Wonder Voyage 2009 Summer Blog

Today we visited 2 well known places: Lombard St and the Golden Gate Bridge. Lombard street is the most winding street in the world. Going down it was like a roller coaster ride, especially with the breaking and gasing that our driver did.

My favorite part of the day was the Golden Gate Bridge. The phrase ‘golden gate’ is often associated with the area, and the bridge is referenced many times, so visiting the bridge itself is really cool.

When we got there, the leaders said we were going to walk half way, then walk back. This seemed disappointing to me, because I wanted to complete the journey on foot across a well known bridge. So as we were crossing the bridge, I went straight to the other side. Stepping off the bridge felt awesome, like checking off somethin off a life to do list. By the way, 75 percent of the team crossed- including the leaders.

St Michaels proved themselves throughout the last few days over and
over; with their willingness to serve and their energy and their taste
for adventure. This was a new experience for them, full of challenges
which this little group welcomed by the end of the week. They reminded
me of why I do this: we encountered God in a new way, one that left us
different and better.

Thus ends the San Antonio blogs…

Most teams take things pretty easy the last day of the trip. Our team could have spent the day shopping or swimming or sightseeing. Instead, however, St Michaels served. We arrived in the morning after driving past numerous homeless people. Our objective today was to serve them at the charity of St Vincent DePaul. We prepped food, cleaned, hauled trash, unloaded trucks and finally served food to a little over two hundred needy people. It was five hours of our day well-spent, and the kids showed that same energy that they had from the first day I met them. This team has blessed everyone they’ve come into contact with and today was no exception.

We spent the majority or our day at Mission Road Development Center, a place that houses and cares for disabled kids and adults whose families can’t care for them. Our day was spent playing with the kids: showing Christ’s love by simply being there. It was a sobering realization for the St. Michaels kids to discover that many of the patients there were their age. MRDC is literally the last place for those kids- few have real families in the traditional sense and few will be able to lead anything resembling a normal life. We thank God for the blessings we have: our homes and families, and the ability to serve him in this unique way.

Today we rested, first with a visit to St. Luke’s Episcopal church in
the serene Alamo Heights neighborhood in northern San Antonio. After
lunch, we made our way down into the Riverwalk district near the heart
of the city by the Alamo. Our day ended with a picnic in Brackenridge
park- a favorite location for the local community. All the
places we visited were vastly different in their sights and peoples.
It’s hard to believe they were in the same city. Regardless of place,
our team met and spoke with those that they encountered, learning more
about this city and spreading the love of Christ. Today was a good day.

The group from St Michaels carried the same energy I saw yesterday
into our mission this morning. We ate early breakfast and got straight
to work, sorting groceries and loading vans for Daily Bread Ministries
(an organization that distributes food to the homeless at no cost).
The kids worked tirelessly and quickly, much to the relief of the
short-staffed weekend crew at the warehouse.

At lunch, we ventured into a nearby park to share our meal with the
homeless there. For many in our group, lunch changed perceptions about
the homeless. They’ve become real people to us: people with real pasts
and families- stuck in situations that many of them have no control
over. We thank God for his provision and the opportunity to serve
those who have nothing.

Our day was full of travel under the hot Texas sun. I met the team at
the Snake Farm, a Wonder Voyage staple on our trips to San Antonio. To
me, the place looks more reputable than it did before Mike Rowe from
“Dirty Jobs” visited, but its still a fun stop on the way to the city.

The main thing I noticed about St Michaels is how ready they are.
Technically, this is the first mission trip for all but a couple of
our team members. But you wouldn’t know it by looking at them: though
not all of them know each other,  they get along like old friends and
energetically await what tomorrow brings. I am excited for our mission
in the morning- I want to see the look on their faces as they
encounter God in a brand new way.