Looks almost too good to eat....almost.  : )

Thanks to the kitchen crew for another GREAT meal.  

After supper it was worship time again.  

Seems nicer when we are all dressed up.  : )  

John, what are you doing.  ? : ) 

So, apparently, due to his bad eye, Ronny boy now has a broken nose and bum knee because he walked into a pole. 

Life isn't going to well for Ronny Boy.   

But Marky Mark prayed for him and the helped restore hope.   

Tonight's theme was GIFTS. 

Ronny boy needed to hear from the crowd that he had gifts. 

And Mark asked the participants how they saw their mentor's gifts this week. 

Some touching moments.   

Then Mark had each mentor, or mentor pairing share what they had seen in our participants this week in the area of gifting.  

More touching moments.   

I'll let them speak for themselves.  

Deshawn was very happy with his certificate.  

Ben appreciated his too. 

Joey receiving his.   

Lisa too.   

as did Philippe.  

Closing worship time.  

After worship, we took a 5 minute break and then it was time for TALENT SHOW. 
It's always a highlight as we see our participants get up on stage, some overcoming real fears, and perform a talent for all of us.  Doesn't matter what that talent is.  
Here's Christina singing us a song. 

And Shannon sang too.  She has a very nice voice.  

Alex with two ukulele  players flanking him.  : ) 

Justin was one of our emcee's. 
He had a plethora of dry jokes that I now know I won't repeat.  but some were good.   : )   

Both Ben.....

And Zach danced to music.  

Ryan sang with Samantha. 
He forgot his music for piano so Samantha convinced him to sing instead. He sounded pretty good.  

Kyle our resident rock star put on a GREAT show for us. : ) 

As did John

Shawn too.  

We ended with what was supposed to be a dance off, but it became a dance party. : ) 

All kinds of people joined in. 

And I tried to close out the night, but as I was doing so, music came on and people wanted me to dance. 
No way that was going to happen, until I called Kaleb up front to dance with me (seeing as he was the one playing the music for me).

The best we could come up with. 
I don't dance.  : ) 

And then it was over.  : (  
Shawn wasn't too happy about that, but Kaleb tried to cheer him up.  : ) 

After some social time with our guests (thank you to all who came out to celebrate with us) it was snack time and then bed time. 
Tonight was a bit harder for some to get to bed. 
Too much excitement in their life.  : ) 

We retired to the youth room as mentors for one last debrief meeting time. 
I love these times, especially the last night. 
These young people get it. 
They see the gifts of our participants and commented on them a great deal tonight. 
They were challenged to tell their parents just what those gifts are tomorrow when they meet them.  
It's important that they hear that from others who see their children.  
I'm once again amazed at the sacrifices made by these youth to serve in this way at this particular SERVE. 
There will be another in Fruitland soon and also Winnipeg, Manitoba, and there too, the love and joy of special needs persons will be celebrated.  
Tomorrow I'll reflect a bit more on this SERVE, but it's late and time for bed. 

Thanks again to Jeff (left), Director of YU for coming to visit. YU makes this ministry possible through their support in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 
This Special Needs SERVE was birthed at a YU training weekend and for that I am forever greatful. 
So many wonderful memories for me, and for our participants and mentors. 
So many God moments that never would have been if it wasn't for the existence and work of Youth Unlimited in G.R.  Thanks to the staff of 4 who are the unsung hero's in many ways.  

So it's time for bed. 
Time to say goodbye tomorrow. 
Time to rest and awake and then celebrate and console.  : ) 
Thanks again for being part of our day. 
I hope you got a sense of it in some way. 

Til Tomorrow. 

Sleep well....unless of course you are reading this at 3 a.m. because you can't sleep.  : )