Category Archives: Mission Trip

Andy, Art, Candid Portrait, Flowers, Jaxon, Mission Trip, Travel, Vacation, Youth Group

Houston (Vidor) Mission Trip – Day 3

July 2, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

This is my telling of my experience on the Boone First United Methodist Church Youth Group’s Mission Trip to Houston (Vidor). There were 18 people on the mission trip and all of them experienced the mission trip in a completely different way than I did.

Therefore, you should pull your tired bones out of bed on Sunday, July 8 and drag yourself to the basement of the Boone First United Methodist Church (703 Arden Street) between worship services (approximately 10 AM) and listen to the other 17 people give their testimony about the mission trip. I’ll probably run my yap as well. There will also be a video. Also, there will be refreshments.

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The Cowboys had breakfast prep. This means that you have to be in the kitchen by 6:45 to make breakfast for everybody. I like having this chore on Monday because it gets it out of the way early. Although truth is that the only chore I don’t really like is Building Maintenance because it involves cleaning toilets. I have that in common with many of my co-workers and the employees at that Road Ranger in Illinois.

This was my day in pictures:

Kolbe and Jordan cutting lunch supplies. Everybody makes and packs their own lunch. You eat lunch at your work site.

Anna bageling.

Mackenzie, right on time!

The Schoff Boys waiting for breakfast.

The breakfast prep team has to do a little skit to announce what is for breakfast in the morning. We had cereal.

The Heat Waves had breakfast cleanup. Andy and Emily doing dishes.

Andy doing dishes.

Jentry.

Hailey clearing the tubs.

Donovan changing garbage.

Heat Waves cleaning up after everybody had packed their lunch.

Not going to lie, the Cowboys got probably the easiest work assignment. While most groups installed insulation and hung drywall, we puttied, caulked, and painted. Lots of window trim and doors.

Kolbe puttying.

Megan puttying.

Anna painting trim.

Mackenzie and Tiffany painting doors.

Lunch!

Megan and Cousin Kari painting doors.

Kolbe!

Anna!

Jordan and Anna!

It still hadn’t stopped raining!

A masterpiece.

Mackenzie!

Anna knocking out that door.

Jake from Missouri.

Megan!

Pretty flower!

The Cowboys didn’t come to play (okay maybe a little bit)!

More closet action!

Cleaning up for the day!

More cleanup!

Mackenzie was our inventory master!

A hard day’s work.

More hard workers!

A FEMA trailer. The woman who’s house we were working on lives in the FEMA trailer. She is 91 years old. I sent this picture to Flat Earth Joe because he believes that eventually we will all be rounded up into FEMA camps. If recent events are any indication, those FEMA camps will be abandoned Wal-Marts and Toys’r’Uses, but I wanted him to see FEMA at work.

Long shot of clean up.

We took people to Sonic. That meant somebody had to go out in the rain to get the van.

Guess who that was?

Sonic!

This game is called Signs. Megan is really, really bad at it. She was always in the middle.

YouthWorks has a nightly cultural event. This was easily the weakest that we ever had. Monday night’s cultural event was listening to a speaker from Nehemiah’s Vision. She came to the building we were staying at and spoke for about 15 minutes. The bonus was that there was more free time before worship in free time.

Not pictured: Kolbe really likes the song CARAVAN and the boys from the other churches really, really like the song COUNTRY ROADS.

Andy, Art, Basketball, Candid Portrait, Flowers, Jaxon, Mission Trip, Road Trip, Self-Portrait, Shawn Karber, Still Life, Travel, Vacation, Youth Group

Houston (Vidor) Mission Trip – Day 2

July 1, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

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I woke up on the cold hard floor of the Methodist church in Saginaw. I got dressed and prepared myself mentally for the day.

Here are some pictures from the day:

Based on the amount of stores that cater to both, Texans LOVE donuts and pornography. I imagine some probably do both at the same time. I’m not here to judge.

Statue in the church’s beautiful courtyard.

