Sweet Summer Nights.

:-)

3.0 Update and More Pictures

3.0 is going great! However, we are already halfway done with the summer. We have a busy, busy July planned for ourselves and the kids. We have already gone on one field trip to the local library, which was a hit and a miss. Some kids enjoy it, while others did not. It was good for them though, whether they know it now or not. :-) 

This week starting Monday, we begin VBS! We are going to do the "High Seas Expedition". We have many props from other local churches who have donated them to us. We are going to start decorating for that soon, probably this weekend.

On Tuesday, they are having a local run-off election and the church that I'm staying at and working at (Whistler UMC) is a voting center. Meaning we can't have kids anywhere near that building. So, we are going on a field trip to Camp Baldwin! I am super excited for this trip and I hope we have a lot of kids come with us. It is going to be basically all day and the kids get to go swimming, play outside, and the best part I think, go sailing on a sailboat! And we get to be with them the entire time! :-) I can't wait, I really hope many of the kids come.

Also, there is another awesome opportunity for the kids. Each summer the kids that are old enough get a chance to go to Camp Blue Lake for a week. It's a camp filled with basically what we are doing, just bigger and better. They get to be outside, do crafts, Bible Study, and just have fun. It is an amazing chance and I hope that the kids we have, who are able to go, will turn in their slips and get to go. Not only that, but one guy and one girl worker from my site, gets to go with the kids and spend the week with them. The girl that is going, is me. I really want this chance for the kids, so I hope that we will all be able to go and I would love to be there with them. There has been talk that funding for the children and sending them to camp is very low. Almost to the point where we don't know if anyone will be able to go. I don't think it will stay like that for long. God will provide for these kids if He truly wants them to go. Which I believe, He does. So, please be in prayer about that.

Now, for some pictures! :-)

The kids playing.

Listening to a Bible Story.

Acting out some of the story of Gideon.

Me and Levonta. 

:-)

Demetrius! 

:-)

Jacolby and Deja.

:-)

One of my co-workers, Erin with some of the kids. 

Devan, Deja, Shakarria, and Oneka

Randomosity

I don't really know how long or short this is going to be, but I do know that it is going to be full of random information.

We get a long weekend off from the internship for the 4th of July this weekend. I don't have to be back until Monday night, so this weekend I am splitting my time between home and Tuscaloosa. I love being in Mobile with my intern family and love being around the kids! I wouldn't change this summer for anything and I thank God all the time for allowing me to have this awesome opportunity. However, I am ready for this little bit of a break and enjoy the time with my other family here at home and my family of friends at school. I have missed them all tons and can't wait to have some fun with them!

Speaking of the internship, I will have another post specifically about that coming soon. Complete with more pictures. I'm hoping to have it up sometime this weekend. We shall see.

Very random side note. I tried the new Spicy Chicken Sandwich from Chik-fil-a today. And it was amazing. I very much enjoyed it.

I also purchased "Radical" by David Platt today. Which I read the first chapter of while sitting in Chik-fil-a eating the new spicy chicken sandwich.

I've added a new button over there ---->
At the top.
That is the blog of a very inspiring girl. She just found out some news that needs some prayer. Earlier this week she went for an MRI and discovered that she has a brain tumor. She is scheduled for surgery to remove it this upcoming Tuesday. They won't know for sure if it is cancerous until they get in there, but her doctor's guesses are that it isn't cancerous. She is asking for a lot of prayer right now. Visit her blog here to learn more about her and for more of her updates. She is holding fast to the Lord and putting all her trust in Him.

My mind is really jumbled right now. I'm sure there is a lot more random stuff that I could talk about, but right now I just can't think of it.

So, on that note. I'm ending this post.

Do You Skype?

It's simple enough. Do you Skype?

I now do. It is another easy way to keep up with friends and family that I'm away from for the summertime. 

So, if you Skype my name there is: 

Jessica.Ussery

Add me. 

