Farm School Highlights: Part One

Hello Faith Partners!

Since we now have limited internet access, I'll be posting highlights from the week each night until we return home.  In this post, I'll cover our first three days in Honduras.

Friday, June 26th:
Upon arrival in Tegucigalpa and meeting up with an El Hogar staff member at the airport, we headed directly to the El Hogar Orphanage for our short visit/tour of the facility.  It was great to see all the familiar faces, especially since I (Slocomb) could tell them that I'll be back in August!  Arriving at the Farm School that afternoon and getting our bags put away, we were immediately ushered to the soccer field, where we were invited to watch a soccer game between two of the grades at the school.  Maddie actually played in the match, and when the boys figured out that she was better than most of them at soccer, well, I'll let Maddie explain how that's been for her this week.  Lastly, we had the opportunity to watch the second half of the USA-China match (Women's World Cup), which definitely qualifies as a highlight.

Saturday, June 27th:
One of our longer work days.  In the morning, some of us helped build a milk shed with bricks and concrete, while others helped in the kitchen with preparing the vegetables that we've been eating this week.  For the shed, we mixed the concrete/mortar, and helped the handyman lay bricks to finish the final wall of the shed.  This will be where they store and filter the milk that their cows produce, and eventually they will churn butter there as well.  In the afternoon, Maddie again played soccer with the boys while the rest of us took the opportunity to milk cows with the students whose turn it was to work during the weekend.  Everyone took at least two turns, so anyone in our group should now be able to explain to you how to milk a cow!  In the evening, among the other games we played with the kids, we got out the Uno cards and showed them what's up.  For the record, it is still a bad idea to sit next to Nia.

Sunday, June 28th:
With our trip to the local Episcopal Church scheduled for the afternoon, we spent the morning hanging out with the kids.  Early in the afternoon, a local soccer team came to the Farm School to play against the school's team in an exhibition match.  Since Maddie was invited to play with the team, we all went down to the field to support her and the boys.  Maddie played well, and the team came back from behind to win, but what made the game a highlight for me (still Slocomb) was that the fans who came to support the other team all ended up cheering for Maddie!  When I asked them why, they told me that it was because it was the first time they had ever seen a girl play organized soccer before.  And it didn't hurt that she was one of the best players on the field!  After the game, a few of the opposing team's fans asked for the opportunity to take pictures with Maddie.  Hopefully she will write about this experience when she gets the opportunity to later this week.
Our ride to the church never showed up, which is just as well, since Maddie ended up playing in a second soccer game and the rest of the team decided to go milk cows again.  In the evening, Celeste led the team in teaching the farm school boys how to play four square.  They loved it!  And at the end of the night, when the boys escorted our girls be to the volunteer house, they challenged Maddie and Celeste to milk cows again with them in the morning, but this time it would be at 4am.  I'll explain what actually happened at 4am when I post tomorrow about Monday's events.

I know this is only a brief synopsis of our activities, but it's the best we can do this week, and I hope you enjoy following along!  I hope to be able to write to you again tomorrow, and hopefully the rest of the team will be able to write to you on Thursday as well!

-Slocomb

Farm School Team Update

Hello Faith Partners!

Our Farm School Team arrived on campus Friday afternoon, only to discover that we wouldn't have (much) internet access all week.  Our only sources of internet access, in fact, are the WiFi hotspot coming from the 3G phone of one of the employees here, and a portable modem that the directors of the farm school keep for personal use.

So, while we won't e able to post every evening and we won't be able to upload any photos until we return to Cincinnati, I wanted to send you al a quick update while I had the opportunity!

Everyone is definitely enjoying life on the farm:  working through the mornings, relaxing through the afternoons and playing through the evenings.  I continue to be surprised by how much these girls want to experience farm life!  They've milked cows a couple times, and I hear a rumor that they'll be invited to slaughter chickens tomorrow.

But most importantly, each of us has found our niche with the students here.  We are all taking full advantage of every opportunity to spend time with the boys:  playing soccer, basketball, Uno, teaching them games like four square, watching the USA Women's National Soccer Team compete in the World Cup, tutoring them in math (through the language barrier!), sharing meals, and the list goes on.  We will have a lot of great stories to tell by the end of the week, and after we return to Cincinnati I'll post what our team has written about our time here.

Again, thank you for supporting us as faith partners!  We appreciate the opportunity to be here, and the part you've played in making this possible!

-Slocomb

El Hogar Farm School Team departs tomorrow!

Hello Faith Partners!

Our El Hogar Farm School team meets tomorrow morning (Fri. 6/26) at 5:30am for their flight to Tegucigalpa, Honduras!

