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Children's Cross Connection

Youth Mission Trips

Youth Mission Trips - Milwaukee

From June 18 to 24, some 21 Junior Highs traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to work in the inner city with children’s ministries, homeless and urban poor ministries, and elderly and nursing home ministries. Their experience will be invaluable because they partnered with other youth from around the USA to serve these people, while providing work opportunities that are tailored to younger youth.

Here are the first reports received:

Sunday, June 18, 2000

The Jr. High Youth had a wonderful flight to Milwaukee on Father's Day.  We all thought about and prayed for our fathers as we were not with them.

We arrived and settled in to the Milwaukee Outreach Center about 11:00 AM on Sunday.   Afterward we were kicked out so the Youthworks staff could finish readying the building for the 65 people who were to arrive at 4:00 PM.   We left and went to explore Milwaukee.  We quickly learned the transit system.  We were unable to pick up our vans until 5:00 AM on Monday.   Later that evening we met the four other churches that arrived.  They are from Ohio, Minnesota, Georgia, and Iowa.   We had orientation and learned more about what we will be doing this week.

Monday, June 19, 2000

We were divided into teams of about 10 and sent to six different worksites around Milwaukee.  Two groups went to two different Boys and Girls Clubs to assist with their Summer Day Camp Programs.  One group went to the Delphia House and the Gingerbread House.  This project works with abused children and abandoned and reestablished use of homes that were formally drug related habitats.  One group went to the United Community Center where they will assist with Senior Citizen programs and hispanic children programs.  One group went to work for Vincent Family Services where they work with African American children.  On Monday, they were having a parade and celebrating "Juneteenth Day."  This is a celebration to commemorate the day the slaves were freed.  There is also one group working at Casa Maria, a community where people take a vow for voluntary poverty.  (There are no FPC Youth at this site).

Overall everyone had a wonderful first day on the worksites.   We worked hard with and for mostly children.  It was very rewarding building relationships and trust with the children.  We were not allowed to take cameras to our worksites for the first few days.  The staff felt it would be better to bring those after trust had been built.

Showering is interesting.   We are only allowed two-minute showers once per day at the United Community Center.  Our youth are learning to live and work outside their comfort zone.

God is alive and real on this trip.  We have talked about having an "open heart" and a "happy heart."   Everyone is watching to see how God reveals himself to us through our work.

We had Youthworks Olympics on Monday night.  (Most pictures made are from that event).

Tuesday, June 20, 2000

We started the day with it raining.    The rain was needed!  No report as yet about how each group is doing.   I will say that each youth is learning to prepare meals and do chores.   We do that each morning before Personal Devotion time.

  Visitor # since 7-1-00