On Our Way!

We all arrived bright eyed and bushy tailed to the Finley YMCA at an energizing 4:45am this morning! BIG SHOUT OUT to our bus driver Bobby Battle and Leigh Longino, who both got up extra early and made sure we arrived safely at RDU. Also, another shout out to all of our parents and Y Directors Gordon Sinclair & Randi Gressel for getting us all to Finley on time. As you can imagine, a big ole group of excited and enthusiastic YMCA people can turn some heads...with that being said, we saw 7 different people we knew, including a Kerr YMCA parent AND a YMCA of the Triangle Metro board member! These small connections at the airport were a great kick start and an encouraging moment for all us. We began to get excited about the amazing relationships we are going to create with each other and the children of Costa Rica!

Our layover in Charlotte has been pretty uneventful...well, except for the GREAT laugh we all got when a participant fell off the moving sidewalk b/c he was sitting on the railing! We wont say who...cough, cough, AUSTIN, cough cough :) Well, we are off to San Jose! We should arrive around 2:3opm Costa Rica time, and we will immediately head to camp to work with the children. We can't wait...WOO HOO!

Making History...

What a great time to be a part of the YMCA of the Triangle area! Many months ago, college students from all over the Triangle area and beyond were challenged to "DEVIATE" from the normal Spring Break activities and humbly take an opportunity to show God's Love and serve others for one week. Many stepped up to the challenge with enthusiasm and passion, helping to shape the vision and mission not only for this first trip, but for many years to come. With that, we are extremely excited to announce that on March 1st, 14 college students and 3 YMCA leaders will embark on a historic Missions Trip to Costa Rica!

As this is the first "official" international Missions Trip, the YMCA of the Triangle has been serving in this capacity for many years. We have helped to start a YMCA in Kahovka, Ukraine, assisted with a safe water supply project in Uganda and also worked with a boys school in Scotland. Along with this spirit of international service that our YMCA is committed to, we were also able to send two separate teams to do relief work after the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. One group served in New Orleans, the other in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. More details of these trips can be found at http:ymcatrianglerelief.blogspot.com

With this exciting Costa Rica trip, the participants have put in TONS of work thus far, including a very successful pig pickin that raised money for sports equipment and camp supplies for inner city street children. They also have been hard at work planning out activities and life changing activities for these same children once we arrive in Costa Rica. We are extremely excited to see not only what the Lord will do for these poverty-stricken children in Costa Rica, but also how our very own participants life's will be changed. In 1 Peter 4:10, the Bible tells us, "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grade of God." Basically, we are commanded by God to use all of the blessings he has bestowed upon us for His glory, serving others as Christ Himself served. As our friend TJ likes to say, "WE GET TO DO THIS!"

So, please pray for Austin Howe, Brooke Laing, CJ Earp, Diana Ivosic, Everett Warren, Grace Thomas, Gretchen Minneman, Julia Kruse, Katherine Vance, Katie Kauffman, Katie Nagel, Melissa Avery, Neil McEwen, Rebecca Duncan, Forrest Perry, Stacey Craft, and Nick Errato as we travel to Costa Rica. Pray for safe travels, pray for health, pray that we awake every morning with an enthusiasm and passion to serve, pray that we have the opportunity to role model, build relationships, and minister to the children, and please pray that we are being used every possible second as an instrument of the Lord's work.

Thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers, and we can't wait to update you on all the great things the Lord is going to do!