Saturday, July 18, 2009

What a Month!

I know I haven't blogged much lately (which kind of defeats the purpose of a blog, doesn't it?), but I will return in another week or so.
The first week of July, I was on our high school missions trip with Center for Student Missions in inner city Los Angeles. It was one of our BEST missions trips ever! The work projects were meaningful, the youth made connections with people, we learned to see people in need as PEOPLE, and we worked very well together with little drama and had a great affirmation time on the beach on Thursday night. Photos are at http://foxyurl.com/ots .
This last week, I had double duty: my sister Becky and her husband were in town, and we had VBS at Catalina. We had a great visit and got to do a lot of fun stuff! My job each year is recreation, which can be a challenge depending on the size of the group in each class and the age of the kids. This year it went pretty well, mostly due to the fact that I kept good records (well, better, at least) last year about what activities I did. I pretty much worked off last year's list with a couple of additions.
Now, I am on vacation! We are going camping in the White Mountains for a few days.
We are all prepared for the inaugural Jones family camping trip! I've been camping with the youth group a few times, but this is a first as a family unit (minus my hard-working, two-job-holding, paying-her-own-bills daughter).
I will be back in the saddle on Sunday, July 26 (that's right--I've somehow got to get a sermon and the bulletin done while I'm on vacation!).

3 comments:

Nick said...

Sounds like you're near me. I'm doing youth ministry in the Valley. I haven't had a chance to do any work with the Center for Student Missions yet but we're doing a fall urban missions project with the First EV Free Church of LA.

Richard Jones said...

I probably WAS near you when we were in CA. I live in Tucson, AZ, and am in Knoxville, TN right now. Is there a website for the urban missions project you are doing?

Michy said...

Hi, Richard--

I don't know if you'll remember me, but I attended the Refuge services (@ 11:00am-- always sat by Helen Perkins) before I relocated to Indiana this past January.

Anyway, I just wanted to say "hello" and let you know that I miss everybody at CUMC and think of you all often. I have been attending my family's Quaker meeting/services but am thinking of checking out some Methodist churches in the area (even though they are farther away from me, geographically; I miss the Methodist Church!).

Hello-- and blessings-- to all!


--Michele S. Frederick