Leawood UMC Mission Trip 2023

  How we want to think we feel   How we really feel!  We have safely returned to Leawood.  Each mission trip brings new challenges, new opportunities, new team members, and new friends.  Below are some final thoughts about the week.  (Any typos are mine - Barbara) When I left the house I’d painted, I believed even though I would not be present there, God saw the labor I did and the time I spent there, and they would remain in God’s heart, and someone to live there would feel God’s love and grace. Thank you, God. - Jinhee My week was good.  I had a great time playing Speed and singing to the music with the other kids.  Although the work was hard and demanding, it was enjoyable.  Thanks to the amazing adults who encouraged and entertained us either through magic or giving us a task both on or off the job site.  - Caleb I really enjoyed getting to use the nail gun to put up the ceiling.  Working with the dirt was super exhausti...

Today was Thursday. It was our last day of work at ECHO Village.   Breakfast, made by the wonderful group of Rob, Anna, David, and Barbara, consisted of 35, not 36, fresh eggs from Suzie’s girls.   They were very good and were a very bright yellow.   After breakfast, we headed to ECHO Village to continue the war against the dirt.   Despite the hot and humid day, the dirt lost the battle.   It was spread evenly and grass seed was scattered, straw was spread, watering commenced.   The flower bed was planted – sunflowers, roses, and other flowering plants – some of them were purple.   Some of the group worked on the flower bed by House G – it is weed free (until tomorrow when new weeds sprout), new plants were planted, and mulch applied.   Work continued on Veterans House – it is looking good and will soon be ready for the new resident.   We are happy to report that Anna learned how to operate a circular saw as boards were cut to install a d...

  We started our day with breakfast as usual, but dreadfully early… for some of us.   Lots of eggs were eaten. 26 today! It started out as 18 on Monday then 24 on Tuesday and finally 26 today! How many do you think we will eat tomorrow? After that we packed our lunches and chips. And off to work we went, hi-ho, hi-ho, its off to work we go! Once we got there, we got our instructions and swiftly went to work. Today we moved dirt, lots and lots of dirt. While we were doing this, we sang sea chanties, Christmas carols, and the one song the dwarves sang in Snow White (as referenced earlier). Many pictures of our work were posted on the ECHO Village Facebook page. Surprisingly, this caused free popsicles and brownies! Brought by Laura, or as Suzie called her “Saint Laura.” In addition to moving dirt, we cleaned gross bathrooms that had drywall mess and dirt. We are also hoping to finish the flower bed tomorrow and plant some flowers. Which means more dirt moving! The veteran’...