More Like Best Virginia - Day 4

Hello everybody - It's me Jordan, welcome to the blog post. I hope you all are enjoying your week. We are doing well here in Clendenin. We had a productive last day of work at Crew Number 4. At my site we finished 99% of the roof and the wheelchair ramp base. We enjoyed the evening service with Next Step. They gave us glow sticks to remind us to be a light to others. The team is growing closer together and the bond we have made is really special. We get to sleep in tomorrow so that is exciting! Also at the site we were able to bond with the home owners. Louella, Dawn and Joe have been very welcoming to us and we hope to see them at the cookout tomorrow night. We also had some help with work on our site from a neighbor kid named Ricky. I'm really glad we got to talk to him and hangout with him throughout the days. The lunch devotions at our site were very eye opening today and really interesting. Also some of us went to a VBS hosted a local church and the people there were really welcoming and kind. We heard an inspiring testimony from a woman apart of the church that was very impactful. We are enjoying this trip and the memories we are making through out it.  Thank you, see you on Saturday! - Jordan

Today was our last work day! Which was pretty exciting because we all finished our work, but also kinda sad because our week is about to come to a close. Crew #1 had a very productive day as we BROKE THE RECORD of the most sidewalk put down in one week, coming to a total of 14 blocks which equals 56 FEET! After we came back to the church, showered, and ate dinner, I, along with two vans of people went to help at a VBS at a church close by. This whole week, VBS has been the highlight of my day. It is so much fun and rewarding to spend time not only the kids, but also the adults.This week I have been helping out in the elementary classroom, which has been a really cool experience. So many of the kids already know the Bible and the story of Jesus so well, and it's so cool to see them excited to learn about God. The leaders are some of the most sweet, funny people I've ever met. Going to VBS has also been a very eye opening experience, as their church is very different from Browncroft. Something I've been thinking about lately is about how God is everywhere, no matter where you are or how you connect with Him. This church is a great example of that. They hold service in a sanctuary about one fifth the size of ours, still have hymn books in their pews, and have one of those church attendance board thingys at the front of the room. And even though that is so different than what I am used to, I could feel the Holy Spirit flowing through every room in that place. It was also so rewarding to see how much we were helping out the adults there, and how thankful they were that we had come. Earlier this week I heard the pastor talking about how his prayers had been answered, as way more kids came than expected. I could tell this also put a lot of stress on the adult leaders, which is why it was so cool that we could help out. But the best part of VBS was right as we were about to leave and get back in the vans. The pastor stopped us and had one of the elementary leaders tell us about her recent experience with God. Two months ago, against all odds, she had a "miracle child," a little girl named Faith who is now the cutest thing ever. She also asked for prayer for her husband, who doesn't know God. Her story was very powerful, and the pastor sent us off by reminding us that God is powerful enough to do anything. The other really powerful part of my day was after the evening service, when we all went outside and all prayed for each other individually. This week has been crazy, but we're not done yet. Tomorrow we're going to a waterpark on a lake! And then Saturday we're headed home. See y'all then! -Madeline

More Like Best Virginia - Day 3

Hey Y'aaaaaall, James and Nate here. Today we accomplished so much at each of our worksites.

Nate-
At crew one today we continued working on our sidewalk.  It will be around a little league field in Clendenin.  It will be for people to walk on and dance on and have somewhere to watch the game. Our weekly goal was to finish 12 feet of sidewalk but in a single day we finished 24 feet! It was tough work moving all the ingredients for the cement but we worked as a team and got it done.  We of course had our daily dance off and limbo competition which helped keep our spirits high.  We've really gelled as a team and have gotten to know each other better throughout the week.  Every other crew on the site will always hear us cheering for each other and encouraging each other as we mix the cement or transport the gravel with the wheelbarrow.  Our goal is to get another 24 feet done tomorrow to break the Next Step's record for most sidewalk completed in a week!  Thank you for sending prayers and support and I hope all is going well back at home.
Best regards,
Natalie

James-
After a restless night no thanks to Josh's snoring, we woke up to the beautiful sounds of a full instrumental ensemble. Yesterday we woke up to the Lion King song. Anyway, my worksite, number 8, got a lot done today and worked together as a team very well. Along with site number 1, we are also working around the baseball field. Our task today was to start on building a playground for the kids (or anyone else who's not afraid of making of fool of themselves like me). Our team worked very hard today, except Josh :( (he was sun bathing like a lizard). We dug holes for the structure of the playground. We built the wooden A-frame and cemented it into the ground. Shalissa tried to dig a hole but ended up in China. Worksite number 8 did good work today. Later in the day, a number of us went to a local church for a VBS they were running. We've been going to that the last few days and it has been really awesome! I, personally have met many kids and learned a lot from Awesome Steve (the Hawk).  Overall today, and to a greater extent this week has been wonderful and a great experience.
Love,
James


Thank you for all your support at home!

