Treasured Tokens Thursday

I treasured my time working with the Grace Church Youth Group (Student Ministries). I worked with them for almost 16 years before I stopped going because of the uncertainty of my time in San Luis Obispo. One of the special trips we took together was our Mexico Missions Trip. We went to Tijuana and surrounding areas to build homes for families through Amor Ministries. What a special time of working alongside the students, mixing up the plaster for the floors and the walls, putting up the chicken wire, TAR BABIES, sawing and nailing the walls together. My husband drove the bus for many of those years and loved it! He misses driving the students to their different activities and camping trips. Anyway, the Seniors of the group (and Juniors who became Seniors when school ended) would go on a special lunch "date" with Pastor Ken, and ONLY Ken!!! But...hehehe...he had way too many students and no bus driver one year (actually, I think Dan was busy or something and didn't make it back in time), and he had to get a couple of extra drivers. YAY!!! I got to drive a group and got to enjoy this special time with the Seniors. Then when we got home, I got this frame (and I think the pic) from the class. The students from Grace are incredible workers and helpers and they gave all their energy and time to help people they didn't even know. When we first started these trips, it was during Christmas vacation and we had large groups of students and adults take their vacation time to go to Mexico to build homes for families whose only home may have been one room and help up to eight people. These families were so, SO grateful for the time we took to build their new homes and it was such a special time to be able to say, "We're done. Here is your home." And we prayed and hugged and then had to leave. When we went back each year, sometimes we were able to take time to go back and visit the families we built for the year before or even years before. We even built a church.

 

If your church can do this, check out Amor Ministries and take a group of students. It actually has become a family thing now since a lot of the adults that went on this trip were parents of the students who went. And siblings came as helpers and kept coming when they became Youth students. Well, I've said enough. But I just wanted to say how special this trip is and how special the students and adults are who take the time to work alongside each other to help those who are in need. I may try and write about some of these trips if I can find my notes. Fun times!!!