So Many Books and Plenty of Time to Read!

There is an old saying--quoted by librarians--- books books books, so many books and so little time to read. In Elaine this past week, there were books, books, books, everywhere and we took time to read. Our prayer is for children to love to read and in by learning to be better readers, take the time to read and understand the Bible, apply it to their lives and grow in their faith in the Lord Jesus.

What are Book Buddies for?

We were so happy when The Jesus Bible Storybooks were in the hands of the children in Elaine.  The first order of business was for each child to sign his or her name in the special bookplate placed inside the cover of each Bible Storybook.

This is a special book. You can see from the photos how well these were received by all ages.

How to Build a Book Buddy

The Bible story for the camp was the life of Old Testament Joseph and how he persevered and used wisdom given to him by God. He used organizational skills to store grain so that people across the land would have food during the famine. God provided more than a few organizational skills for the OBC team.  Only by God's blessing could 50 children sand, assemble, paint, and decorate their personal bookshelves. 



I'm not sure which part of the project was most enjoyed by the children. They loved sanding and especially when Mr. Bud guided them with hands-on electric sander.  They had a ball choosing which color to use for their book buddy shelf---yellow, blue, pink, green, cream color--beautiful colors all. Mrs. Barbara was the keeper of the paint pots--we didn't waste a drop!

Boys Like Yellow

Ms Lynn, Mary, Mattie, Stacey, and other volunteers helped transfer paint from brushes to wood.  A couple of our men--Jack, Bud and Jason worked hard with lifting, organizing, and placing the bookshelves in orderly rows for painting.

Everyone loves the idea of making something and personalizing it as your very own project. Adding names, designs, and stickers was fun and important for the children. Of course none of this would have happened without God's providing Helena volunteer, Mr. Bill Coad who cut out all the bookshelf pieces.

We Are Having a Ball

Oh ye of little faith---we worried we would have too few children. We drove around Elaine looking for children to bring to the center, but ended up with a roomful of all ages. The music set us up for a joyful day. Mary and Stacey brought some of the cutest songs I've every heard. The children loved them and all sang with gusto. The Bible lessons were meaningful as Mary planned little skits complete with costumes, and hot sweaty games played in 105 degree heat made the children enjoy their snacks doubly so.

The first step for building Book Buddy is sanding the wooden shelves.

The highlight of the afternoon was sanding shelves in preparation for Book Buddy bookshelves. The children had a B A L L and so did Bud Wooten!

Our new friend James.

We can hardly wait for tomorrow.

Divine Deliverance Church

Service at the Divine Deliverance Church in Elaine was inspiring, joyous, and genuine. We loved the music, especially when one of the "church mothers" rose singing an old spiritual while walking down to the front of the church. She read scripture and announced this is the word of the Lord, blessed be the reading of His word. The sermon taught us all a lesson about being grateful for what we have and making the most of every opportunity. I loved the way everyone participated in the service--from the young boy who helped with collection plates to adults who sang and gave testimony. I am especially grateful to have met Pastor Gibson and First Lady Catherine. They love their church and serve the people in Elaine faithfully.

It was a great day!

Helena is a pretty place

Driving into Helena was a bit of a surprise. Clean, wide streets with large green trees and lush grassy yards showed a town where the people were good stewards of their property. The Bed and Breakfast is lovely and everyone is happy with their rooms. The three story house looks like we stepped back in time 100 years or maybe stepped into a Hollywood movie set. What is really surprising are the steep hills throughout the town. It looks like the outskirts of Ashville dropped into the flat Delta....not sure where all the hills come from.

The meeting a the Newells was long but inspiring. They have accomplished so much in their ten years in Helena. It was wonderful seeing so many different churches represented at the meeting. This is their transition year. They will be moving to a new mission near San Antonio Texas.

When we returned to the B&B and gathered for evening debriefing and devotional.

I'm praying for clear directions for tomorrow. I am also praying for all the team to remain well and strong.

God has given us a beautiful Sunday with nice Delta warm---not too hot. We are preparing for church in Elaine this morning. All is well.

