Mission Arlington

Last year Sheridan, Richard and I missed the Spring Break trip to Arlington because my Broken Arrow event was the following week, and Richard had missed too much work training for his new job. It was hard not being with our kids and serving in a place we love to serve.

This year Sheridan and I headed off with the girls. Ryan went with the high school choir on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to NYC and Richard had work on both weekends around the week. He surprised Erin on Wednesday for her birthday in Arlington. Had an interview in Irving on Thursday morning, and then hung out with us until Friday when Sheridan and I rode home with him. It was a great week. I loved the mix of college kids and jr high and high school students. We also stayed at a new location which was a fresh look for us all. One of Sheridan's friends came with her mom too and it was especially fun for the two 8 year olds to hang out with all the older kids and help in the apartment complexes with the families we were serving as well.

 Erin getting a Spanish lesson from our new friend Brittany.

Making sandwiches each morning...part of what makes the week glamorous.

Spring Break at Mission Arlington

I never think I want to go to Mission Arlington. It's not the mission, I love the mission. I just can't think about sleeping on the floor for 4 nights and using a community bathroom and showers and get excited. I always am glad when I get there.

Comfort is not in the Bible anywhere, serving is.

The first time we took our big kids was 2000. Erin turned 3 the day we were leaving. This is our third year going with our kids actually in the student group.


Sheridan plows along with everything, eating sack lunches, moving food from storage to pantry, cleaning at apartment complexes, inviting kids to Bible clubs, singing and playing at the backyard Bible clubs...she's there!


Here's Lauren...we were down in a basement sorting about 45 boxes of food for pantry and storage...found something we all liked and took a little pic!


This was Erin's first year as an actual "youth" and she led music at our apartment complex each day. The kids loved her because she acts just like them. It was precious for me to watch her in this setting.


One day we moved furniture for a family from one apartment to another. The man was in a wheelchair and they didn't have any transportation. We showed up, lifted and loaded and in about an hour they were moved.

Mary, the wife, looked a little shaken when our 20 students were finished. As I was leaving I asked her if her tears were happy ones or overwhelmed ones. She said both, and then added, "We didn't know how we were going to get over here." We prayed together before I left.

We were the ones who were blessed.

The right things

There are moments weekly when I question if my parenting is glorifying God in any way! There are so many opportunities I have missed! There are so many areas I have been lazy! There are so many times I'm not as consistent as I should be. I've let the world in our home so much lately and we needed the week away during Spring Break to get us all focused on what is right.

Last week while at Mission Arlington Sheridan and I had a lot of Mom/Sheridan time. One evening I told her we were just going to read our Bible in our room because the big kids were cleaning up from the day (mostly running around and being loud) and we needed to start settling down so we could go to sleep as soon as it was quiet.

That was the beginning of a week of reading! She picked up her Bible every morning and evening and wanted to keep reading and finding passages that she had learned in AWANA! Oh, for the sweet moments when what is real and true and pure is right.

Mission Arlington 09

This is our second year to take our entire family on a mission trip over Spring Break. Mission Arlington is such a wonderful chaotic place that is reaching out to many, many families in the city with the love of Jesus. As a Spring Breaker there any day might include teaching Backyard Bible Clubs, moving 1000 cans of corn to the food pantry, handing out free items at an apartment complex, picking up trash at a complex, sorting through donated items, keeping children whose parents are shopping. One day this year I even parked cars for a funeral!


Ryan leads singing here at Rainbow Express Bible Club meeting. His silly rendition of "Father Abraham" had the entire group up on their feet and laughing.




Lauren taught the Bible Story on this day with her group.





Puppets...low tech but big effect.

More moments from Arlington

I love this! Lauren is playing basketball with the kids. She loves this game and she can hang with the boys! Later she talks to one about Christ and he prays to receive Jesus into his life!

May Lauren never forget the feeling of doing God's work and leading someone into His presence!
Ryan is a kid magnet! He always has been and I'm even thinking being the oldest has given him an appreciation of sorts for little ones. He's not afraid to get dirty lovin' on them and I even heard he let some of them try out his crutches by lowering them. He doesn't know I know that...but I'm really tickled that he thought of it!This is a Spring Break trip that there are no perks to. You pay around $70 to go sleep on a concrete floor, share a bathroom with other teens, get up at 6:30 each morning, and ride on a church van several hours both ways. You also are free labor for lifting, sorting, keeping fussy children, doing whatever you are asked to and generally getting dirty.

HOWEVER, the feeling you get when you can love on these children is priceless. When you get a glimpse into their world, their lives, their living conditions...you suddenly have an appreciation for what you have and what is really important. I am so thankful we had the opportunity to go.