It has been four years since I stayed at the Farm School, but back in 2011 the available internet was spotty-at-best. I am not certain that we will be able to post every evening, or we may only be able to post text without pictures, but we will still write and take pictures each day and they will eventually be shared on this blog.

Thank you again for following along with our journeys, for your prayers, and for the contributions that make these trips possible.  If you have not yet made your donation, checks can be made payable to "Christ Church Cathedral" with "faith partner" in the memo line.  Talk to you soon!

-Slocomb

For Friday, June 26th:  O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go:  Preserve those who travel; surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

PS:

Photos from this year's Mountain TOP trip are still being compiled and will be posted later this summer as soon as they are ready. We appreciate your patience!

Saturday, June 20th: Upon Return from Mountain TOP

Dear Faith Partners,

My name is Santino Jordan. I've been going to Christ Church Cathedral for almost 14 years now and I'm the person who likes to wear a pikachu hat and is usually seen with headphones. My favorite parts about going on the Mountain T.O.P. mission trip have involved helping the community. It was fun to go out to the county to help people in need. It was also fun exploring new cultures. I got to see the little details of local Tennessee. I also liked being able to hang out with friends throughout the week. I saw God in the community that Mountain T.O.P. was building. This year was Mountain T.O.P.'s 40-year anniversary and it was beautiful to see all the lives they had helped and changed. Thank you for being a faith partner and I hope you live happy days for an eternity.

To the Faith partners,

My name is Michael Pearce. I have been at Christ Church Cathedral for about a year. At the church I am known as they guy in the Steelers football gear because I am a huge Steelers fan. My favorite part of the Mountain T.O.P. trip was working within my YRG, which is the group that you work with to build/fix things for people. I have learned how to work the tools in the project and I know that I would not have known what I was doing without their past experiences in either building or fixing things or from the other activities on the Mountain T.O.P. trip. I saw God in this one project we did. We built this wheelchair ramp for this old man. As we were working on this person's ramp, the rest of the neighborhood were kind enough to give us some of their resources like a nail gun and a drill. It amazed me how this community was able to come together to help get this man a wheelchair ramp. We were able to get this project done in three days as a result of everyone's help and experience. I would love to thank the faith partners and I hope that you have a wonderful day.

(Please stay tuned for more photos from the week!  As soon as they are collected from the many people who took photos, we'll post some of the favorites.)

Friday, June 19th: Last Day on the Mountain (departing tomorrow morning)

Dear Faith Partners,

Hi my name is Gracie Shanklin and I started at Christ Church Cathedral in January. This week has been an amazing, powerful week full of lessons from God and great experiences. My YRG was really fun and we tore down a wheel chair ramp, painted a porch and moved plants, did yard work and rebuilt a fence. Along with that came talking and hearing people's stories. I recently haven't been feeling that connected to God and I have been feeling sidetracked at times. But this week I really felt God's love and He blessed me with some prayers I had and put some awesome people in my life. I really hope to come back next year and many more years and to keep spreading God's love. Mountain T.O.P has really helped and inspired me to be a better follower of God!

Hello y'all my name is Christina Mickey and I have been a part of Christ Church Cathedral for a year and a half. This whole week has changed me forever. The way the families were and everyone at the camp and everything that we have done for all of the families. What I have done in these few days is: cool-seal a roof, build a back porch for two days, yard work for a woman that could barely get around her house, and repair a fence. Throughout these days the stories that every family has told me compare nothing to what my everyday life consists of. These families have gone through so much together or alone. Seeing the faces of all of these people, they were faces that felt amazing after we did our projects. The way God has been with me this week has been great. We have been with these families and God sent us out here with so much this week and Mountain T.O.P. was the reason this happened. Thank you again for supporting me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
For Saturday:  O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go:  Preserve those who travel; surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Thursday, June 18th

Dear Faith Partners,

Hi! My name is Whitney Allender, and I’m 14 years old. I go to Christ Church Cathedral and you might have seen me around acolyting. I love to play with my little brother named Nicholas. This week at Mountain T.O.P I had a lot of fun making new friends and also making new friends with the staff; Chad and Cooper are really funny and nice. And Mountain T.O.P. has been fun even though we got a lot of wrong pieces of equipment for our projects, it was still fun to laugh it out.

Thanks for this awesome experience,

Whitney Allender

SUP FAITH PARTNERS!