Fountain in the same beautiful courtyard.

Their women’s group made us a delicious breakfast.

A staple of every Methodist diet, egg casserole!

The lady who made us the breakfast did taunt us with a description of dish she described as “too much”: Breakfast Lasagna. Sign me up lady!

Myrtle.

Donovan discussing the courtyard.

Jaxon still thinks it is a thrill to pump gas. I’m not afraid to exploit his youthful enthusiasm.

Gas station breakfast food. Hard pass.

The church televises their worship services into their fellowship area. We get it, you’re good with technology.

Congregating to worship an awesome God!

We went to their acoustic service. It was great music lead by a great musician!

They sit in the front row at our church too…

The lady in the middle was a Pastor at the church. The one on the right was a member of the congregation that recently became a Pastor and was getting assigned to her first church. She gave the sermon. I loved this worship service. There were two things of note that happened. 1 funny and 1 tragic. The funny thins was that they discussed a couple in the church that had gotten married the previous day in “Detroit or Chicago. Some Yankee town.” The tragic thing was a member of their congregation was killed in a car accident on the previous day. He left behind a wife and 2 small children. Happy Father’s Day.

Maci taking Communion

Kolbe taking Communion

Mackenzie taking Communion

Summer taking Communion

Jentry taking Communion

Something else unique about this church was they did the light a candle thing in the corner. This is something I’ve always affiliated with Catholics because I’ve only ever seen it in Catholic churches. Really, mostly in movies. I lit 2 candles.
Shortly after the worship service, we hit the road for Vidor. Another 7 hours or so in the van coming up!

We stopped in a town where a buffet was recommended to us by one of the Saginaw Methodists, but it required a 30 minute wait, so instead we went across the street to a string of fast food restaurants: Jack in a Box, McDonald’s, Dairy Queen, Subway, and Texas Burger. I recall an unsavory taco experience at a Kansas City Jack in the Box on another mission trip with Shawn Karber. So Jack in the Box was a hard pass for me.

I went to Texas Burger because I might never get a chance in my life to try Nolan Ryan’s Texas Beef Steak Fingers.

They taste kind of you how you imagine.

The next stop was Buc-ee’s in Madisonville, I’ve always been a big fan of Buc-ee’s. At least since Carla, Mom, Alexis, and I stopped at one on our way to see Elainie graduate in San Antonio.

If you’ve never been to a Buc-ee’s, it is the single greatest gas station chain in the world. It is the exact opposite of that Road Ranger in Illinois.

I wanted to buy a Buc-ee’s hat to make it my official Mission Trip Hat, but none of them were my flavor.

The last 2-3 hours we drove through some major rain. But when we got to Vidor: BASKETBALL!

On Sunday night we worshiped and we prepared for the next 4 days of hard work.

Worship!

After the worship service I found out I was part of The Cowboys. At YouthWorks they split you up into several teams. You work with that team the rest of the week on chores and at your work sites.

The Cowboys consisted of:

Humble Narrator
Tiffany
Kari – from Missouri, but really Madrid, but really Boone (who turned out to be my cousin)
Anna
Jordan
Kolbe
Maci
Mackenzie
Megan
Ellie from Missouri
Jake from Missouri

In the next 4 days, the pictures will concentrate heavily on those people because these are the people I spent the majority of my day.

The Cowboys had breakfast prep on Monday, so I had to make an attempt to get to bed early, to rise early. Even though trying to sleep the first two nights of a mission trip is a fool’s folly.

Not pictured:

Kolbe really, really likeS the song CARAVAN.

Andy, Jaxon, Mission Trip, Vacation, Youth Group

Houston (Vidor) Mission Trip – Day 1

June 30, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

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A few things I should clarify before I get into my mission trip experience.

For the 4th straight year, we booked our mission trip with YouthWorks. I have been on 7 youth group mission trips now. YouthWorks is by far the most organized group we have ever been with. They have you organized from 6:45 AM to 11 PM.

