The End has come, but we want to stay longer...
Do you remember going on summer vacation and your little ones making the statement "Mommie, we want to stay longer!"  Well my friends, there are 22 of us who feel the same way.  We have worked hard and most of our projects were completed, but we see how much more work is needed here and we want to stay and finish.  We know it is a large request, but can you send MONEY...

All kidding aside, we have had a great week.  We have made great friends among ourselves and other groups.  We have worked extremely hard and accomplished a great deal.  We have made a lasting impression on this community as they have on us.  But most importantly, the people that met us I truly felt could feel Christ moving with us.  Our youth have been rebuilt by allowing God to change them from the inside out.  To end our final Chapel last night, we went to the beach and had a prayer service.  By the end I am not sure if there was more salt water in the ocean or at our feet.  It was very moving and I am blessed to have been there to witness this.

Elizabeth "Izzy" Kerr will write our final blog to bring us home.  Continue to pray for and with us.

We miss everyone and should be home Saturday around 2:00p.

Peace,
Amy

Day 4 – Wed, July 28
The Dog Days of Summer have really taken a toll on us.   We were greeted first thing this morning with humidity and high heat.  But after we adjusted to the temperatures, the day progressed beautifully.  We completed Ruth Kerr's landscaping project.  Kerry Kerr's back porch is a work of art and will outlast any hurricane.  Lisa Duff's front entrance is 85% completed - they just need to give it one more coat of paint. Melissa Clodfelter's painting has progressed nicely and due to other obligations, she turned this responsibility over to Kelsey Evans (who prays she will do Ms. Melissa proud).  Rich Tincher's swing set is almost completed and my back porch is getting its steps and will be ready for a backyard barbeque.

We have enjoyed our time working and playing together.  Lunch was great.  We have learned so much about each other and our Father who continues to bless us.  Worship has been great and tonight we were treated to fireworks.  Other than a couple of blisters and splinters, we are healthy, happy and still energized to be Christ's servants.  The youth now have a motto that they want to live by:  We are not on a Mission Trip — we are on a Mission Way of Life.  We invite you to carry this motto with you as well.

Worship One - Serve everyone!

Peace to all,
Amy

Day 3 – Tuesday, July 27
We changed things up today.  We changed our work crews around so kids had the chance to work on different jobs and with different people.  And with some people, change did not come easy, but by the end of the day the work was completed and we all had fun stories to share.  We have made friends with the local bug community.  They have made their homes on our legs and arms!

We miss home, our beds and home-cooking, but our passion and desire to serve God will outweigh our own needs.

Keep us in your prayers as we keep you in ours.

Peace,
Amy

Day 2 - Monday, July 26th
Today was our first day on the jobsite and this year, unlike last, we are working on 4 different projects.  Kerry took a group and worked on a back porch, while Ruth took another group to work on replacing a front porch and landscaping.  Lisa took a group to make a swing set, Melissa took the paint crew to work on a major job, and I took a group to build a deck.  We had a hot but very productive day.  On the way back to camp, Melissa's little Miata had a flat tire (I guess four wheelin' was not a smart idea).  Our automotive woes are continuing from last year.  The evening ended with a massive storm that showed God's strength.  Through it all we feel blessed.

Talk to you tomorrow - Peace,
Amy

Day 1 – Sunday, July 25
We made it!  The drive was great.  We saw “Pedro’s South of the Border” (a rest stop and roadside attraction on Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 301 – 501 concurrency near Dillon, South Carolina, so named because it is just "south of the border" of the U.S. state of North Carolina), did a little four wheelin' (even Melissa’s Miata), and after 4.5 hours we made it to Myrtle Beach.  Beach traffic coming into the beach communities slowed us down for about 30 minutes.  We have already met groups from Pennsylvania, Ohio and North Carolina.  The excitement in our group is very high and we are ready to serve God and his flock in any way we can.

All of us want to thank our family at First Presbyterian for the opportunity to once again go out into the Mission field and be God's messengers.  It gives us such a wonderful feeling that we have your support, love and prayers carrying us through this week.

Peace,
Amy