Foster's Mission 2013

Have you ever had an experience that was equal parts awesome, exhausting, completely terrible, and uplifting all at the same?

That's what our mission trip to Foster's Home for Children was like.

Really, the entire trip was just awesome and fulfulling,

and then the last day was completely terrible, 

and when I got home I was exhausted...for the next 4 days.

I have to admit, I was a little nervous about the trip this year.

We doubled in size from last year to this year (from 16 to 31), and I was the only female adult with 15 youth girls.

That's the stuff nightmares are made of!

The kids were so wonderful though, and we had such a successful week!

The schedule was pretty much the same as last year: work projects in the morning, VBS in the afternoon, dinner and free time with the kids in the evening, and then a devotional at night.

My assignment for the week was to organize the clothing room.

We found some funny stuff in there:

Yikes!

Perfect fit!

Pink Ladies of Fosters

Samantha loves overalls

Oh hey Luis!

These were the bags that we filled from the clothing center.

Our kids worked so hard, and that place looked PERFECT when we finished!

Our theme for the week of VBS was Noah's Ark.

This was always my favorite time of the day because our kids got to be with the Foster's kids.

And they just love each other!

This year was even more successful because we had built the foundation by being her last year.

That is why we decided to come back every year - because these kids have groups come in and out all the time, but rarely do they ever see those people again.

We wanted to change that - and it worked!

The Foster's kids were so excited when they saw their friends back again this year.

 There was also a fun activity planned every night.

One day our girls painted the little girls' nails.

One night we watched a movie with the kids.

And another night we went to a Rangers game.

And one day we had a devotional with the Foster's residents.

Girls in the shirts they got from the clothing room at the Rangers game

Now for the completely terrible:

We spent the week in the campus library.

All the kids split up into little classrooms, boys on one side, girls on the other.

Michael, myself and another male adult slept in the common room.

*This is the first youth trip that Michael and I have shared a bed.

And we got creeped on by a middle school girl.

Anyways, on Tuesday morning one of the guys threw up in a trash can in their room.

He left it in the room all day, until someone found it around 11:30pm.

By Thursday morning, Michael, the other guy adult, and 3 of the kids were sick.

I stayed with the other adult until he felt well enough to get in the car.

Michael and Luis drove the rest of the group to the Waco Zoo.

Once they arrived at the zoo, Michael and 3 kids were barfing.

Michael slept in the shade on a bench like a homeless man.

By the time they left the zoo and drove home 8 people in our group had gotten the stomach bug.

Unfortunately for our intern Luis, the kid sitting behind him woke up vomiting...

all over the back of Luis's head.

Talk about a welcome to youth ministry!

By Sunday I think the total had risen to about 15-16 of our group that had the bug.

Somehow, by the grace of God and my wet wipes, I escaped the wrath of the bug.

My terrible came on Wednesday night.

The girls all had to shower, and we didn't get home from the Ranger game until after 1:00am.

I took the girls over to the home, and found 4 showers.

One of the girls told me that one shower was too corroded to turn on the shower.

So we used 3 showers.

It took us an hour and a half.

When we were about done I did a bathroom check to make sure that they were clean.

The shower that was "too corroded" worked.

There was also one across the hall.

We could've been out of there so. much. earlier.

I was not the happiest.

The girls chose that moment to tell me that they hadn't seen me without a smile all week.

I started laughing...hysterically.

I guess I really do have a great poker face!

Really though, it was such a great week!

I'm so glad that I got to go on the trip again this year.

The best part of the week for me was spending time with this girl!!

 Love her so much!!

And I was so happy that she remembered me!!

Our group loves Fosters so much.

I am pretty sure that I can't wait a whole year to go back, so I am already planning a winter break trip.