We decided to take our Mission Trip to Houston because of Hurricane Harvey. Plus it was farther away than our past mission trips, which appealed to the kids on the trip. A couple of them badly want to go on a mission trip to a foreign country. Texas is kind of like another country. So close enough.

This is the first year that YouthWorks offered mission trips to Houston, so it was a learning experience for them as well. When they got back to us about some of the details of the mission trip, they originally stated that we actually would be going to Beaumont, which is about an hour east of Houston. Then a few weeks before we left; Beaumont became Vidor. To this date, nobody I know knows how to pronounce Vidor.

Vidor is just east of Beaumont. If you do any research on Vidor, you will find out it is considered one of the most racist towns in America. It was a Sundown Town. Meaning at one time, white people were the only people that were legally allowed to be outside after the sun went down.

Vidor is allegedly not as racist as it once was, but I only saw one black person my entire time there. He didn’t live in Vidor.

Now that you have some context, let’s discuss Day 1 of the Mission Trip.

We gathered at the church about 7 AM. We took the obligatory group photo:

First without Autumn

Then with Autumn. (Can you find her?)

We prayed and then hit the road. 2 big white vans and the Sharps in their own vehicle taking a separate route.

Houston is about 15 hours in the car, without stops, so we planned on stopping for the night in Saginaw, Texas at a Methodist Church to stay the night. It was going to be a long day in the car.

Some highlights:

We stopped somewhere in Kansas at a McDonald’s for lunch. The first time I’ve eaten McDonald’s since January 15, 2006.

Selfie with my van. Tiffany was driving. Maci, Mackenzie, Kolbe, Megan, Anna, and Jordan in Yogi Bear’s van.

Shortly across the Oklahoma border we stopped for gas.

It was a gas station/casino. It had the grossest bathroom I’ve been in since a Road Ranger in Illinois that still haunts my dreams.

We tried to stop in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma for supper, but the whole town lost power, so we went to the next town.

We stopped at this super sketch A&W in a gas station. It only had 2 employees.

They weren’t real happy to see 15 customers come in at once. But they managed to serve us.

But behind the sketchy gas station: Goats!

Kolbe & Jordan enjoying the goats.

I think Kolbe might have his own goats at home.

Megan, Jordan, and Kolbe

Goats!

Jordan’s Selfie Game is Strong

Very strong!

Goats!

One of the goals of the trip was to make it to Texas by sunset so we could take pictures with this. It threw me off how short the days in Texas are.

Mission Trip Kids

Plus Adults

MacKenzie, Anna, Jordan, Kolbe, and Anna

Summer and Jentry

Jordan

Megan and Kolbe (who are significant others, but for some reason wanted to tell the YouthWorks kids that they were twins).

Emily and Hailey

Mackenzie and Megan

More Megan and Mackenzie

Megan, Mackenzie, and Kolbe

Tiffany

Maci and Mackenzie

Maci, Mackenzie, and Tiffany

Emily, Jentry, and Hailey

Jaxon and Jentry

Jaxon, Jentry, and Alan

Summer, Jaxon, and Jentry

We got to the church in Saginaw about 9:30 PM. Staying there was quite an experience.

We met Dale there. He showed up wearing all Oklahoma gear, which I thought was awesome considering we were in Texas. Turned out that he played for Oklahoma. He played for Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl against Joe Namath’s Alabama team.

I was impressed with the church’s commitment to technology. They had audio visual inputs all over the place. They had a computer kiosk where you could make your offering. The checked people into their Sunday School with scan cards.

The Baptist Church we were staying at in Vidor had cots, so we made a calculation that we didn’t need to bring air mattresses for one night in Saginaw. This was a slight miscalculation. This church had the hardest concrete floor covered with the thinnest carpet in the world. It was a hard sleep, but the people at the church more than made up for the experience.

We went to bed and called it a successful Day 1.