Prayer Chair

Dear Team:

 

In the devotional booklet given to us by the church, there are 14 devotions for each day leading up to the day of departure. During the trip, the book suggests a Prayer Chair for each day while on the trip. I'd like to ask each person on the team volunteer to be prayer chair and lead the morning prayer right after breakfast and the devotional time for that night. Below are the suggested Psalms for the Prayer Chair. If you have a favorite Psalm you would rather use, please do so.

 

Saturday night July 16 Carol  Psalm 91

Sunday night July 17 Barbara  Psalm 92

Monday night July 18 Jason Psalm 95

Tuesday night July 19 Mary, Mattie, and Jack Psalm 67

Wednesday night July 20 Lynn Psalm 100

Thursday night July 21 Stacey Psalm 96

Friday morning July 22 Bud Psalm 34

 

Blessings,

Carol

Personal Testimonies

Why would nine adults load up cars, planes, and vans to travel to the hot Delta region of Arkansas to spend their vacation? The love of Christ compels us.

At the beginning of this summer my plan was to find a summer job and spend a lot of my time working. While waiting to hear back from a position I applied for, I began helping out with summer events at Oakmont. One afternoon when I was helping at Back Yard Buddies, Carol Brown and I began talking about the upcoming mission trip to Arkansas she was leading. She let me know that there was still room if I was interested. I hadn't expected going on a mission trip this summer, but the opportunity to do so was exciting. It didn't take long for my heart and mind to become set on going.

 I am a late addition to the team, but I am looking forward to getting to know my fellow team members better as well as the children we will be serving. I am especially excited about the literacy projects we will be doing and the opportunity to give out books and Bibles to the children. Reading is something I love, and I'm glad to be able to share the excitement of reading with children in Arkansas. Also, I am looking forward to the trip as almost a special retreat with God because I will be away from home and from many of the things that can distract my heart and mind. ~Stacey McKnight

I chose the Helena mission trip because I love to work with children and especially enjoy helping them with reading skills.  When my two teenagers expressed an interest in going, I was even more excited--excited that they wanted to go on a mission trip with their mom and excited to share this opportunity together.  I used to love to read to and with my children when they were young and am looking forward to all three of us being able to share that love of reading and love for God with others.  I know that this trip will be a blessing to our family and pray that it will also reach some young hearts and minds in Arkansas as an affirmation of God's love for them. ~ Mary Cavanagh

I felt the call to go on a mission trip and knew the Helena mission was where God was leading me.  I want to be a part of helping the children and to share how God has blessed me. ~~Bud Wooten
 

When I was a little girl, books were not a thing that was purchased at our house.  I started school in 1945 just as WW II ended.  Books excited me and reading was a new and exciting adventure.  I remember the first book that I owned--it was a Christmas present from a boy in my first grade class.  It was a thick book of nursery rhymes which I still have.  Yes, the pages are yellow with age but that book is so special.  Over the years I have parted with many books, but this is one that was so special to me because it was my first book.  When I heard about the Literary Project Mission Trip, the same excitement came back to me--I know what it means to finally get to own a book.  I want to share that excitement about books with some child.  As a former teacher, I know how important reading is in one's success in education.  Sharing the love of Jesus with these children will be awesome.  I am so happy that the church is going to share a Bible with each of them.  ~Barbara Wooten

I have wanted to serve God through a mission trip for several years.  I finally decided I needed to just talk to Jimmie.  She told me about this group Carol Brown was forming and I immediately believed God could use me in this way.  I am a middle school teacher and I love working with children.  If I can inspire one child to read about Jesus, it will be worth it all. ~~Jason Barclift

Lynn Smith is so excited about working "with the little ones". She wants to make sure they know and understand the Bible.

Oakmont Baptist Church

Why I signed up for Helena:
I remember my parents gave me a Bible Storybook for my 8th Christmas. I read every word and will always remember the Easter Story best. I know how important reading is to grow in knowledge and grace of God. I am always glad to do whatever I can to help children learn to read and gain a love for reading the Bible.~~Carol Brown

Oakmont Baptist Church