It was sticky when we arrived, stormy overnight, and even a little chilly today… but we are so happy to get going! Check out some pics below of our first night and some of our work projects from Monday morning. More to come, coverage is tricky to come by right now due to power outages in the area. 🙂

Our #1 Rule: Clara Must Survive!

— The YC Mission Team

We acknowledge that Tower Hill Camp and Retreat Center (Sawyer, Michigan) is located on the traditional native lands of the Kiikaapoi, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Myaamia and Bodewadmiakiwen peoples.

This summer (June 20-25, 2021), the Youth Community from First Church of Lombard is heading to a familiar location — our much-beloved camp and retreat center, Tower Hill! We are excited to help them get into working condition for the summer and work on a “legacy project”… a labyrinth that people can enjoy for generations!

Tower Hill Camp & Retreat is a year-round facility of the Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ. The camp likes to pride themselves on clean & hospitable facilities and natural surroundings. The property includes 30 acres of wooded trails and a beautiful sandy beach on Lake Michigan, all of which invites us all to go “Out of the Ordinary, Into the Sacred.”

Check out more information at their public Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/towerhillcamp/about/?ref=page_internal … and be watching here for updates from the FCL Youth Community Mission Team!

All are invited to gather on the Ash Street lawn for a special “Sending Forth” for the Youth Community Mission Trip, to be held at 11:45 a.m. on Sunday, June 20.  Please keep the team in your prayers… and be watching this blog for updates the week of the trip (June 20-25)!

Attention — This is the Final Update for This Trip! We arrived back in Lombard on Saturday, June 22 tired but happy from our last day of work, two travel days, and lots of fun in between! Enjoy a final photo round-up from that time!

As you may have noticed, several of our serving projects this week have been construction, creating ramps and decks and more. And of course, this means POWER TOOLS! So far, all of the kids have happily helped with at least one power tool.

The pictures below may not all feature power tools, but they definitely feature some powerful mission trippers, pushing through the middle of the week!

Can’t wait for more pictures of the First Church Youth Community in action? Check out the organizations with whom we are working this summer!

All week, teams have been heading to Boone, NC to serve at FARM Cafe’, where we have fought the unique issue of poverty by serving meals “for all, regardless of means” (F.A.R.M.). Check out their website at http://farmcafe.org/index.html to learn more about this unique outreach to the needy and their dedication to serving all with fresh, locally sourced meals.

Up in the mountains, signal is hard to come by! We are posting as best we can… keep watching!

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Can’t wait for more pictures of the First Church Youth Community in action? Check out the organizations with whom we are working this summer!

On Tuesday evening, we welcomed a special guest from the local historical society, the Caldwell Heritage Museum, to tell us more about the history and culture of the area where we are staying and serving this week. Check out their website at www.caldwellheritage1841.weebly.com to learn more about this museum and the people of the Cherokee National Forest area in northwestern North Carolina.