More Like Best Virginia - Day 2

Hello from Clendenin!! We have finished Day 2 of work and are exhausted but having a wonderful, God-filled week. Today the temperature was at 92 degrees which made for a very eventful day outside. 

My team along with two other groups are working on a community Little League field. This area was a very important part of Clendenin's identity and was completely destroyed by the flood. While the damage is still heavy, our teams having been working extremely hard on several projects. Today, my crew worked on filling some empty doorways of the field garage with cinder blocks, putting together the railing on the concession stands wheel chair ramp, and got a start on building some shelves. While it was extremely hot, everyone put their hearts into whatever project they were assigned to and we got so much accomplished today! Everyone's favorite part of the day is lunch where we get to enjoy our PB&J sandwiches and cheese sticks and listen to the lunch devotional. Today's discussion was so illuminating that Josh fell asleep. 

In the evening, a majority of the students went to a local church in the area to help volunteer at their VBS. There were many kids of all ages at the church, and our students were able to facilitate games, play, and help out in any way the VBS needed. This was such a great opportunity to interact with some local people in Clendenin and connect with church community members. 

The students here are so determined and hard working, and have such big hearts for serving not only others but the Lord. God is continuing to move this week and we appreciate all your prayers! 

More like BEST Virginia,

Rachel Bartkowski

Clendenin, WV - Day 1

Hey parents! We have finally arrived in Clend-EN-in, West Virginia for the week (and we've finally learned how to properly pronounce the town name!)

Yesterday, the teams had plenty of time to bond and get to know one another in our 7 hour van drive. Our entertainment included games, laughs, naps, snacks, making playlists of our top songs, and belting "Country Roads" approximately 90 times.

Our arrival was warmly and energetically welcomed by the Next Step staff. After settling in, we had a great night of worship and getting to know the people we'll be working with all week!

For our first day of work, we split up into our three teams to tackle house repairs, dig and prep the sidewalk of a Little League field, and repair doorways of the Little League garage.

In my team, we worked with a homeowner to continue several unfinished construction projects from previous teams. A few members poured cement for a sidewalk leading up to the porch, requiring a decent amount of muscle in order to mix the cement in a tarp. The roof was also a big project that included ripping off old sheeting and replacing it, adding stability to the rafters, and nailing down new tin sheeting - all in above 90 degree weather on a reflective metal roof. Despite the literal blood, sweat, and tears, we had a great time bonding with the homeowners (and their numerous pets!)

After dinner, about half of our team had the opportunity to join in helping a VBS at a church nearby. We were dispersed among different age groups, ranging from about 3-14, and did everything we could to help in any way possible, including crafts, snacks, and games. It was a great way to bond with the kids of the community, and we hope to see them more throughout the rest of this week!

Hannah Ruth

For pictures and videos, make sure to go to Browncroft Elevate on Instagram and Facebook!

Day 5!!!

Hey guys it's Daniel,  the youngest on the trip and i get the pleasure to talk about our day at cedar point.
 So today we took a short two hour drive to get to cedar point which went by quick, which was very nice.  Once we got there we got our tickets and split into a few different groups and i was in a group with a few other students who had a blast. We started the day with a few roller coasters and a couple other rides which we all enjoyed very much. Then later we went out to dinner at johnny rockets where we met a very nice girl named Pavlina who was really nice to us and made it an enjoyable dinner, and we gave her a very nice tip which she refused but we insisted she take it and she eventually did.
Then we went on more rides which were all a lot of fun, and we kept doing them over and over cause they were that much fun, and we had a lot of time. My group that i was in ended up staying till the park  until it closed which aloud us to do all the rides we wanted, and we ended the night with going on the one ride called the Millennium force about four to five times in a row, which was quite exhausting but it was a lot of fun.

So over all this trip was a lot of fun and i couldn't have asked for a better group to do it with, and i'm going to miss all of the seniors that went on the trip very dearly but i know that god will protect them and keep them safe through all of life that god has planned for them. It was very humbling and a lot of fun to go on this missions trip and i'm sad to say goodbye but unfortunately i have to.

Your student, Daniel

Day 4!

Hey all, Faith here--the other senior girl, also on Mike and Andrea's group. I have the pleasure of writing about Thursday, our last day of service.

You will not believe what we got to do... MORE WEEDING! Good thing we enjoy it. Our group returned to Summer in the City, an urban garden that grows produce for the people in the community. Most of the people who work there are volunteers, and it is clear to see the passion they have for their community as they work in the fields. We were tasked with weeding the tomato, eggplant, and pepper fields, each increasing in level of difficulty, respectively. Before we started, you would not have known that there was anything but weeds in that field. All I could think of was "Welcome to the Jungle" by AC/DC. They were so overgrown we needed to deliberately seek out the crop plants to avoid harming them. It makes me think about how fragile people are in a similar way. We need nurturing--water, light, someone to remove the weeds that try to choke us. Just as there is an overabundance of weeds, evil is around every corner. It plants itself and digs its roots down deep. When you try to remove them, they are stubborn as all heck. It is impossible for us to keep every weed out, but it is important to remove them before their roots grow too long. Jesus is the ultimate weed killer. With him, those weeds are far easier to remove, and they are less likely to return with a vengeance. 