HELLO! MY NAME IS BENZO FIBBE AND I AM IN A GREAT MOOD! I AM FROM C.C.C. WITH RED HAIR AND MOUNTAIN TOP IS AMAZING HELPING THE PEOPLE IS VERY EMPOWRERING TO THE PEOPLE IN THE VALLEY BELOW AND TO MY FRIENDS AND TO THE MEMBERS IN MY YRG! THE MOST GOD FILLED MOMENT WAS TALKING TO A PERSON THAT HAD A 2% CHANCE OF LIVING AFTER A MOTORCYCLE CRASH AND IS STILL OK 15 YEARS LATER! I WOULD LIKE TO FAITH PARTERNERS FOR MAKING THIS ALL POSSIBLE ALL THINGS ARE GREAT

FROM BENZO FIBBE

Hi I am Jaida, and you might know me as the bouncy, curly haired guuuurrrl who Is always dancing an jumping and being silly. So Mountain Top is fantastic! This is my second year at Mtop and I'm still loving it. I love all the scenery of the mountains and trees. I just really love being In nature. Some of the staff here are truly amazing and I love talking with them. One of them, named Leah, is a writer and she's super cool. I am truly so grateful that I have had the opportunity to come out here to the Mountain top, and thanks to you it has been possible for me. We still have two days left, and both days I am super excited for!

Thanks again for your support!

Jaida Fackey (Jayfacks)

For Friday:  Almighty God, who has promised to hear the petitions of those who ask in your Son’s Name:  We beseech you mercifully to incline your ear to us who have now made our prayers and supplications unto you; and grant that those things which we have faithfully asked according to your will, may effectually be obtained, to the relief of our necessity, and to the setting forth of your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Wednesday, June 17th: "Halfway Up The Mountain"

Dear Faith Partners,

Hello my name is Lilu Stoker, otherwise known as Olivia, but Lilu is my real name and always has been ;-) I'm the girl with short hair that has had many different hair colors throughout the years. And yes, the nose piercing is real :-) My experience at Mountain Top has been phenomenal and I have never gotten so close to a group of people in my life. This mission trip has given me a chance to get to know more about myself and the work that God has sent us into the world to do. Something that really touched me today was the sermon done by one of the counselors, Leah. And it made me realize that love is the answer to everything. Even if love is overwhelming (aka the theme of this week), and that we would be nowhere without love. Love is what makes us human. And that's why God gave us the task to spread love. The task to spread the word of God's love and the power of it. Because we as human beings need love...God's love is there for those who need love. Which is all of us. All of Her children. That's why we need Her love. Because without Her love...we are lost... And that's why I'm at Mountain Top! To spread God's love! Thank you for supporting us on our journey to spread God's love even though you aren't down here with a hammer to help us. Your support helps us be the hands in delivering God's love. Thank you!

(writing this blog post)

For Thursday:  Lord Christ, when you came among us, you proclaimed the kingdom of God in villages, towns, and lonely places:  Grant that your presence and power may be known throughout this land.  Have mercy upon all of us who live and work in rural areas; and grant that all the people of our nation may give thanks to you for food and drink and all other bodily necessities of life, respect those who labor to produce them, and honor the land and the water from which these good things come.  All this we ask in your holy Name.  Amen.

Tuesday, June 16th:

 

 Dear Faith Partners,

Hi my name is Ellie Shanklin, and I have been a part of the Christ Church Cathedral youth group for a little less than 6 months. Today at Mountain T.O.P. my YRG group and I went to a man's house to take down and re-build a wheelchair ramp. The process was very challenging and overwhelming, especially considering the scorching temperature. I think one of the most difficult parts of building the wheelchair ramp was having to dig the holes to put the poles in. We kept on having to re-dig the holes because the measurements were wrong. At one point during the day I was getting frustrated because it felt like we were making no progress, but as soon as we started to finish for the day and pack up our tools, I took a look at the work we did and realized that we really did a great job and got a lot finished. I could also tell that the man we built the wheelchair ramp for was very thankful. So far, my favorite part of this Mountain T.O.P. experience is seeing how thankful the people are after they see what work we did. I'm so glad I have the opportunity to do this and I want to thank the Faith Partners for making this possible!

Dear Faith Partners,

Hi. My name is Ben Jose, and I have attended and been actively involved in Christ Church Cathedral for my entire life. I have been going to Mountain TOP for 4 years now, and the experience never ceases to amaze me. Something about being here makes me think about the world in a completely different way. Having the opportunity to do great work with people that believe the same things that I do is one of the greatest ways to discover yourself and what you truly believe. Thank you to the Faith Partners, not just that I can have this experience, but that everyone with us can also have this experience.

For Wednesday:  O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son:  Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unites us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Monday, June 15th: First Day at Work

  

Dear faith partners,

Hi my name is Mayah Allender, I'm 15 years old and this is my 3^rd year at Moutain TOP. I acolyte in church and I'm in the youth group. Today was our first day at work and we screened a porch. We met a lovely lady and she became close to our hearts. So far I am having a great time and looking forward to the rest of the week. Thank you!

