The Final Post...WOOHOO!!!

Ok, so, an amazing thing happened in my world just now...our plane has wireless internet!!! I am typing this to you from 34,000 feet!!! Today has been fast and furious. We did a bunch in Manhattan this morning. It's been a great morning. I'll tell you more later.

So, I will this my final post, but will include some shoutouts from some of the kids, with more to come during our stopover at the Atlanta airport and on the next plane.. I love you all so much!

Road Trip 2009 has been a life changer for me and I thank you all for your prayers and good luck toward us as we served this week. I love you all and I can't wait to see you all!! :) -Brittney

This trip has been a blessing to go on. i cant wait to share the experiences with all of you. i miss you all and i cant wait to see you. -Julie

Yo, what is up my family and friends!? Well, I know that I can' wait to get home and tell you all about the awesome things that I experienced over the course of the trip, both ones of comedy and spirit, and boy are they in great supply. I love you all! -Matt Skinner

Ello everyone! We are on our way back from New York City and can't wait to get home. -Derrick

ALLO! On our way home after a nerve-wracking day in Chinatown. C ya at 10!
-Christian

hello this was an awesome trip this is the best thing that happend to me this year.....wahoo
matt bateman
My first experience in NY was amazing wish we had more time to experience it all but cant wait to get home and see all you ppl i love -trista

Hey from New York everyone! This year was so much fun and I enjoyed every moment on Road Trip. Thanks you for all of the prayers! - Jenny

Hey everyone This years road trip had alot of firsts and love although we had a little drama. I was a little disapointed that we didnt get to sing on devo night but we did our devo in a different way and it still had alot of goods about it. Yea my own bed tonight! -Keaton

Hey!!! This has been an amazing Road Trip this year. I have met people and seen things that I will never forget. I wish more poeple would experience of Road Trip. It is a unbelievable feeling. I love you all -Devyn Monnig

Sherman said that this was to be everyones' shout out chance before the end of Road Trip 09'. I give my small space to my dad and brother. You two were what kept me going. And I love you two more than you could ever imagine. I'll see you in a week out in east Texas. My home.

-Hannah Michie-

Wow... this has been a crazy, hard, terrifying, incredible week. I have grown more than I thought I could... I have gotten closer to a lot of people and I'm soo excited about the next year in the youth group. Part of me wants to stay on but I still can't wait to be home and to see all of the church. I love y'all!!!

-Kasandra-

Road Trip came and gone pretty much. That really is super crazy to me. It was the most amazing trip ever and it really changed me. To explain the impact this trip was is really impossible, but i do know that i really did miss everyone. I wanna shout out to my parents though. Mommy and Daddy I'm really sorry for how i used to be, but this trip has had me grow up once again and i honestly changing into the person I'm suppose to be. I have my mind set on making the best out of my senior year by keeping my heart and mind strictly on school and church. This road trip team are coming back changed people and we will love to be there for everyone who needs it. God Bless this group! I love you all my church family!

-Heather-


Hey everyone! Road Trip this year has been amazing and I have lots of pictures and stories to share. I am proud to say that I am a part of the Light because I saw how many lives were changed and are in fact still being influenced. I have met many good and wonderful people on this trip and God has really shown me how much good there is all over, we just have to look for it. Not only is there good, but that good comes from a genuine passion to serve and make a positive influence regardless of what beliefs or denominations each of us hold. In many ways this group-including myself-has learned to look past differences to search for the reasons so many different people come together from different cultures to improve upon the lives and surroundings of others all over the world. God has spoken to me greatly on this trip, and in one word He has told me everything I needed: Do.

David A.


Road Trip '09 is going to be over soon. This is pretty sad, right? Well, I made a lot of good memories, a lot of deeper relationships and worked my freaking butt off! Oh well. I want to say hey to Mom and Dad and, oh yeah, I hope you enjoyed Happy Potter, Sebas. :P

>>Emily A. C:



Hey all the COLONITES
i happen to be in the atlanta airport so.....
IM IN HEAVEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Road trip was amazing and we all had a really asmazing time.
tell you more later!

