Musings of Youth Ministry: Day 2 and 3 at Eagle Eyrie!

Well so far we've had an incredible time here at Eagle Eyrie. Since our last update, we had playtime yesterday afternoon and some great worship in the evening with a skit and some music from one of the church groups here. Also Tuesday evening my cousin Cammy came to EE to join us for the evening. During evening devotions she gave our students a challenge to rely on God for everything no matter what's going on in their life.

As with any youth trip, we were up late playing games and generally hangin out.

Today we our teams ran into some rain in the morning. Some still worked even in the rain getting good and muddy. Only the roofing team with Jim W. had to come back mid-morning. Other outdoor teams could pair up with other teams and join some indoor projects such as the sports camp where some of our students were leading sports for underprivileged children in the area.

Of course a good rain makes the athletic field good and muddy and perfect for a good game of Ultimate Frisbee (see some pics below).

Everyone is doing well, and most are seeing the fruits of their labor on their project teams. Additionally I'm really seeing some great bonding between a lot of our youth which wouldn't have happened had we not come to spend the week here.

Below I've included 2 comments from a couple students... more are planning on writing for me tomorrow as well.

Everyone's having a great time, and we miss you all. See you all soon!
-Chris

Today has been another great day! To me, it has been inspiring how diverse the ministry opportunities are. I knew that there were a lot of ways to minister to others, but I was never aware that there were so many opportunities. To me it is exciting because it proves that you can show God's love through whatever you do. I have also learned a lot from the leaders at the Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center, the station where I am working. They are so meticulous about what they do and try as much as they can to include God in their work. The leader of the center told us yesterday that many ministry centers will try not to openly profess that they are a Christian institution, however she believes that our God is so much bigger than that.

I think that most campers would agree that we have a lot of free time at the end of the day. Although it can get boring at times, it has been so much fun to get to know persons within Columbia's youth group and out. We have enjoyed swimming in the pool, walking in the rain, buying ice cream, going down the huge slide, making weird stuffed animal videos, and much more. I am sure that tomorrow will be another fun and productive day!

- Marlee

Missions Connections 2 is very different from the other trips I have taken with Columbia. I love how I can share my beliefs with other believers, and not be afraid of discomfort. Everyone here is extremely welcoming, and it's easy to feel at home. Especially in our lodge. I've gotten to know Columbia youth that previously, I had not gotten to really talk to. In essense, it's just a camp, but we do service projects in the morning. The variation of the projects is so wide, ranging from VBS-esque projects to construction sites. No matter what project, if it is directly or indirectly helping the community, this has been so much fun, and I'm glad Columbia chose to do this trip for the youth this year.
- Dana