We arrived at Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte Sunday afternoon safely and excited about our week ahead. We had a get to know everyone gathering in the gym. We met the youth from the other 3 churches, Summerville SC, Fountain Inn SC and Easely SC. We were introduced to the Cross Ministries operations with games and activities. It was a time of creativity and teamwork. It was fun.

Monday

Monday morning we gathered in the hall for breakfast, devotional, energizers and instruction for the day. We learned the theme of the week was "Do Love and Live".

Our first mission was to Double Oaks Daycare for under privileged children from 6 weeks to 12 years old. It was truly a wonderful way to start our week. The kids were a blessing and we had a great time playing with them. Pre K graduation was at the end of the week so we were able to see the kids practice their graduation.

Monday afternoon we went to the Charlotte Crisis Assistance Ministry. This was a huge warehouse that receives about 7,000 articles of clothing a month and distributed about 3,000 articles a month. It is a very well organized operation and helps a lot of needy people. We helped sort and inspect the clothing. After work we had a little fashion show.

Monday evening Ray and Jan Swetenburg opened their home to us for a tasty dinner of chicken enchiladas. They are a very nice couple and we enjoy their hospitality. Ray is a Pediatrician and Jan works at Myers Park Presbyterian Church as a volunteer coordinator.

Tuesday

Tuesday Morning started with the usual breakfast, devotional and the energizers really got us moving. We then went to Classroom Central. They stock school supplies for teachers. Teachers can bring their classroom shopping list and get many supplies so all the students in their classrooms are well equipped to get a "Grade A" Education. They serve Charlotte and 6 surrounding counties. We stocked the shelves with pens, pencils, books, notebooks, paper, and arts and craft items. They were already preparing for the next school year.

Tuesday afternoon was our homeless experience. We all loaded our 10 pound backpacks and rode the city bus to Uptown Charlotte. There we walked around the city to get a small glimpse of what a homeless person may experience in a day. We were all given $5 to find the least expensive and most nutritious meal. It wasn't easy but it was possible. We found Abraham the hotdog vendor for the most inexpensive meal but not the most nutritious, we found that at Chic-Filet. Then we were given a brief tour of Istudios in the public library. We saw how the blue screen works to enhance the movie goer's experience. Then we walked to the Charlotte Bobcat Arena (basketball team). We had a nice tour and rested our feet for brief moment. We were told Magic Johnson was in the building at the same time and we just missed seeing him. After the tour we caught the bus again had a few minutes to eat and relax before our evening mission.

Tuesday evening we worshipped with Pastor John at Urban Restoration. We greeted the people coming to worship and helped with the service. After the service we help distribute groceries, bags of salad and orange juice. It was a very long and exhausting day.

Wednesday

Wednesday we went to the Charlotte Rescue Mission. We prepared lunch and served the 100+ men staying at the mission. Then we joined them to share their meal. They were all in different stages of the 90 day drug and alcohol abuse recovery program. After lunch we went out and joined them in a game of volleyball. They were all very nice and really enjoyed us being there with them. It was a very powerful experience that most us will not soon forget.

That afternoon we had some free time. We relaxed at the church over an intense game of go fish then went to the mall for a little shopping and a lot of go cart riding. It was great time shared by all.

Thursday

Our last day of missions.

We went to the Lifespan Circle School, which is a daycare center for children of all walks of life. They have children with disabilities and without. Again they were preparing for graduation and we helped setup the room and decorate. After that we played on the playground with all the children and then helped with lunch. Lunch was very challenging and the staff was most grateful for our help.

Thursday afternoon we went to the Agape House. We started the day at one end of life's journey and end the day at the other end. Agape House is a hospice house. We played Bingo with Mr Tim and looked at Dr Herman's pictures and listened to his stories. Some of us planted flowers and the others baked cookies. While we were there they had a visit from a therapy dog that comes by once in a while. It was a fitting end to a exhausting but fulfilling week.

Friday

Our long journey home.

The trip home started off really well. We were making good time and it was a pleasant ride since all the kids were worn out and sleeping most of the trip. Well I spoke to soon. With a spewing heater hose and a 5 hour diversion in Savannah we made it home about 11:30 pm. Thank you Lord for duct tape!