re:create

Day 5, Wednesday, July 11

     Fatigue set in and we found ourselves short-tempered and slow, still a little disappointed about having to dig 8 postholes instead of 4, unending leveling and planning puzzles.  However, the youth buckled down and pushed through, finishing the 5x5 deck frame.  The inside crew, led by Bobbie Hraba, completed laying the laminate flooring and trim-woohoo!  After lunch the heavens opened and we found ourselves scrambling to collect the tools and pack them into the van.  Gathering on the porch and in the house with our family offered wonderful time to bond in a way we hadn’t had an opportunity to before.  Getting to know the family is as much of our mission as the work on the flooring and ramp.   We left in good spirits, refreshed by the rain and our new friendships.
    This evening we made some new friends at the site from a Methodist Church in Cornwall, NY and played cards until lights out.  
    Oh, did I mention the puppies?!

 

 

Journey

Tomorrow, 6 diocesan youth and 3 adults will be leaving for the mission trip to rural West Virginia.  I am so proud of all the work these young people have done to date:  prayer and devotionals, sales of stocks, phone calls and a multitude of other preparations.  I'm so grateful for how they have all shown how important this kind of work is by choosing to make this mission a priority.  Rather than going on vacation or sleeping in or working for extra cash, they have committed to doing hard, physical labor in a place they have never been, for people they have never met!  (Can you say Evangelism?)
 
We humbly ask for your thoughts and prayers as we share our gifts, talents, time and treasures with others as well as experience another way to be in Christian community.

And, we'll be keeping y'all posted here as we travel!
 
Blessings of peace,

Ellyn Siftar,
Missioner for Youth and Young Adults

High School Mission Trip

Christophany registration opens Friday!

I've been asked several times this past week, " What is Christophany?"  In a nutshell, Christophany is a mini-camp experience for youth in grades 6-12.  But it's also much, much more.  The following is a description that will be available of the new diocesan website which goes live next week:

The Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem’s youth and young adult ministries support a variety of events meant to help foster the spiritual formation of Christians ages 12-30.  Christophany is a three-day retreat in the mountains whose purpose is to bring youth in grades 6-12 closer to Christ.  The word Christophany is derived from “theophany” which is an ancient Greek word meaning “appearance of God”.  Just like Moses in the desert and Jesus at the Transfiguration, we believe that a physical place away from the rest of our lives allows for a unique opportunity to be open to the possibility of being transformed by the appearance of Christ.  Each year we gather in the mountains to experience: the beauty of creation; the company of our peers; quiet moments in the woods; songs around the campfire; games inside and out; worship among the trees; and be open to the Holy Spirit.  In addition, we use this time to focus also on the world in service to others.  Every year the youth council and youth missioner choose a focus for outreach and ministry in the world.  This year we are collecting items that will benefit the parish supported missions such as soup kitchens and food banks.  Hope to see you on the mountain!

Bill Slocumb, Associate Director of Episcopal Camps and Conference Centers writes-

 "Camps are excellent places to not only get back to nature and God’s creation, but to re-align our senses. It is a chance to balance oneself, and to be in an intentional Christian community. Such a time enhances our spiritual life. I hope this encourages you to visit your local church camp soon. Come to “taste and see” how broadening and restorative God’s creation can be." 

The rest of this article can be found here