The Anchor Mission Trip

Week before last Ashlyn was able to go on a mission trip with The Anchor from our church. The Anchor is for children from kindergarten through 6th grade. At previous churches we've been to, our kids have attended VBS which they LOVE but none of my kids had ever done anything like this at such a young age. When I first read the list of projects they would be doing I thought "oh gracious...will Ashlyn really be able to do all of this!". Well, was she ever able to do it and she LOVED every minute of it.

The week started with a trip to a local nursing home. The boys were going to play checkers with the elderly men and the girls were going to paint fingernails for the elderly ladies. I wasn't sure if Ashlyn would actually do it but SHE DID!! She painted the fingernails of a sweet little lady. I asked her if she talked to her and Ashlyn said the lady just smiled. How sweet! Ashlyn said she gave the lady a hug and just smiled back at her. Wow!!! It brings a smile to my face knowing that God used my little Ashlyn to brighten the day of a little old lady who probably doesn't have a whole lot of bright days sitting in the nursing home!

The second day they went to a boys home here in Spartanburg. There are 6-8 boys living there with no mother so they went and cleaned the home for them. Ashlyn is a great bathroom cleaner!! She loves to clean her bathroom here at home so I knew she'd do a great job there.

On the third day they divided the group up into three different groups. Some went to a soup kitchen, some to a shelter called The Haven, and some to Morningside Baptist Church to count rice bowl money. Ashlyn was in the group that counted the money. They basically had to divide the coins up into groups and put it in tubes. She loved it! Sorry I don't have a picture from that day! :(

On the fourth day they went to The Crisis Pregnancy Center to do some office work for them. Ashlyn loves anything like this. She said she put sticker names on envelopes which means she put labels on envelopes to mail out their newsletter. I know the center appreciated the help of all the kids!! They had stack after stack of envelopes to label to get ready to be mailed.

The fifth day was FUN!! The kids stayed at Oakbrook Prep School (where our church meets) and spruced up the grounds by pulling weeds, planting flowers, and cleaning up a little. After that they had water fun! You know kids love this! They had an inflatable water slide, water balloons, a dunk booth, and snow cones!! Fun!

These kids did an amazing job all week!! There was no complaining at all! Just willing hearts anxious to get out in Spartanburg and help everyone they could! Thank you to our children's director, Merissa, who planned all of this and taught our children about missions!!! Isn't it wonderful that they are learning how to serve in the community at such a young age!!

Here are a few more pictures from the week! Enjoy! :)