Support our Mexico Spring Break Trip // Buy a Shirt

Over Spring Break this school year (March 26-30, 2018) we will be taking a group to Rocky Point, Mexico, to build a house with 1MISSION. 1MISSION is a community development organization giving people living in poverty the opportunity to earn a house by serving their community. Individuals serve over 200 hours in their community to earn a home. We took a group over Spring Break in 2016 and look forward to returning in ’18.

The current projected cost for each individual to go on the trip is just over $1,000.  To help underwrite some of the expenses for our group, we are making available shirts designed just for this project.

We have two different shirt designs you can view by clicking here.

One is a Short Sleeve shirt and the color is heather clay.  The cost of the short sleeve shirt is $15

Please note:  the short sleeve shirts are “Soft Shirts.” They are a tad less generous of a fit than a normal t-shirt. They’re a nicer, softer t-shirt… but if you are between two sizes it is suggested you choose the larger size.

Long Sleeve shirt and the color is charcoal black. The cost of the long sleeve shirt is $20.

Both shirts have the same design on the front, which says BUILD HOPE, 1MISSION Mexico 2018

If we sell 25 of each shirt, $6 from each shirt (40%) will go toward our trip to Mexico.  Orders will be taken through the month of December. Shirts will be available mid-January.

If you are a member/attendee of our church in Wilmington or live in the area, we will have hard copies of order forms available at our IMPACT Student Kiosk in our KidCity Lobby.

We do have an online order form where you can place orders for shirts.  We currently do not have a way to pay online.  Payment can be made by cash or check (checks can be made payable to “Ministers Fund.”)

If you live outside of Wilmington, contact me and we can see about shipping a shirt to you.  We will add a few bucks on for shipping.

Shirts were designed by Fund the Nations, a company created in February of 2008 with the desire to help others fulfill the Great Commission (take the Gospel around the world) by providing them with a great fundraiser.  Check out their Instagram account for samples of their other designs.

We are looking forward to our trip to Mexico and serving with a family.  Your purchase of a shirt will help support our adventure!

Reflections on our Mexico Trip

After months of planning, promoting, sending emails, meeting with our team, getting passports and other documents, checking over the packing list and praying about this adventure, our trip to Mexico was a success.

I guess I say success because we traveled to and from Mexico and all fourteen made it back safely!  (The only hiccup in the trip was a long layover in Las Vegas that had us rolling into the church parking lot at 4:30 am)

I say success because we built the home on schedule…and it was still standing when we left!

I say success because we truly felt like we made a small contribution to the big work that 1MISSION is doing in that area of Mexico.

I say success because we were able to work alongside the young couple that would be living in the house we built – Miguel and Deysi.  For some of us on the trip, this couple is close in age to our own children.  For one of the students on the trip, she made the connection that Miguel and Deysi are the same age as her sister and brother-in-law.  She said she didn’t really understand what it meant to serve a brother and sister in Christ until this trip.  That’s too cool!

I say success because the trip changed us.  Our eyes were opened to what it looks like to live in a place other than Ohio.  For most of our group, this was the first trip out of the United States.  None of us had been to this part of Mexico.  So, to see what life is like for the people of Rocky Point, it offered us a different perspective.  While life isn’t perfect anywhere, we gained an appreciation for where we live.  While the house we were built isn’t extravagant by any means compared to what we see in the US, it stood out among some of the other housing we saw.  1MISSION seeks to create community by giving people in poverty the opportunity to earn a house by serving their community.  We were humbled to be a small part of that process.

We had a great experience in Mexico and are grateful to all those who supported us and made the trip possible.

We put together a short recap video of our time with 1MISSION.  You can check it out and see what happened during our time in Mexico.

Two More Ways to Support Spring Break House Build Trip

We are about halfway into our Upward Basketball season where we have been offering concessions to raise money for our Spring Break House Build Trip. Our church family has been very generous in providing items that we use for our concessions. We have donations of Gatorade, cans of soda, chips, candy bars, monetary donations and even pizza that we sold by the slice. It has been a great start to our fundraising efforts.

While we have five more Saturdays of Upward to go, there are two other ways that people can support our Mexico Team.

For those in the Wilmington area: Sunday, March 6th will be Green Bucket Sunday.

We have used the green buckets in the past and we will use them the first Sunday in March. The green buckets will be located at the doors exiting our Ministry Center and any money that is placed in the buckets will go toward the Mexico trip.  This is a simple way to allow people to give toward the trip in a way that goes above what they give to the church.

