Canton Nazarene

Saturday morning we landed in Phoenix and continued on our journey to Tucson. Orientation was at three where we met Pastor Rob and the PPM Staff. After a long day of travel we are going to bed early and getting ready for a fantastic day of church tomorrow.

This Sunday morning we enjoyed a morning service with Pastor Rob and his church. After service we ventured to San Xavier Mission to explore and learn more about the local culture. It was very hot but don't worry mom we are drinking a lot of water! After that, we returned to the church where we attended the evening service and shared a few testimonies. When service was over we all loaded up in the van to go enjoy some great pizza where a few of our boys competed in a pizza eating contest with Pastor Rob's son. While we were in town, we walked the streets praying for the poeple, homes, and shops. It was a great day!

This morning we woke up bright and early to help out at Caring Ministries. Caring Ministries is a food distribution center that supports churches by supplying those in need. We supported them today by picking up food, unloading trucks, moving boxes, sorting food, loading trucks, and delivering meals.We also got to enjoy spending time with the regular volunteers by talking an eating fresh fruit! The group is excited to work with them again on Thursday!

Our first night of VBS was a success! We had a great turnout and the team was in full fun mode! they started the night with a full group worship time, where they sang, danced, and learned the memory verse for the week! then the kids got to compete in an amazing obstacle coarse the team set up for them. After that, the group went and heard a bible story, saw a magic show, and made a fun craft. We got to hang out with and show love to kids tonight who had never attended church before. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!

This Tuesday morning, we started out the day by going and hiking at Gates Pass. We took some time to spend some alone time with God and marvel at his beautiful creation. A few of us even ventured to one of the highest spots in the area to get the best view of the mountains and desert.We also enjoyed a nice lunch in the shadow of thee rocks.

The wonderful world of VBS has continued! On day one the kids were told that if they brought enough friends, they would get to choose a leader to pie in the face! The kids responded by doubling the numbers by day two! The kids enjoyed sack races, fun crafts, an exciting bible story and a magic show! The team was full of energy and ready to take the night to the next level! Who will be pied?

This Wednesday, we got to go up to Oracle and spend most of the day there. We started out by visiting Pastor Ray's church and helping him with a few projects like; breaking down boxes, cleaning blinds, painting his office, and organizing rooms. When we finished there and ate a delicious pasta lunch made by a member of the church, we went to a nursing home and sang to some of the women there.After visiting with them, we got to go and tour the Biosphere 2 and experience the rain forest and ocean right in the middle of the desert! our day was filled with big smiles and magical views!

Our team is carrying on very strong with an upbeat and fun VBS! They are doing a great job of keeping things exciting. They stepped things up tonight by getting a little messy! Between making slime for their craft and explosions in the magic show the kids are covered in goo!The team is doing a great job of being intentional with their time with these kids. Their conversations are nothing but encouraging and the kids are soaking up every bit. The Canton team are rock stars!

We started off our last day on mission by serving at Caring Ministries. If we thought it was hard work last time, we were proven wrong today! The team unloaded and loaded semi trucks full of bread and other foods that will be distributed to churches through out the area, including churches in Mexico. There was a lot of heavy lifting so the team will be sleeping well tonight!

We finished our week of VBS with a bang! There were jumping castles, parachute games, games that involved whip cream, spaghetti noodle crafts, pies in the face, and lots of energy. We also got to celebrate nine kids who accepted Jesus into their hearts! There were memories and moments created tonight that will never be forgotten.