Day 6 - Cedar Point

As our week of mission comes to a close, we spent our final day in Sandusky at Cedar Point!

With the weather cooperating beautifully we made it to Cedar Point just before open at 10AM, various groups departing in all directions to conquer any and all roller coasters standing in their way. 

Some went big first, other started small, and others (okay, just want one whimpy Youth Director!) watched from the safety of the ground. 

Overall it was an incredible day, one filled with rollers coasters, delicious food, endless laughter, and newly formed inside jokes! 

Day 5 - Habitat ReStore

For our last day of mission work we spent our day at the Firelands Habitat ReStore.

The Firelands Habitat For Humanity ReStore sells new and gently used furniture, appliances, and building materials. All items are sold at a fraction of the cost of retail stores. ALL proceeds benefit the Firelands Habitat For Humanity. 

With a group of 21 people, we were able to divide and conquer quite effectively today. 

One crew spent the majority of their day removing, cleaning, and reorganizing doors and windows. Another crew spent their time taking inventories of various pipes and pipe fittings. A third crew was tasked with shelf rearrangement and reorganization as well as window washing. The final group went to the workshop and spent the day organizing materials and working on the roof to a shed. 

Enjoy the pictures!

SQUAD OUT. 

Day 4 - Nehemiah Center / Boys and Girls Club

Hi everyone it's Maddie Andrews taking over today's blog. Today our groups switched venues. My group worked at the Boys and Girls Club and entertained around 40 kids. We played games with the kids, our favorites included Just Dance,foosball, air hockey, ping pong, pool, and baseball. The youth also got to participate in a birthday celebration for the kids with June birthdays. 

The second group traveled to the Nehemiah Center and performed a variety of tasks. Some included painting, landscaping, and finishing setting up classrooms for the summer camp being held there next week. 

To wrap up the day we ended in our youth led devotionals, giving us time to reflect on our day and draw closer to God. 

Hope you enjoyed today's blog and will take some time to look at pictures from our mission work.

Squad out :)

Day 3 - Nehemiah Center / Boys and Girls Club

Today our group was split up, with half going to the Nehemiah Center and the other half going to the Boys and Girls Club. 

The Nehemiah Center, a faith based youth organization in Sandusky, is in the midst of preparing for their summer programming. Utilizing an old school building which was purchased for $5 in 2007, they offer a multitude of incredible opportunities for youth both during the school year and throughout the summer. 

The group working at the Nehemiah Center spent the day helping to prepare a variety of spaces within the building to ensure that they are ready for their summer program to begin. There was also a surprise delivery of English Muffins that needed unloading and stocking. They also spent time making sure that various games and activities were updated and had all of the necessary items needed. 

Similar to the Nehemiah Center, the Boys and Girls Club's target audience is youth, aiming to provide a wide variety of programmatic opportunities for youth in the Sandusky area. 

The group working with the Boys and Girls Club spent the day with the youth enrolled in their summer program. They spent time outside playing games (kickball was the favorite!) and they spent time inside engaging in a multitude of activies ranging from video games to drawing to board games. 

After our time at the two sites we were invited to help serve ice cream at the local ice cream social/concert series that is hosted by First Presbyterian Church for the entire community. This meant free ice cream at the end of the evening! 

Please take some time and enjoy looking at pictures from our day! 

SQUAD OUT. 

Day 2 - Ohio Veterans Home

Today we spent the day at the Ohio Veterans Home. Thanks to our incredible host, Dwayne, we had an opportunity to explore the entire facility! During our tour we made a variety of stops along the way. 

First, we had an opportunity to pick tomatoes (to make fried green tomatoes with!) from their greenhouse. We then moved further through the facility, having the opportunity to see where the veterans spend their time, learning about the various activities that take place day-to-day. 

A fun aside - They have peacocks at the facility!

Our next stop was the cafeteria where we were invited to sit and eat with the veterans. Following our meal we helped with the overall clean up of the cafeteria as well as with bussing tables. We all had the opportunity to speak further with the veterans after lunch and clean up, spending approximately two hours with numerous veterans. 

It was an incredibly memorable and impacftful experience as the veterans took time out of their lives to share their stories with us. It was truly an honor to spend the day with them. 

We then moved onto the library to help with sorting and categorizing the books. 

Our final stop of the day was at the military museum where we were able to learn more about the various battles and conflicts in America's history, dating from the Civil War to present time. 

After departing the Ohio Veterans Home we made our way back to the church for some fun and relaxation! Tonight's menu was a delicious taco bar and our evening devotions were led by Hannah, Josh, Zach, and Claire. 

We would now invite you to look at some pictures from our day together. 

SQUAD OUT.