 

Hi my name is Sabina Hordinski, I'm 13 years old, and this is my first year at Mountain T.O.P. I am the daughter of Ric Hordinski, who helps run the Shifrah service on Sunday evenings, and I attend the youth group. Today, our first day of camp, was a great experience. My YRG and I painted two garage doors, and we cleaned out the gutters for a middle aged couple, and their mother. It was so cool to be able to see the gratitude in their eyes, and it made me feel great about what we had done for them. I am having a great time and I m looking forward to the rest of the week! Thank you!

 

For Tuesday:  O heavenly Father, who has filled the world with beauty:  Open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all your works; that, rejoicing in your whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Sunday, June 14th: Arrival at Mountain TOP

Dear Faith Partners,

Hello, my name is Cameron Mickey. This is my second year at Mountain T.O.P. and so far it's been very different from the previous year. However, the experience has been just as amazing. The ride down was amazing since everyone was happy, and the car echoed with laughter throughout the drive. I have met some amazing people so far and hope to continue to do so throughout the week. I truly appreciate your generosity, and support because without all of you this incredible experience would not be possible. Thank you so much for what you have done, and continue to do. I hope you all have a wonderful week. 

 

Hiyah! I'm Griffin Carlson (Kim and Dan's son), and I just had my first day on the mountain top! Everyone is sooooo nice, and things are going great. I was sorted into my group that will be doing God's work out in the area. They are so cool, and I am already making new friends while still spending time with my old ones. Thank you all faith partners for making this a reality, and come back to this site so you can see how we grow in faith at this AWESOME place!

For Monday:  Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Saturday, June 13th: Departure for Mountain TOP

Dear faith partners,

Hello! This is Slocomb, writing to you from the conference room at the Wingo Inn on Arnold Air Force Base near Manchester, TN. We've stayed here the night before check-in at Mountain TOP for the past three years and it has been equally fun and accommodating to this year's mission team.

We departed from the Cathedral at 10am this morning with much excitement, but also a tinge of sadness and longing for the team members who weren't able to make it down with us. Two of our adults were “sidelined” for medical reasons yesterday. They will most certainly be missed, and we all hope, pray, and expect for quick recoveries for them both.

On the bright side, Judi Stoker was able to fill in as a chaperone at the very last minute! Literally! I called her at 7am this morning to ask if she could drive one of our vans! And I have no idea how or why she said yes! We appreciate you Judi! Thank you again!

Tomorrow morning we will arrive at Mountain TOP 29-strong, with 23 teenagers and 6 adults (14 & 3 from the Cathedral, the rest from St. Barnabas in Montgomery and St. Christopher in Fairborn). It will be another incredible week on the Mountain for all involved: families will be served, sheds and porches built, little kids played with, friends made, and teenagers' nervousness and fears overcome. Each day, beginning tomorrow with our arrival at camp and ending next Saturday with our return to Cincinnati, two Cathedral teenagers will write to you about their experiences on the mountain. As you worship together Sunday morning, please continue to pray for us and for our ministry here with Mountain TOP.

And thank you again faith partners! We appreciate you!

-Slocomb

For Sunday:  O God, whose fatherly care reaches to the uttermost parts of the earth:  We humbly beseech you graciously to behold and bless those whom we love, now absent from us.  Defend them from all dangers of soul and body; and grant that both they and we, drawing near to you, may be bound together by your love in the communion of your Holy Spirit, and in the fellowship of your saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Prayer for Travelers (BCP #53)

O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go: Preserve those who travel [in particular the Cathedral Mountain TOP Team]; surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their journey's end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

We depart from the Cathedral tomorrow (Saturday 6/13) at 9:30am.  Thank you for your prayers, and thank you for supporting our 2015 Summer Mission Teams!

Mountain TOP Team Departs this Saturday (6/13/15)!

Hey there faith partners!

It's that time again!  Time for summer mission trips!  Time for travel, fun, service, mission, fulfilling and rewarding experiences, meaningful introspection, tie-dye, nine-square, blog posts, lots of pictures (when we're able to upload them!), team t-shirts, power tools, deep conversations, powerful worship, and community.

Beginning when we arrive in Tennessee on Saturday, June 13th, members of our Mountain TOP Team will be posting on this blog each evening (as the availability of WiFi permits) to share their stories, a few of their photos, and a prayer from the BCP that you can pray for our mission team and the work they are doing.

Thank you, again, for supporting our summer missioners with your prayers and donations!  If you have yet to submit your donation but plan to give, please do so soon.  Checks can be made payable to "Christ Church Cathedral" with "faith partner" in the memo line.

We look forward to sharing with you the experiences that you've made possible for us this summer!  Happy reading!