ETA (for parents!)

In case any of you parents were wondering, we hope to leave by 7 am tomorrow morning, which would put us back at the church at 5 pm.  If anything changes, we will let you know by text or phone call.  Please pray for us drivers as we have not had much sleep all week and it could be a challenge!

Thanks!

Brett

Friday Night!

Hello, it's Sarah, again... anyway, tonight was fantastic! We did this presentation that I can't talk about because we're going to show our church when we get back, so yeah. Each church made a presentation and everyone said ours was the most fun.  I'm gonna have to make this short because we're about to clean the bathroom. Speaking of which, I cleaned a rock in the bathroom today, that was fun. Soooooooooooo this, again, is about the time where I have nothing else to say and I'm gonna go help clean the bathroom because I'm cool like that 😎. BYEEEEEEEE!!!              


P.S. I have enough energy to be a spider monkey!

Before and After!

We Built a Wall!

Friday!

Hello it is Gillian. It is Friday and I can't believe we are leaving tomorrow!! Today went really well. We woke up and went to VBS for the last time. We played games, made bracelets, sang and taught the lesson through a skit. It was fun, and I think we really taught the kids some things, and honestly probably learned things ourselves. After that we went shopping at some of the stores that have souvenirs and stuff. We came home and super quickly changed to get ready for working on the steps. We got there and got started immediately. Everyone had a job and helped in various places. Yesterday, me and Brett started this retaining wall, and finished it today. I'm really proud of it for some reason. Everyone else finished the steps and filling them in with gravel, although there are so many parts and jobs going in to each thing. We finished everything just as a storm started, and it looks amazing!!! I'm so proud of all of us. We rode home and cleaned up then came to dinner--hot dogs and hamburgers. It was good, I had a hot dog. We are playing nine square right now although I can't because I'm writing hahah. Anyways, tonight we are presenting something to everyone else here to explain and share about our week. It should be really fun and cool!! alright peace out!! 

MINGO FALLS!

Thursday Afternoon and Night

Wassup y'allll!! Today was pretty good. We got done a good portion of the stairs we are building at the house.  We have about six or seven steps to build and then we have to fill them with gravel.  We are hoping we can finish by tomorrow night. Now at the end of the day, we went to see a really cool waterfall that looked like is it was close to 100ft high. After that we were going to go to a park where there was going to be Elk that we could see but Pastor Brett couldn't find the location on GPS so we just went straight to ice cream after that. The ice cream was AMAZING!!! I got the ice cream flavor Blue Monster which was vanilla ice cream that was dyed blue and also had cookie dough pieces and cookies and creme bits in it. The first bite I took of the ice cream and my mouth was completely dyed blue. After that we just went home and went to clean bathrooms and play solitaire. Thats all y'all.

--Jack

Thursday Morning!

Hey y'all! It's Claire! Today has been so fun. We've all officially hit the mid-trip wall but are having tons of fun still. This morning we headed out once again to VBS. We had to change quite a few of the parts in the skit due to Vicki, Brayden, and Kellen all going with Norm to work on one the stairs project. Other than that small hiccup in the plan, all went well. The game choices for the day were Sharks And Minnows as well as kickball. After our time playing the games and doing crafts we did music and our skit (which all went well). We then ended by splitting into small groups for conversation, having some free time, and singing Moana songs. After VBS we stopped at a gas station to get drinks and then headed to lunch. So far today has been filled with lots of fun and people being crazy. Now it's time to see what the rest of the day brings! Bye!

Whitewater Rafting!

Wednesday!

This blog entry is going to be short because we are heading downtown to watch the historical Cherokee drama "Unto These Hills." Our whole group went to continue building the steps and moving gravel and pavers in the morning because the Paintown Rec Center kids had an outing already planned.  The steps that we are building are very meaningful to our homeowner for a couple of reasons.  It's the only way she can get to her daughter's house which is above her on the mountain, unless she walks a couple of long driveways.  The other reason is that the old stairway (which was unusable due to time) was built by her son-in-law many years ago, but he was killed in a car accident soon after.  So, we are using some of the wood, and all the pavers, from his stairway, which is very touching to her.

This afternoon, we went whitewater rafting on the Nantahala River.  The kids are doing great and we are having a lot of fun!

Brett

We Saw an Elk!

Tuesday Night!

