Our Night at the Mission

Click here to see the Ripon SERVE pictures.

We are back home safe and sound tonight after a wonderful night at the Mission. Today was our second day of work, and everyone had another great day on the work sites. The small groups are beginning to bond together and that makes for greater experiences on the work sites. Our projects are in full swing, and the groups are beginning to see the progress they are making at the sites. They are also witnessing the change they are making in people’s lives.

Tonight we had the amazing opportunity of having our worship and small group time at the Mission. Our worship time was filled with singing and testimonies from some of residents at the Mission. What an experience to hear how God has worked in the lives of people! After the service, the small groups met through out the various parts of the Missions. Within a few minutes, some of the children from the Mission discovered how many willing people were around for playing. The sounds of singing, laughing and screams of joy filled the courtyard of the Mission. You can see some of the fellowship that occurred in the pictures. What a wonderful scene to end our day with!

Now as sleep is near, thoughts of the beach are bouncing around in everyone’s head. The group will be heading to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk tomorrow for the day away. They will have the opportunity to hit the beach or browse the boardwalk. If you would like to know more about the boardwalk, here’s the link to their website: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. It will be a great day of fun, sun and relaxation! Have a great night!

Read Full Post »

Day Three put to bed…

Day Three is drawing to a close here tonight. Everyone had a great day working at their work sites. Dirty clothes and a few blisters showed that the teams worked hard today. Additional photos from today have been posted as well. After dinner, the worship band led us in worship and Matt brought the Word to us tonight. Small groups met to close out the day to talk and share stories.

Many “Love God Love All” bracelets made their way from team members’ arms to the arms of strangers. We shared stories tonight of the experience of talking to someone and sharing a story and a bracelet with them. No doubt, more stories are to come this week as the bags and bags of bracelets are given away.

Finally, we have setup an email address, riponserve@gmail.com, so that you can email the students and leaders here in California. Feel free to drop a line to say hello or offer some encouraging words. Please be sure to put the name of the person or group you are writing to in the Subject line of the email. We will check for messages many times during the day, so please feel free to write!!

Read Full Post »

The Road Crews Begin…

Can you guess who??

Originally uploaded by Ripon SERVE.

Day 3 began bright and early with breakfast and devotions. After which, the “road crews” set out to their various work sites. The team is divided into road crews, named after various famous streets in San Francisco. These road crews also serve as the small groups during the evenings.

It was another hot day here in the Central Valley, although a nice breeze was a welcomed relief today! From painting, roofing and concrete work to fence repair and landscaping, the road crews spent their day hard at work.

Feel free to check out the pictures!!

Read Full Post »