Last year we used the green buckets to help reach our goal of $4,000 to send to 1MISSION to build a home for a family in Mexico. It allowed our who church family to participate, no matter the size of the gift.

For those in or out of the Wilmington area:  Give Online.

A number of months ago our church family was given the opportunity to give online.  So many of the things we do now, including paying bills, is done online.  You can now give to the overall work of WCC or specifically to the Mexico trip through our Online Giving Page.  If you want to give specifically toward the House Build Trip, you can select that in the drop down menu.

There are so many great mission organizations and projects being done throughout the world. We are excited about our partnership with 1MISSION and appreciate all the support from our church family and friends. Thanks to all those who are giving toward the trip and praying for our team.

House Build Trip Deposit Due 12/13

We’ve been talking for a number of weeks about our upcoming Spring Break House Build Trip with 1MISSION (March 28 – April 2, 2016). We had a good turnout for our information meeting that took place a little over a week ago. We are now nearing the deposit deadline of December 13. That will give us a good idea of how many are planning to participate and will allow us to begin firming up travel plans.

I posted some general information a couple of weeks ago regarding our Information Meeting.  That gives a general overview of our schedule, travel plans and approximate cost. If you haven’t had a chance to look at the Information Packet, it is available to view and download on our church website.

Here are some other facts about what we will be accomplishing through our build trip.

The family we will be serving has already volunteered over 200 hours to their community. These hours have included building houses for their neighbors, volunteering with local organizations and participating in community development programs.  A few weeks before the trip we will receive a family biography which will include information about the family.

We will be working alongside local volunteers and community members who have come together in cooperation to improve their community.

Here’s a fun fact for you:  We won’t use any power tools! Why? The house construction is a community project involving
inexperienced people of all ages. The goal is to involve everyone in a fun and safe manner.  So, if you are intimidated by the construction process, you can rest easy knowing that you won’t have to mess with power tools.

The House Build Trip will be a new and unique experience.  It is open to high school students and older.  Check out the information and feel free to make contact if you have questions.

Spring Break House Build Trip Info Meeting

During Spring Break, 2016, our high school students and adults have an opportunity to travel to Puerto Penasco, Mexico, and help build a home for a family in need through 1MISSION, a community development organization giving people in poverty the opportunity to earn a house by serving their community. Recently I posted some information about the trip and wanted to follow that up some further details.

An information packet is available, which breaks down the anticipated cost of the trip and gives information regarding our schedule, housing, travel, etc. While the packet won’t answer every question, it will provide the basic information for those interested in the trip.

One of the big concerns about traveling to Mexico is safety.  While there are some dangerous areas in Mexico and you should always be aware when traveling out of the country, the area where we will be traveling is safe for travel.  1MISSION has hosted numerous groups and recently hosted 400 students who built 13 homes for families.  Also, 1MISSION just celebrated their 400th home being built!  They have a lot of experience in the area where we will travel and will provide us with good information so we are safe.

Another concern with a mission trip is cost.  Flights out of the country are not cheap and we are doing our best to keep costs as minimal as possible.  Currently, the estimated cost of the trip is $1200.  For our WCC students and adults, a portion of the trip will be underwritten by a generous gift given toward missions.  At least $300 will be available for each WCC student and adult who wants to go on the trip.  Also, we have fundraisers planned to help defray the cost.

We will have an Informational Meeting on Sunday, November 22, immediately following our morning services.  Anyone who is interested in hearing more about the trip or asking specific question is invited to attend.

We do have a deadline set for the trip.  In order to make plans and secure air travel and other details, we are asking participants to make a $50 deposit by Sunday, Dec. 13. That will help us know how many are committed to the trip and we can move ahead with details.

Below is a brief video that shows what a house build looks like.  More information on the trip can be found on the 1MISSION website.  They have a link that provides responses to Frequently Asked Questions regarding serving in Mexico.

Help Build a House in 3 Days

This Spring Break (March 28 – April 2, 2016) our IMPACT students will have an opportunity to partner with 1MISSION to build a home for a family in Mexico. An information packet is now available that gives details regarding the trip, including approximate cost, a basic trip schedule, what to bring, where we will stay, what the house build will look like and general information about 1MISSION.

The plan is to build a house in just three days. 1MISSION has put together a video that shows the process in action.

This year students can spend their Spring Break serving a family in need. Check out the video below and click here to download the Trip Information Packet.

