July 23, 2011

Final Senior Recap 
It is hard to believe that four years ago the three of us were wee little freshman venturing out on our first STAGE Mission Trip. It seems like it was just yesterday! For those of you who are reading this, we’d like to express our sincere gratitude for supporting STAGE. It has truly had a tremendous impact on us. Over the four years, we have strengthened our religious beliefs, established friendships, and created memories that we will carry with us as we move forward in life. This third week in July was full of endless laughs, occasional tears, countless prayers, inside jokes, and southern accents. Ask any youth about the trip and they will be able to tell about it. Our trip to Bear Branch, Kentucky was one that helped us in showing confidence in communicating our beliefs, even if those differed from others around us. This past week has sure been a challenge on that aspect, but we can say that the group accepted the challenge with open hearts and made the most of the experience. Life is a challenge, full of vicissitudes. You never know what the future holds. You have to trust and place your total LIVING FAITH in God and what He has planned of you.
Sincerely,
The 2011 Seniors 
Cydney McChesney, Kyle Brown, and Jessica Matthews


Guess what!!! We’re in a car, van thing on our way home!!! I’m sitting in the front row with Natalie and Jamie and it’s just plain fantastic! This morning we had a ‘continental’ breakfast and I had chocolate muffins, chocolate milk, and chocolate doughnuts! I can barely stand how healthy it was. Natalie, Kyle, and I decided that next year we’re installing a flat screen TV in the front of our van so we can watch DVDs. This is an interesting car ride because all the girls tried to pull an all nighter (that only lasted until 2:30) and the people who didn’t attempt this are just exhausted from barley sleeping all week. Can you say slap happy? I can’t because I’m laughing too hard. Looking back on this past week I am sad to have to go home. I’ve learned so much and OH MY AMY WINEHOUSE DIED! Anyways I learned a lot and had experiences that I will never forget, like meeting with some totally tubular old people and helping clean some really deserving people’s houses and performing random acts of kindness. I’m really going to miss people from this mission trip and even though it was overwhelming at first I’ll sort of kind of miss all the praying and sermons and devo’s. I’ll also miss my group’s leader Jaron even though he didn’t seem to like us too much at times. He could pretty much relate any conversation we had to God and then proceed to pull out a bible and quote something or say one from memory. My group had a great time together and I really got inspired to further my faith. GO GROUP SEVEN!!! I also feel like STAGE has become even closer even though at the beginning of the week I didn’t even think we could ever get any closer. Throughout the course of the week we all started to get southern accents because we were like the only group there without them but now they are kind of gone, bummer. I will now list some cool/ weird things that I saw while on this trip. First off, there is a Faygo machine that sells cans of Faygo for only 30 cents! Also people outside of Michigan don’t need to wear helmets on motorcycles, how unsafe! Lastly I would like to thank the Michigan government for banning smoking in restaurants because it’s disgusting. This morning Jamie found a baby kitten by a puddle but we couldn’t take it or anything since we were driving back to Michigan so we just wrapped it up in one of Dan the Bus Man’s shirts and put it in a chair in someone’s backyard where it would be easily found. Oh and we saw this homeless guy with a sign asking for food or money so Ann gave him a chocolate chip muffin, I thought that was very nice of her. We ate lunch at Wendy’s. Natalie keeps criticizing my blog so I’m taking back the part where I complemented her. Jessica Matthews keeps touching my neck and it’s creeping me out. I really like long car rides and STAGE, especially together. Well I suppose this is about all I have to write, mostly because everyone’s boredom has turned them into blogging maniacs and they’re dying to get a shot at informing you of their fun adventures themselves. Peace out ya’ll!!!!
Sincerely Yours,
Megan Seamans
Ps I love Jessica Matthews!!! <3
Pps I also love Natalie Snay!!! <33
Ppps Jamie Stafford is pretty loveable herself <333

This week we had an opportunity to grow closer as a group and in our own faith. In my community group I was very fortunate to have Jamie with me because I would be way shy without her and it helped to have someone with similar views because as you’ve probably heard things were a little different this year. With some of the challenges we faced it made us realize what we really believe in and how to accept and respect those with different opinions. The group I was put in was real friendly and after a couple of days we were a family. Two of the adults were best friends since they were born and their Kentucky accents were the most adorable thing I’ve ever heard. On our way to the sites each day we’d just make each other say random things that we say differently like pasta or hockey. One girl in my group, Marium, inspired me so much just from the way she lived her life so close with God. She was fearless in the way she talked about God to strangers and it helped me realize how closed up I am about my faith. I can’t even pray when our group leader asked for volunteers! The highlight of my week religion wise would be meeting Lester. He’s a janitor at a brand new elementary school where we helped move furniture, clean, and help teachers prepare for classes to begin August third! Lester suddenly opened up to Jamie, Marium, and I and it really touched me that he wanted to share his life with us. He admitted he doesn’t go to a church and he seemed pretty ashamed at that so our group gave him a bible and a list of churches nearby, and I honestly believe that he will go. My other highlight of the week was swimming at the pool during our free time. The pool had four water slides where you would literally just fall into the pool and watching each other’s faces was hilarious, oh and Mike crushed my ribs so I’ve probably bled internally, like a lot.
This week was amazing and I honestly don’t want to go back home but like Kevin told us plenty of times the mission trip has just begun!
-Natalie Snay


July 21, 2011
Today, I am sick and therefore cannot go to with my work group, *sad face*. I do believe that they are going to paint and do yard work today, which I cannot endure in my current condition. This week has certainly been interesting. I’m in community and Cydney is the only person in my group from STAGE. At first, it was really awkward and I didn’t like anyone very much, but now I love them passionately. I’m pretty bummed that I couldn’t go work with them today. The other day, we weeded an elderly woman’s yard (she wasn’t home, and didn’t know that we did it). There were MILLIONS of ants everywhere. It was nasty. There were also prickly weeds we had to pull out with our bare hands. I got stabbed a few times. The car wash my probably my favorite part of this week; we went to one of those do-it-yourself car washes, and paid to wash people’s cars. It doesn’t get better than that. Last night, we had a free night and went to a park in Hazard. There was a pool there that had a mushroom thing. It was great.
It’s sad that this week is coming to an end, but I learned a lot of new things and met so many amazing people. Mission trips like this make you realize that you need to appreciate what you have, because some people have nothing.
~Mallory Bennett~