So after we had dinner, (which was pretty good) we went out to a river to swim. When we got out there was a two foot slide. It was not steep but there was a very strong current, and it was hard to stand up but it was fun. After the slide was a few rocks. Then we went over to another area and it was much deeper than the first area and the current was a little faster but not much. Then we got out and went through a bamboo forest. It was really fun because it felt like a scene from a movie. Brett and Brayden said it was like you were in the Hobbit. Then we played fetch the stick or flip-flop--there was two games going on at once. Then after that some people chased ducks and then we had to leave. We got in the car and on our way back we saw two elk with antlers. The first elk we saw had smaller antlers but they were still pretty big. The second elk had HUGE antlers. It looked at one of the cars and Jack screamed so much like a girl we thought it was one of the girls, but no, it was Jack. Then we eventually got back and that was our night.

--Kellen

Tuesday!

Hi people with no life other than to read this blog. Alex here, blogging about today. Today we went to VBS as usual. We played ultimate football and it was pretty fun. We also taught them a bible lesson and did a craft. After VBS, we went back and started our other jobs. Some went to keep building the stairs, and the others went to clean up a big tree that had fallen on the car of one of the Cherokee missionaries last night. It was a lot of fun hauling the logs to the pile from the tree. We were throwing the small logs into the pile by "Yeeting" them. If you yeeted it too far, you "Yoinked"(yeet over) it. If you yeeted it too short then you "Yunked"(yeet under) it. The stair people meanwhile were building more stairs and digging out the hill to place them. I am sitting in the car right now writing this as an excuse to be in an air-conditioned car. We are going swimming tonight in the river and it is going to be a lot of fun. Well, signing off for now, see you later.

Monday Afternoon!

Hey hey hey it is Gillian!! It is currently 6:33 pm and we are just finishing up dinner. After VBS at Paint Town gym we ate lunch, it was pretty good. Then we all got ready to go to our worksites. I was with Jack and Alex (who are now my brothers sorry Cam and Alec). We went with Mr. Hansen and a missionary from the project named Phil to our work site which was a sweet lady's house that connects to her daughter's house. There are stairs on a hill leading to the house that were old and crusty. We began removing the old pavers and basically just did all the prep work like cutting wood and leveling out the ground. We got started on the steps but will finish over the next couple of days as well as getting rid of all the poison ivy and other overgrowth. Emma, Brayden, Kellen and Brett joined us after finishing up at their worksite. They were at the church we attended on Sunday removing the steeple and reshingling. They are getting the replacement steeple in 6 weeks so that's why they didn't replace it. Claire, Barb, Vicki and Sarah were back at camp painting the inside of a new cabin. We all did super well in our jobs and had an amazing time growing in our faith today!! Peace out because its downpouring and Brett doesn't want his computer to get wet lolz. 

MORNING WORSHIP!

Monday Morning!

Today we started off by going to VBS after eating breakfast. Getting there we set up and got ready for the 25- 35 kids we were expecting. In sports we played black hole soccer then switched to just regular soccer. After getting ready we did crafts, which was a 3D Earth to teach that God created the Earth. The theme for today was creation and how we were all special and original. After sports and crafts came the songs, which at first was a little awkward and lifeless, but became more lively when they got to certain songs. After songs we got ready for the skit. The skit taught the kids how each and everyone of us were made special and unique by God. The best part of the first day of VBS was participating with the kids and being able to teach and hang out with them.  

Emma

Sunday afternoon and night

Hello, I'm Sarah. Today was fun. This afternoon we worked on VBS stuff, like practicing for the first skit, and getting our schedule. I'm a baby in the skit, by the way. We also talked about working on houses. Tomorrow, we're going to start both of those, but we'll talk about that tomorrow. Brett just started to film me blog, that was uncomfortable. Anyway, I'm going to paint something tomorrow, I don't know what I'm painting. Back on track, we did our night sermon. The sermon was about how God brought us to Cherokee for a reason, and that we are missionaries, and missionaries are family, like your mom. Also, Gillian and I helped lead the singing. This is about the time where I have nothing else to say and I'm just gonna leave you and go play cards with my friends, because I'm cool that way. BYEEEEEEEEEEEEE! 😃

Sunday Morning!

Today we went to one of the churches on the reservation.  It was not a very large congregation, but many of those who were there were Cherokee, and they were all very friendly.  There were several special needs people there, and there was even a girl with Down's Syndrome singing in the choir.  The choir also sang a song in the Cherokee language.  Their pastor might have preached even longer than Pastor David.  This is also the church that we are be going to be removing the steeple and shingling.

Brayden