Arnoldsburg, WVA &hearts;

(Fair warning: This is an extremely long post. I want to fit my whole 10 days on here, and a lot happened!)

It's been almost an entire week since I arrived back in the 828 from Arnoldsburg. I already can't wait until next year! This was my second full trip to WVA (I went on the full trip last year, and also a side trip in the fall, then full trip this past week!) and I absolutely love it there. I really can't put into words what it's like there. The place, the people, it's all so amazing. From crazy, hilarious Marilyn to sweet Ms. Velora Lane... it's a town like no other. I absolutely fell in love the first time I went, and the love has only grown from there!

We arrived on Friday (7/2) and decorated the church first thing. On our way in, though, we stopped in Big Otter and picked up four kids (JJ, Bell, Jess, and Erica) who stayed with us the whole week. After that, we unloaded all of our luggage. Women's belongings into the sanctuary, mens into the classroom hallway, where we slept. We moved the pews up every night, laid out our air mattresses, and slept. Every morning we deflated the mattresses, rolled them up, and stuck them in a closet in the front along with all the rest of our luggage!

New Life Baptist Fellowship ♥

After that, we went to the Y restaurant (no, not the YMCA, the Y is the name of the place... kind of like the snack bar for those of you in Hickory) to eat dinner. After dinner it was a team meeting and chill time until bed. Sweet chill time... something we didn't have the rest of the week! Saturday morning, we went to the Y (again) for breakfast, then went visiting the rest of the day. We were looking for new families and inviting kids to VBS. It was a great day! On Sunday, we woke up and cleaned up the church. Half of us went to Hillcrest (the sister church to New Life, the church in Arnoldsburg), and half stayed at New Life. I went with the group to Hillcrest. Our mission team lead both the services that morning. After church, the Hillcrest group went to Walmart (the only remotely civilized area within 45 minutes of Arnoldsburg) and picked up some last minute things. Sunday afternoon was the VBS kickoff at the Community Center! It went really well. We had a large turn out and tons of fun games and face painting! Our game was a relay race. Kind of simple, but they loved it (:

Lexi!

JJ!

Roman!

Anita!

Midge!

Monday began our week of VBS that lasted through Friday. Each day, we would wake up to blaring VBS music at 6:00 sharp, roll up our beds, and pack our luggage into the closets. At 7:00, we would eat breakfast. At the beginning of the week, we were assigned a KP (cleaning) team. We would alternate between kitchen, sanctuary, bathrooms, and classrooms during the 3 KP times (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). So you would do your KP duty either before or right after breakfast, which ever you chose. Each morning, the van drivers would run a route to go and pick up kids without a ride to church. Everyone had to ride at least one route, but I rode 3 :) It's fun to spend that time with the kids. I especially loved riding Sammy's route, because my favorite little girl Shyanna rode that one. I met her last year, her first year as well. She was in my class and we really clicked. She's really shy and sweet, but she won't be in church again until we come back. I can't wait to see her again, I miss her. Then we would have VBS from 9-12. I taught Kindergarten with a team of five other teachers (Sharon, Preston, Jordan, Sydni, and Lindsay). Each day, one person would teach a lesson, then we would go outside for snack and chalk/bubble time. Then we would come back and do our craft and music time. We would then take them out to the playground behind the church until time for final rally time. At 12, the route drivers would take the kids home, and we would do our lunch KP duties, including setting up for lunch. After lunch until whenever dinner was, we would go visiting all of the kids in our classes. Monday night we stayed at the church for dinner, so we could visit longer. Tuesday we went to Brenda's house for a cookout. Wednesday we ate at the church and then went to the 'Amen' Church (Arnoldsburg Community, the May's family church). Thursday we ate at Vickie's (Nan's) JJ, Bell, Jess, and Erica's Grandma's house. And Friday we had a final cookout with our team at the Lane's park. Here's some from our class at VBS:

Shyanna!

Sydni, Lexi, and Jordan!

Lexi and Sassy!

Austin!

Danny!

Blake!

Cameron!

Friday went a little bit differently than the other days. Friday, we had our lesson first thing, then we had water games outside! It was fun. Then at 11:15, we had a special invitation service in the sanctuary for everyone. One leader from each class was asked to go to the front to be there for the kids to pray and talk to you. My class agreed that I could go up. When I went up, a young girl named Allison Conrad came up to me crying and told me that she wanted to accept Jesus. We then prayed, and cried together for the next few minutes. It is one of the sweetest moments of my life, because I know that God used me then. To feel him using you is one of the greatest feelings in the world. After the service, we went down to the "crick" and baptized 9 people (not including Allison, because her Mom wanted to be there, so she was baptized Sunday). It was beautiful, and absolutely amazing. That night, we had a team cookout at the park with a campfire. We all sat around the fire and really shared our hearts and what the trip had meant to us individually. It was definitely a wonderful way to end a long and hard, but very, very rewarding, week of VBS! God is SO GOOD!

Chelsea and MK!

Chelsea!

Austin!

Sassy!

Saturday, we went White Water Rafting at the New River! It was SO much fun! It was great team building, as well as stress relief! I made so many memories that day!

Sunday was kind of sad. Actually, really sad. It was our last day in Arnoldsburg. We held our church service in New Life Baptist Fellowship for possibly the last time, because the church is for sale. After church, we went back over to the park for the baptisms of decisions made that morning as well as the ones made Friday. But right before the Baptisms, Nan needed to take Bell, JJ, Jess, and Erica home. It was so sad, and so hard to see them leave. They had become a part of our family that whole week. Most of the group went to the Baptisms while Sara, MK, Chelsea, and I stayed back to say goodbye. We all cried, and I miss them terribly. I cannot wait to get back to see them again! After they left, we had a huge hotdog cookout with everyone from the whole week of Bible School. It was fun, and we got to spend some time playing with the kids. Around two, we had to start heading home. We had a seven hour drive ahead of us. So we said our goodbyes for the year. It was hard, the people up there become so much a part of you and who you are. I can't wait to go back. That place, those people... it's indescribable. The work of God was great this week, and I can't wait to see what else he has in store!