It took us over two hours, but we got the job done. AC/DC no longer plagued my mind, and weeds no longer plagued the tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers. The rows were so open and clear it seemed as if the weeds were never there. As our fourth day of weeding, we were all exhausted, and our backs and shoulders were sore. But while we worked that did not bother us at all. God gave us the strength to get that job done. 

Getting to know the people who worked on the garden--where they were from, why they were there, and so forth--was a blessing in itself. 

After we finished at the garden, our group headed to a nearby park where we ate lunch and relaxed for a bit. I think a couple people fell asleep while some of us played a card game. It was very relaxing and, I think, well deserved. I am so proud of the work my team has accomplished this week. Every person gave it their all and then some without a single complaint. We got a lot of sun that day and the day before. A rest in the shade was a little slice of heaven.

Later in the evening, we hosted a cookout for community members. Several people came and we all just sat and ate food and talked with each other. An adorable little girl, Maya, was running around and playing with some of the students. It was a great time of community and fellowship with community members and each other.

Our large group talk went a little differently than previous nights. It started out like the others. We talked about Jesus washing the feet of the disciples and how we need to humble ourselves to selflessly love one another as God loves us. When we would normally be dismissed, we were told to sit and close out eyes and think about Jesus. The YouthWorks leaders then brought out tubs of soapy water and towels; they began to wash the leaders' feet. Then our leaders washed our feet. Then we all had a real good session of crying. People were praying for each other and having in depth conversations and hugging and loving. Derrick, one of the Youth Works leaders, came around and prayed for a bunch of people. But I don't think anyone was prepared for it. He sat down next to me and prayed for everything that was on my heart, things that I had not spoked to him about or anyone else during the trip. The same happened to Abby next to me and everyone else he prayed for. I later found out that God calls him to prophesy and speak into the lives of people through God. I have never experienced such a powerful presence as I did that night.

I would love to tell you more but Josh is making me finish so we can leave. Please pray for safe travels and a good time at Cedar Point.

God bless,

Faith

Best Day Ever? Day 3

Hey guys, it's Kevin and Ezra here, today we'll be talking about what we did during day three of our fabulous adventure.
It's Ezra, today we drove over to Greydale Farms which is about 10 minutes away from the church, we spent our day helping Brittany who is the site coordinator at their farming initiative which is focused on modeling renewable farming operations for suburban areas with the goal of reaching out to the disenfranchised youth. For the most part we helped her clear wood and create self-tilling mounds.
What's up y'all, it's Kevbot again. Yesterday my group went to a nice small self sustaining farm that is and I quote "the Largest raised bed garden in the world." We helped pull weeds to save the kale that was growing there, I never knew so many different kinds of weeds existed. One cool thing that happened was we met another group that was helping out at the farm too, we had a slight mix up with Rochester NY, and Rochester MI, but other than that, all was well.
Our night life has been very exciting during this trip, we've done many things. Last night we went out for dinner at a pizza parlor called PizzaPapalis, where Ezra and I each crushed 6 deep dish pieces of heaven. After we all ate our pizza, we proceeded to head into the city to wander. Somehow I found myself sucked into a chess game, with a man named Ronnie. At first I thought he was a hustler because he asked for $5 up front, but as we began to play, I realized he was anything but that. Ronnie proceeded to whoop me in no more than 10 moves. We played another game which I lasted longer in, but made some mistakes which he capitalized on, and ended up beating me again, it was a very humbling experience. After the chess games we started talking to him about what he was doing in the park and learned that he played chess to make money for a living. We then found ourselves locked in deep and philosophical conversation about why we were in Detroit, the state of the city, and of course, sports. He was very knowledgable in the area of sports, and was very interested to hear about the work that we were doing in Detroit. We talked about the city and what it must have been like in its prime, and how it had deteriorated and the slow climb back to its roots. Where was Josh this whole time? Why he was getting a ticket to the Tigers and Giants game... for free! He ended up not going and found us in the park, at which point we had started to wrap up our conversation with Ronnie and wish him the best of luck in wherever life would take him.
On the way we mysteriously "missed" our exit, and found ourselves in a Wendy's drive thru to get Frosty's. By this time our bones were aching and our heads drooping, we finally made our way back to the church and like the night before Christmas, all through the house, there was not a sound, not even a mouse.
In short, while the work that we do at the farms is important, it is very fulfilling to minister and meet the cistizens of Detroit, to learn from and speak into their lives about the love of God and their love for their city.