We want to let you know we are all doing great.  Today was an incredible day!!!! To give you a brief run down, we went to church, ate lunch, then went down to what’s called the “Island” in Butler.  Basically it’s the neighborhood that the churches have left and darkness prevails.  Tom Bowser, our contact out here who has been ministering there for the last 5 years has built up a relationship with the people there; it’s been  a slow but rewarding process as he see’s how the Lord is using them to touch the lives of the children and  now the children are making life choices that will not lead to addictions or self destruction.

Today we got to invite the neighborhood to the VBS we will have this week from 1:30-4:15 Monday – Thursday.  We also invited them to a cook out and worship time in the park tonight.  I don’t know how many people came, but children, teens and young parents with little ones all came.  We played games and spent time with them.  2 teen age girls said to one of our teens, “we can’t go to church anymore, they won’t let us in with out our parents.”  But tonight  “church” came to them.

Have a wonderful day, continue to pray, we sense your prayers and know that is what prepares the way for us.

Love to you all,
Betty & Doug

The week before I came on this missions trip I was very depressed and not looking forward to going on this trip. My thinking was, “Well it’s Pennsylvania its probably just going to be like our home town.” Well I was very mistaken. Tom informed us of major heroine problems within the city. Our whole missions group went to an outreach in a Park and I had gotten to talk to two girls named Tosha and Danielle. They started talking about how they have boyfriends that smoke and they have probation officers and citations they have to pay. I couldn’t believe the things they were telling me. I had later asked them do you attend any church. They answered in a way that completely took me back. They told me they weren’t allowed in their church because they didn’t have their parents with them. I was completely astonished and God put this burden on my heart for these girls. The things we take for granted and we don’t see the things others go through and what they have to rise above on a day to day basis. Plus for them not to have the role models they need for parents or the proper love and support from their peers just hurts me inside to know. I have become so grateful for my parents and my good role models and for my leaders who have been put into my life to lead me in the right direction to God. I love and appreciate them even more from just talking to these two amazing girls who even though I don’t know I have a love for them that no one can take away. Tom, our missions leader, later said after I had said this that those girls did go to church today and we were the church.

-Hannah Morrison

Today we went to a local park to do a VBS. There were about fifteen to twenty kids. As we started a craft, I went to sit at one end of a bench, but then I saw a little boy sitting by himself. I decided to go over and help him color. I expected to just help him color and then leave but God had more planned. I started to talk to him and found out that his name was Seth and he was only three. He didn’t know any names of colors so we went through them and I was able to teach him colors and that was a blessing for both me and him. I then asked him if he wanted to play in the sandbox where a bunch of my friends were. His sister was sitting next to us and she explained to me how their mom wouldn’t let them play in the sandbox because teenagers would shatter glass in it. that broke my heart that the teenagers would do that and risk the kids safety. So I asked him if he wanted to do anything else and he asked for a piggy back ride. Honestly, I didn’t want to at all, but I did. Seth would not let go. Every time I tried put him down, he wouldn’t let me. I cold just tell that he was craving attention. It turned out that he had three siblings. He also said something about his dad that I couldn’t understand, but I got the impression that he wasn’t around. I felt so bad thinking of how little attention he must get so I gave him all the attention I could. Seth blessed me so much and I hope that I blessed him.

-Mike Griego