Ryan

The Longest Last Day!

So, it's 6:30 am and I'm sitting in the breakfast area at our hotel before the 'storm' comes down the stairs for breakfast. The Road Trip Team isn't due down until 7am. Little do these small handful of hotel guests eating breakfast know what's about to hit! LOL!

Well, today is the last day of Road Trip. I am so pleased with the trip! Thanks and praise goes to God for this trip and all it's success and safety. We are going to hit New York City this morning and early afternoon as hard as we can. I promise, when you get your kids tonight, they will be exhausted, as will be all the chaperons! We've been exhausted for days now!

PLEASE pass it around to the WHOLE church that The Light Road Trip Team will be returning to Dallas tonight at 10:09 pm. We arrive on Airtran Flight #106 at DFW airport at 10:09 pm. It has become a VERY cool tradition that Church Family at Christ Community Church turns out in mass to welcome the team home. People have made signs in the past...it's a GREAT FEELING for the entire team to walk through that door to the baggage area to see OUR church waiting for us. PLEASE be there...even if you don't have any blood relatives on Road Trip...you have Spiritual Family. This team is YOUR TEAM! After checking the www.airtran.com website, it shows that flight #106 will be arriving at gate E17 and baggage pick up is at E16. But please check their website this evening for the latest info on the flight.

Success. That's all I can say that this trip has been. God has shined very brightly through this team all week. Lives have been changed, both on the team and more importantly in those we served. Worked was done, lives were changed...and God smiled.

Please be there tonight. It will mean the world to the teens, and chaperons. And don't miss tomorrow. It will be an amazing morning. The recap of Road Trip will be given and testimonies will be given. This is something that the WHOLE CHURCH FAMILY needs to see and hear. I love you all so much, and I can not wait to see you tomorrow!

The picture below is of the group in Providence, after working with the West Broadway Neighborhood Association. It is an amazing work they are doing! Hear all about it tomorrow!

Sherman

Start Spreading the News...New York New York!

Good Morning Family and Friends from The Big Apple!!! We arrived here safely last night around 10pm. We had an AMAZING time in Providence, RI yesterday...wait, was that yesterday? Wow. This trip keeps you so off balance that I'm not sure what today is, where we were yesterday, let alone what time it is! LOL! The Providence day proved to be nothing short of amazing as God blessed us with awesome people to work with and fall in love with. A quick shout out to Joe, Kari, Mike, Chrisitne, Mary, and Roderick!

As I write this entry, the team is sitting out front of our HOTEL! Yes, I said hotel! We had the grand luxury of sleeping in a BED last night for the first time in a week! I can not tell you how thankful we all should be for the little things that we take for granted, like our beds! The team (okay, the 'team' for the moment is Van and Joy and the teens...everyone else is here inside the lobby waiting for me to type this entry, haha!) is waiting for me to finish this blog so we can catch the SUBWAY to our work project.

I think you can tell by my typing, that I am a little more 'awake' than in other posts this week...Haha! It's amazing what a REAL shower and bed will do for you! The team, everyone, is doing so good! The teens and chaperones have ROCKED this week! I can not tell you how proud I am. They represent Texas, The Colony (etc...), the church, the Light, their famiies, themselves, and most of all Jesus SO WELL! The Light has shined very brightly all week...and now, New York City!!! Watch out New York...The Light is in Town!

The picture below is from two days ago in Montreal at the Welcome Hall Food Bank, eh?! I love and miss you all!

Sherman

Good COOL Morning, eh?!

Ok, so I am getting a quick chance to let you know that sleeping in Canada is VERY COOL! Pun INTENDED! LOL! I just wanted to give you a heads up that the kids/team are all doing well! They are on the jobsite as I am making this entry. A quick reminder to all that you will not be receiving a call tonight due to the high international rates for us on mobile phone service up here in Canada, eh? I will try to post later today. It's a VERY busy day. By the way, say a prayer of thanks for Sharon, our contact here in Montreal. She has been and is a HUGE blessing to us. Talk to you soon! I love you all!