Not pictured: Kolbe’s infatuation with the song CONVOY, which he mistakenly thought was from the movie SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT. Kids.

Andy, Candid Portrait, Contests, Michelle, Mission Trip, Pastor Sarah, Photoshop, Vacation, WPC - Alternate, WPC - Reminder, Youth Group

Some of this Brain is Off Limits; I’m Off in a World that You Don’t Get; ‘Cause You Ain’t Ever Been In It!

June 29, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

Reminder, you have until next Tuesday at midnight to vote on what pictures I enter at the Boone County Fair Photo Contest. Click on the link below to vote:

BOONE COUNTY FAIR PHOTO CONTEST ENTRY SELECTION

You must have a Facebook account or a Google+ account to vote. You vote by leaving a comment on a photo.

As of this writing, only 7 pictures have received votes. Thank you Sarah Karber and Michelle Haupt!

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A reminder that this week’s WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is BLACK:

A BLACK photo is a photo of anything that is BLACK. Remember that there is multiple definitions for the word BLACK.

Happy photo harvesting!

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The world wasn’t ready for these FACELESS PORTRAIT pictures on Monday. I’m not sure that the world is ready for them now, but I can’t hold them back any longer:

All of these pictures were taken with my trusty Pixel 2 on my recent mission trip to Houston (actually Vidor). There will be much more on the mission trip starting tomorrow. So buckle up!

You’re welcome world!

Animals, Candid Portrait, Contests, Mission Trip, Self-Portrait, Vacation, WPC - Alternate, Youth Group

My Life Is A Mess, Better Watch Your Step When You Step In It!

June 27, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

The world wasn’t ready for these SELF-PORTRAIT pictures last Monday, mostly because I was in Vidor, Texas. The world also wasn’t ready for them this Monday.

I’m not sure the world is ready for them now, but I can’t hold them back any longer:

You’re welcome world!

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Reminder, you have until next Tuesday at midnight to vote on what pictures I enter at the Boone County Fair Photo Contest. Click on the link below to vote:

BOONE COUNTY FAIR PHOTO CONTEST ENTRY SELECTION

You must have a Facebook account or a Google+ account to vote.

Andy, Angie, Candid Portrait, Cathie, Kim, Linda, Mission Trip, Photoshop, Road Trip, Self-Portrait, Tamara, WPC - Submissions, Youth Group

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 144 & WEEK 145

June 25, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 3 Comments

It was a great and trans-formative trip, but it is good to be back in the Cyclone State!

Here are the submission for SELF-PORTRAIT:

ANGIE DEWAARD

CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT

CATHIE RALEY

TAMARA PETERSON

LINDA BENNETT

Here are the submissions for FACELESS PORTRAIT:

Andy Sharp

Kim Barker

Shannon Bardole-Foley

Christopher D. Bennett

Andy Sharp

Tamara Peterson

But enough dwelling on the past. Time to look to the future. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future! This week’s theme:

BLACK!

BLACK! What a great theme! What is a BLACK picture? A BLACK picture is a picture of anything that is BLACK. Of course, there is more than one definition of BLACK. I look forward to your interpretations!

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

1. The picture has to be taken the week of the theme. This isn’t a curate your pictures challenge. This is a get your butt off the couch (my personal experience) and put your camera in your hands challenge. Don’t send me a picture of you next to the Eiffel Tower, when I know you were in Iowa all week. I will point out that I have let that slide some in the past. I will not in the future. Since it is literally about the only rule.

2. Your submission needs to be emailed to bennett@photography139.com by 11 AM on the Monday of the challenge due date. It should be pointed out that this blog auto-publishes at 12:01 on Mondays. So it wouldn’t hurt to get your picture in earlier.

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

Nobody showed class, taste, and sophistication this week by signing up for a Photography 139 email subscription. I’ll try and do better next week.

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That’s all I got for today, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will commune right here again next Monday. Hopefully it will be a very black Monday.

