Spring Break in Houston

Heading back to OC I reflect on this awesome week spent in Houston Texas with five of my fellow classmates. The purpose of the trip was working with the Impact Church of Christ in downtown Houston by reaching out to the church, community, and local children through a VBS. Impact is doing great things in the Houston area and I felt honored to be a small part of their efforts to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the community. This week was made up of many great moments, of which I would like to share a few.

Saturday night my team arrived at the church building where we were to stay along with multiple other spring break college and youth groups. We dropped off luggage and then headed out for dinner. You know you’re not in Kansas anymore (or in our case, Edmond) when you go to a pizza place down the street and the lobby is closed at 8pm and there are bars on the drive through window. After pizza, we came back, got ready for bed, and played card games with the group from SWOSU (South Western Oklahoma State University).

Sunday started bright and early as we went to help with the Impact’s big fundraising yard sale. Yard sale doesn’t really paint a full picture of the size and madness of this event. Rows and rows of items coated a very large outdoor pavilion with every category imaginable. No prices were set for most items so it was fun to bargain with the customers. Also, many of the people spoke little-to-no English so it was super funny when their children would have to bridge the communication gap. At the end of the sale we had crazy sales; one lady walked away from my linen table with 30 blankets for $3. We worked from 10am-7pm sorting, selling, and cleaning up and then ended with a devo and communion service since many of the volunteers missed morning church service. The yard sale raised over $40,000 for Impact which helps keep their VBS programs, food and clothing distribution services, and other community needs alive. We finished the night with amazing Taco’s from a local taco truck. If there ever is a doubt, authentic Mexican is the way to go.

Monday was the first official day of VBS and what a blast it was! We made about 300 bagged lunches for the children, and volunteers and then hauled them over to the education building eagerly waiting for the arrival of the buses with the kids. So many excited (and loud) children, many crazy VBS and camp songs, crafts, snacks, games, and so much more. For VBS, everyday we go on a field trip with the children and Mondays activity was to go to the park. We also have a buddy system, which each big buddy being matched up with a little buddy. My little buddy for the day was a very sweet nine year old boy named Stephen.

 Stephen and I hung out at the park and played soccer and freeze tag.  For me it was interesting because I didn’t know what was going on, or where I should be half the time, but the kids had fun and that’s all that matters. That evening all of the volunteer groups went out to Liberty Island (a home for the mentally handicapped) and had the opportunity to lead a short devo and converse with the individuals at the home.

On Tuesday, the VBS excitement continued. I was with the Orange group and let me tell you, those were some of the sweetest/ obnoxious kids ever! One thing is for certain, they always kept life interesting. After lunch, we all loaded up and went to a local petting zoo called Old Mcdonald’s Farm. My little buddy for the farm was Ruby, a loud and very exuberant little nine year old girl with a big personality.

 We fed chickens, petted the pigs, held the rabbits, rode ponies and oohed and awed at the adorable baby goats. One thing I noticed about Miss Ruby was that she desperately craved attention: on occasion to the point of acting out. As I chatted with her on the bus (between the random snapchat photoshoot)

I found out more about her family and home life and the way she acted started to make more sense. Riding on bus routes throughout the week gave me the opportunity to meet many of the children and also see a bit of their norm in their neighborhoods. Many of the children live in small homes with 10 people or more. It is very common for them to stay home alone as both of their parents are at work or out doing other things. When picking the kids up, it’s surprising how many kids come out to the van without a parent in sight. Lots of the time, the kids woke themselves up and got ready all on their own. Even if the parents are there it doesn’t seem to bother when their kids are picked up and dropped off by strangers. Finished the night with a meal at Casey's (Impact intern and OC student) house and great fellowship.

Wednesday began another great day of VBS spent with the orange group. For our field trip, we went rollerskating and wow what an adventure that was! My little buddy for the day was Omar, a kindhearted and mature 8-year old boy. He always greeted me with hugs and corny humor. Neither of us knew how to skate but somehow we managed not to fall.

Wednesday evening our group was asked last minute if we would like to go to an assisted living center and do a devo. There was some conflict around this proposal because it was so last minute and a lot of us were exhausted from the days activities. Also, none of the other groups could make it so it would just be our small group of five. I talked with a man named Roger about every thing from fishing to steel construction. Even though we had virtually nothing in common, I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation.I also talked with a man name John about motorcycles and he gave this beautiful cross charm that he handcrafted from a clothes hanger.

 The sentiment really touched my heart and I left feeling very encouraged. Perhaps our group gained more encouragement and wisdom from these special people than they did from us.

Thursday morning my allergies were really acting up, and I knew I didn't have the energy and excitement to work with the children even though I really wanted to. Instead, I went to help with the distribution center which gives away clothing and food to the community. After a short morning of loading and stacking boxes and organizing linens I rejoined the rest of the crew at VBS. It was quite sad to say goodbye to many of my favorite children who I had gotten to know this past week. Thursday night we decided to become typical tourists and explore downtown Houston.

First we explored the underground tunnels thinking it was a really cool shopping mall, but in reality it was just a few small shops for the high rise buildings above. That was a let down, except I really enjoyed looking at the luxury finishes and interesting design used so it wasn't a total waste for me. We ate supper at a local pizza place and then arrived at the Bayou Bat bridge at sunset just in time to watch the thousands of bats come out in swarms. You can't really tell from this picture, but all those black blurs are bats and every night they come out of the crevices of this bridge in swarms. It really is a very intriguing natural event that occurs, and is cool to see in person.

Thursday night we made it back before all the other groups so we just chilled and played games together as a team. It was a very relaxing way to end the week.

Friday morning we packed up and left early in the morning. There were a few hiccups on the way back but nothing too serious. This past week has been a whirlwind of emotion: excitement, frustration, exhaustion, joy, etc. and it’s interesting to see how God works in all situations. I am so grateful to bond with my team, (2 of which I will be going to Ukraine with) love on kids who don't always get that from their home life, and serve God through working with the inner city mission in Houston. Spring Break 2016 was incredible! 
Until Next Time, 
K.L.E