1MISSION Spring Break Build Trip, March, 2016

Last school year our IMPACT Student Ministry helped to raise funds to build a home for a family in Mexico through 1MISSION. We heard about 1MISSION at a couple of youth conferences and decided to partner with them by raising funds.

Next year, over Spring Break (March 28 – April 1, 2016) we are planning to take a group to go on site and help build a home in Mexico. We are excited about the possibility of working hand in hand with 1MISSION to provide safe housing for those in need.

An information packet is available for our IMPACT students and families. We are still working on nailing down final costs for the trip, primarily in the area of travel. Once we are on the field, 1MISSION provides housing, meals and construction tools and materials for the project.

A 1MISSION provides a video overview and more information on their website.

More information will be coming and we look forward to taking a group to help build a home.

Here’s a peek into what the process looks like:

Syd in Honduras – a quick update

My last post about Syd’s trip generated quite a bit of traffic, so I thought I’d share a quick update. The group has occasional WiFi connection, so Syd has put a little bit on her Facebook and Instagram.

They arrived safely after a few flight delays. Syd posted a pic and a video on her Instagram which showed some of the kids they have served through the shoe ministry. The picture to the left was sent through email giving a quick update on the group. The message said they were celebrating one of the group member’s birthdays. Looks like all is well!

Thanks to all who have been praying for the group. Below is a group pic.

Syd in Honduras – a “risky trip”

For most of the summer Syd has been on campus at Louisville taking classes, working out and doing rehab on her knee. She took a break this week to go on a mission trip to Honduras with her mother’s church. They will be doing construction work and providing a shoe ministry.

The Courier-Journal, a newspaper in Louisville, ran an article on her trip. I thought that was great that they would take the time to promote Syd and her fellow travellers in this ways – until I looked at the title of said article – Sydney takes “a risky ministry trip.” Not the thing that parents want to read about.

This is a good opportunity for her and I know she is excited to be able to participate. Here’s the text of the article. I’m sure all those who are taking part in the trip and their family members back at home would appreciate prayers while they serve in Honduras.

At the time of year most teammates are on campus and focused on basketball, Louisville women’s player Sydney Brackemyre on Friday left for a city often referred to as the murder capital of the world.

The Ohio native’s home church raised $10,000 to build a worship space in a small town outside of San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and with it the group took hundreds of shoes for children in the impoverished Central America nation.

“My family has just always been about service, and it’s something really important to me,” said Brackemyre, who redshirted her freshman season at U of L after suffering a preseason knee injury. “In high school, I was always so busy and working hard. I never got to go outside the country. So when this came up through my home church…I really just couldn’t turn it down.

“Coach (Jeff) Walz has been amazing letting me go because this is the time everybody is getting better. But he’s letting me go and get off campus, so I’m really grateful for that.”

Brackemyre’s trip will tally nine to 10 days, with a week in Honduras bookended by lengthy travel there. Inspired by her grandfather, who has ministered in South America and Asia, the 6-foot-1 forward said her group from Countryside Church of the Nazarene will construct the first such facility in the area.

“It’s somwhere where they really need a church,” she said. “We want to show them love and compassion — reach out to them and know this church will be available to them.”

Mostly, Brackemyre plans to work with area children, who attend a half day of school and will then open up their days to the Countryside Church group. That’s where the 500 or so pairs of shoes come in. Brackemyre and other ministers will wash kids’ feet and gift what, for some, my be their first pieces of proper footwear.

She also has planned games and activities, one in which the former five-star recruit may get to show off a bit.

“My goal is to do a sort of basketball camp,” Brackemyre said. “We’re going to take a ball and see if there’s a rim or court around there. I’d love to show the kids and teach them. I know resources are slim, but that’s something I’d love to do.”

Brackemyre still has an eye on the upcoming season. She passed a number of clearance tests the last two weeks toward a return to full playing strength back from a torn ACL and meniscus in her left knee.

“My trainers have done a really good job making sure I’m equipped to go and won’t be losing anything while I’m over there,” she said. “When I come back, I should be ready to go.”

Joe is Back From Ireland

Joe made it back from Ireland! They didn’t have any problems on the return trip and from everything I’ve heard so far, it was a good experience.  Joe loves to visit other places.

This picture was (once again) snagged of Facebook and is a photo of the Ireland group.and seemed to really enjoy the Ireland experience.  We’re looking forward to hearing more about it and seeing some pictures of the country.