Andy, Black & White, Candid Portrait, Flat Earth Joe, Jesse, Jorge, Mission Trip, Photoshop, Self-Portrait, Work, WPC - Alternate, WPC - Reminder, Youth Group

And What You Gon’ Be When You Grow up Chris? I Doubt They Will Get It!

June 15, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

Those of you that know me well or are paying attention to this here blog know that tomorrow at 7 AM I hit the road for a Mission Trip to Houston. We will leave Saturday morning. Stay a night at a church near Fort Worth on Saturday night and then carry on to a town near Houston on Sunday.

We will work it to the bone for 4 days and then start the return trip home on Friday morning. We will spend Friday night in a Tulsa hotel and then be home at some point on Saturday.

Last Year’s Mission Trip Group

If you wish to follow along and see sporadic updates of our adventures in Houston, the best path is to follow us on Instagram:

@boonefumcyg

If you are too old for Instagram, then you will have to wait for my inevitable blogs.

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Here is your reminder that this week’s theme for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE is SELF-PORTRAIT.

A SELF-PORTRAIT is a picture where the photographer is also the subject.

But don’t be afraid to be creative. Take a picture of yourself in a reflection that morphs your appearance. Take a picture of something that defines you. Take a picture of something that reflects your influence in the world.

Or take a picture of yourself in the gym mirror. It is all good.

SELF-PORTRAIT

Happy photo harvesting!

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The world wasn’t ready for these WORK pictures on Monday. The world might not be ready for them now, but I can’t hold them back any longer:

You’re welcome world!!

Alisa, Andy, Jaxon, Mission Trip, Pastor Sarah, Travel, Youth Group

The Only Thing I Fear is the IRS and God

September 27, 2017 Christopher D. Bennett

Looking for a chance to give to a good cause and eat completely edible food? Then do I have an opportunity for you!

Next Wednesday (October 4, 2017) the Boone First United Methodist Church Youth Group will be having a fundraiser to help pay for their mission trip to a yet to be determined location!

Just come out to the Boone Pizza Ranch between 5-8 and bring one of the slips below:

For every one of these we get turned in, we will get $2 towards our Mission Trip. Plus, there will be tip jars all around the Pizza Ranch where you can give a donation to help the cause.

What would you be helping to support? Take a look at the pictures below from past mission trips:

So please come out to Pizza Ranch next Wednesday and help support great kids doing great work!

Boone FUMC, Flat Earth Joe, Gretchen, Micky, Mission Trip, Nader, Naima, Nature, Pastor Sarah, Road Trip, Self-Portrait, Self-Portrait Project, Shawn Karber, Travel, Youth Group

Selfie Project – June

August 4, 2017 Christopher D. Bennett

Here we are in August and I haven’t checked back into THE SELFIE PROJECT for the month of June. Here are some of favorites from June:

June 2

June 5

June 8

June 9

June 10

June 11

June 13

June 15

June 16

June 17

June 18

June 20

June 23

June 24

June 25

June 26

June 27

June 28

June 29

June 30

One side effect of THE SELFIE PROJECT I wasn’t expecting is that there are times when I think that might life is boring and I don’t do all that much. Then I look back at these pictures and I can see that I DO get out of the office or off the couch every now and again.

If you want to see all THE SELFIE PROJECT images, you can go here:

SELFIE PROJECT – 2017

And of course, you can stay current on THE SELFIE PROJECT by following me on the Instagram:

@christopherdbennett

I hope my July ended up being as good/great as my June!

Mission Trip, Travel, Vacation, Youth Group

Saint Paul Mission Trip – Misc.

July 12, 2017 Christopher D. Bennett

This last collection of Saint Paul Mission Trip photo were taken by other people, but I’m not sure what day they were taken. Enjoy!

It truly was an incredible trip and transformative trip! If you ever have a chance to go, GO! You will not regret it. Not even when you can’t sleep, it is 2 in the morning, and you are sleeping on an air mattress on a concrete floor. I absolutely mean it!