:-)

3.0 Pictures!!

Hey! I'm really tired right now, so I won't be writing a full update on my 3.0 Internship in Mobile right now. In the meantime, here are some pictures from the summer so far! :-) 

Whistler UMC 
The church that I am living in for the summer.

Christ UMC
One of the churches that we visited.

St. Francis Street UMC in Downtown Mobile
One of the churches that we are partnered with this summer.

15 Place in Downtown Mobile
Next to St. Francis Street UMC and the place where we
got to serve the homeless dinner one night.

Our summer banner for Kids Camp 2010 @ Whistler UMC

The sky one night after dinner.

Pleasant Valley UMC
Another church that we are partnered with this summer.

Me with some of the kids from Whistler.
Laila, Destanie, and Donald

Lanissa and Me

Destanie and Me

Me with some more of the kids from Whistler.
Laila, Lanissa, Oneka, and Brandi

Some more of the kids.
Lanissa, Deja, Isjiaa, Jacolby, Oneka, and Laila


That is it for now! There will be more to come soon!!
:-)

Tribute to My Papa

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!!!

Thank you for always being there for me.

Thank you for teaching me many, many things.

Thank you for being crazy and fun with me!

Thank you for being you.

 Thank you for all the encouragement and support 

that you have given me through the years.
For all the things you have taught me

and all the advice you have given me.

Thank you for hanging out with me

and all the goofing around.

Thank you for being my Dad

and one of my best friends! 

I love you!!!

3.0 Summer Missional Internship and other News

Hey Everyone!! It has been awhile, but I have started my summer in Mobile, Alabama. I am doing an internship with 3.0 Ministry. There are 25 interns in all and we are divided around Mobile doing missional work with the church and getting out in the community. I wanted to tell a little about it and what I have been busy doing. :-)

We are all in various sites around Mobile working with low income or poverty level communities and one site that is involved with refugees from many different countries.

I am at the site of Whistler United Methodist. Me and 3 other interns have put together a Kids Camp that will last until the end of July. So far, we have 50 kids registered! That is already 20 more than the final number last year. People have been very responsive and they have been spreading the word for us. We are running the camp from Tuesday to Thursday each week for ages 5-13 from 12-3 P.M. We are also partners with the Mobile Bay Area Food Bank. And from 12-12:30 the kids who come get a free lunch! That has been a definite plus for many people in the area. Everyday we have Lunch, then some free-time, then we have a Bible Story, Arts and Crafts, Snack, and more free-time, then time to go home.

The community of Whistler is located right outside of Prichard, AL. Technically, it has been annexed into Prichard along with 8 Mile. All have various levels of low income and poverty. But, everyone has been open to us being here.

I also wanted to tell ya'll about some other things that we have gotten to do while down here. Our main job as interns is to build relationships with the church and it's surrounding community. Which, our main focus is the kids camps. But, we are also doing things in and around Mobile, to build relationships with other age groups and other people. We had a Refugee Dinner one night that brought in people from at least 10 different countries! It was amazing being around the and experiencing that. They were all wonderful. We have also hung out with MFUGE for a day. MFUGE is one of the camps partnered with Lifeway that does camps and things during the summer. They also have CentriKids and CentriFuge. We went to visit them in Happy Hills, which is right around the corner from Whistler and basically one of the projects of Prichard. We got to learn what they did, which is similar to what we are doing, and hung out with the kids there. This past Tuesday, we partnered with an organization called The Grove and served dinner for the homeless at 15th Place. It is located downtown and they serve meals for the homeless everyday I think. It was an honor really getting to serve them. They were very appreciative and thankful.

We have a lot more coming up in the next few weeks and month, but I will right more about that later when they happen and I can talk more about it! It has definitely been a great experience so far and I'm loving every minute of it. I will also post some pictures soon as well! Please be praying for us all here. We are working hard and trying not to get tired. Some sickness has been going around, which I did catch. :-/ But, I went to the doctor today and got some meds. So, hopefully I will be doing better soon.