Kate and Tiff learn about the many joys of fiberglass!

Mia and Kysha thought the best part was accessorizing
their outfits with the neat surgical masks

 Here Kate shows us …a different side of herself

Scott whips his crew into shape.

But we didn't just work. Each night we discussed the Biblical
idea of shalom (wholeness) and how it impacts our relationship with God, our selves, and our friends. We also had fun singing.

…and eating

And making lots of new friends…

to whom we wrote lots of warm fuzzies (compliments)…

…and gave lots of hugs.

We even discovered that some of the sponsors
were okay too (for adults, of course)

After two full days of fiberglassing, weeding, moving cinder
blocks and putting up walls we were ready for a break so we
got all gussied up and went into New York City for the day.
The student in the middle, by the way, forgot to take a shower.

This souvenir penny guy was spreading mean-spirited
rumors about Jose being gay.

After the Empire State Building (and St. Patrick's
Cathedral) we went to Planet Hollywood, where
we saw Vanessa Williams…

…and Dan met a close personal friend.

After another day of hard work, we concluded our trip with
a day at Mountain Creek Water Park in North Jersey

All things considered it was a great trip! We helped build homes for low income folks, got to know one another a lot better, grew closer to God, and had a LOT of fun. Best of all, we're going to do it again next year! After three years of going to Paterson, most people think we are ready for a change. So the adventure will continue in a new and exciting location next year…Stay tuned for details at
youth group meetings during the year!