I woke up later than all my other bunkmates on my side. They had gone to an off-site location earlier that morning, but I had asked to stay back because I wanted to finish the work I had started. I got ready for the day, ate a good breakfast, and got to work.

In the morning, the rest of us who stayed on-site worked to lay down the tarp and mulch. I helped transfer the mulch before being asked to assist with lining up the wooden border for the playground we’ve been working on the past few days. We worked hard to level the sunken ground and deal with the aftermath of the flooding caused by the hurricane. After spreading a lot of sand and securing the wood to the ground with rebar, the outline of the park was finally completed!

While that was going on, the others—after lunch—went down to the creek to help move large rocks. I stayed behind with Sam’s aunts and Pastor Kyle. From what I heard, they had a lot of fun playing in the water, soaking themselves as they worked, and getting covered in dirty creek water—they were quick to shower afterward!

Not long after, the group that had gone off-site returned from helping paint a house. Later, a speaker named Scott from Green Chalice talked to us about the climate, how North Carolina has been affected by the hurricane and flooding, and how we can use both our faith and our actions to help the community. That’s also when we received the exciting news that our church will officially become part of the Green Chalice movement starting August 1, 2025!

After all of this, we had dinner and swam in the pool with the other church group from Texas who had been volunteering alongside us. Then, we were treated to ice cream donated by an anonymous member of our church!

I couldn’t be more grateful for this church community and how much I’ve grown as a person and a follower of God through this experience. I hope to reflect the true strength, love, and power of God through my actions.

Blessed be God, our Lord.

For more info on Green Chalice visit https://www.discipleshomemissions.org/ministry-programs/green-chalice/

Today, we got the entire playground covered with tarp and made great progress mulching over it. We also moved rocks and trash out of the creek. Once we were in the creek, it got pretty deep, so we all ended up in water up to our waists. Despite the freezing cold water, we had loads of fun! – Piper

Today we finished laying all the tarps in the playground, then headed to the creek to clear out a bunch of trash. We spent most of the time in the creek, pulling out tarps, rocks, sticks, and branches. After about two and a half hours, we were walking and found a really deep part of the creek. We all got in, and Piper and I went all the way under—she even dunked me!

Later, I walked back over to the main entry point and got my shoe stuck. Eventually, I got it out and returned to the deep part of the creek, but I slipped on the rocks. Braden came over to help me up, but he cut his hand trying to climb back over the hill.

After all that, we went back to the cabins, showered, and then just hung out in the room for about an hour and a half! – Sage

Today we worked offsite at a different location, helping a homeowner whose house was damaged in the hurricane. We did a lot of sanding in various parts of the house. During our lunch break, we swam in the creek that was on the property and even got to pet the three goats the homeowner had. After lunch, we got back to work and continued sanding and doing other tasks that needed to be done around the house. It was a lot of fun and a nice change of environment. -Ava

Today we worked on the playground. Some people split into groups and focused on different areas. One group worked on moving mulch, while the other worked on staining a deck. The mulch group began by clearing the ground of remaining roots and rocks. To prepare for the mulch, they laid down a tarp and then started spreading the mulch on top of it.

Yesterday, our youth participated in a fun and creative photo competition, tasked with capturing their best artistic shot. While one photo was ultimately chosen as the winner, we believe each and every participant did a remarkable job showcasing the beauty of this special place.

Congratulations to Abby, whose photo stood out and earned top honors! As a fun twist, Abby will now serve as the judge for the adult photo challenge, where the theme is Friendship and Community. We can’t wait to see how the grown-ups rise to the occasion.

Today was a beautiful, sunshiny day! We started off with breakfast and then jumped right into work. Robb gave us the task of working on the playground. Some of us were scooping out mud that needed to be removed—yes, a couple of shoes did get stuck in the process (lol). Others were scooping the sandy stuff, and thankfully Kyle helped with that too… though he may have gotten stuck a few times!

We also laid down a tarp to get ready for the mulch. It was a lot of hard work, but because of everything we accomplished, we got to enjoy some well-earned rest time at the pool. Tomorrow, we’re right back at it!

—Harper Riesterer

Today the work begins—but thankfully, we don’t go it alone. This week, we’re joined by new friends from Monica Park Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) all the way from Texas—and we thought we had a long drive!

After a night of fun and fellowship, we discovered an amazing connection: one of their adult leaders has a son who just graduated from TCU and is headed to Vanderbilt Divinity School this fall. His good friend? None other than our very own Dominic Minatel, who will also be attending Vanderbilt Divinity School this fall. Small world, right?

We ask for your prayers—for safety, meaningful service, and maybe even some cooler weather. Stay tuned for photos and updates as the day unfolds.

Today’s weather caused the need for us to be flexible, so instead of participating in a high ropes course we went to Walmart and took a scenic ride to see some of the hurricane damage.

-Izzie

Today we went to a brunch place called the Board Game Café and sat in the back room with two big tables. It took a while for some people to get their food, but once everyone had eaten, we played games like Uno and BS. After we finished, we walked around Asheville and explored some shops.

– Braden

This morning we woke up and ate a few pastries before gathering for a group prayer and heading to Asheville for our free day. Once we arrived, we went to a board game café and ate lunch while playing games together and sharing lots of laughter. Afterward, we walked around the city and stopped in a few stores to shop for souvenirs!

– Selena