Sherman

Canada...eh?

So, today has been one of the longest days in Road Trip history...so far. We woke this morning in BEAUTIFUL Portland, Maine and worked all day with the Portland Habitat for Humanity. We worked alongside two other groups, one from Long Island, and the other from...I can't remember! My mind is toast right now! Haha.

We as a church should be very proud of our youth group, The Light. They are shining so bright, and serving so powerfully, and it is truly amazing and humbling watching the Holy Spirit work through them. I truly have been amazed all week long, but today, they rocked!

We then got back onto our bus and rode 7 hours north to Montreal, Canada! I can't wait to share this trip with you in person! Sharing it on here will not give it justice. Be in church Sunday morning for the full report.

My goodness, it just dawned on me. I have my youth and chaperons in Canada!!! God bless you and I love you all so much!

Sherman

It's Tuesday, .and it's 72 Degrees!

I LOVE the Northeast! Portland is gorgeous! The kids are about to call in a bit. Probably early this evening. The picture below is of the group on the beach at Old Orchard Beach. It was AWESOME....and freezing! The water in the Atlantic in the Northeast is about 52 degrees right now, but our teens were 'committed' to enjoying their 27 minutes at the beach completely! It was so much fun.

I love you all, and I hope to be giving you an update late tonight, although it may be difficult the way the schedule looks. I love you all, and watch your emails and the blogs for more update!

The Northeast...

Is cool! No, I REALLY mean it is cool. Like 82 degrees cool! And that was the high of the day! We worked at the Greater Boston Food Bank today and had great success. And then we travelled up to Portland, Maine!

I'm really exhausted as is the group and we are going to bed VERY satisfied that we were privileged to be used by God today. I am very proud of the teens. What a GREAT group we have. I will share more tomorrow when I can keep my eyes open a little longer! Haha! I love you all!

A Quick Post From Beantown!

So today has been an awesome day. WE'RE IN BOSTON!!! We woke up at 6:30 this morning and caught a morning flight out of Austin to Boston (point A to point B as Karen says it). It has been a day that has been filled with adventure and service. The teens in talking to their parents this evening on the phone during their 10 minute phone call home were telling their parents that they didn't do a service project today. They felt like they hadn't until we had our day's end meeting. I told them that their service project for today was taking a walking tour down the Freedom Trail through downtown Boston. What they saw just about stopped them in their steps. They saw in many ways, the birthplaces of our freedom, from the Boston Massacre to the graves of American heroes. The pages out of their history books became reality. The team's love and appreciation for their country grew deeper today. THAT was their service project for the day. I love you all. God bless America!

Sherman

Caravans and Trains

So, after a great sendoff this morning, we loaded into 5 different vans and served 4 different locations around the metroplex. We ate lunch at the Ft Worth Water Gardens, and then caught a train to Austin. It's now 11:30pm, and after my alarm going off at 4:00am this morning, I have to admit, I'm pretty tired, and so this blog entry will be short. I love you all, and here are a couple of pictures for you!

The First Road Trip Update

Well, here we are on Road Trip, finally! We had a GREAT start this morning! Thanks so much to the Men's Ministry for breakfast, and to all who came out to send us off! Especially to our Past Road Trippers who were an extra special blessing. The kids should be calling later tonight, so be ready for a call from an exciting teen.

The kids have really been good so far in the trip. No major issues and no real problems. Not even any real attitudes...yet. Haha! I will upload pictures later this evening after the kids have called. I love you all and God bless!

Sherman

Road Trip '09 Opening

It's Thursday evening, July 9, 2009...a day and a half before Road Trip '09. This is the first blog entry just to get this thing up and going. Check back here everyday, especially in the evenings to see the location and status of the Road Trip '09 Team. God has blessed and launched this trip long before we ever started our own preparations. It will be a GREAT trip. Follow us, and PLEASE COMMENT as we go, I will read your comments to the team. God bless you all!