Summary of the Day by Hannah Gadway: So after a breakfast of champions, including french toast and super sausages, we headed out to Peacemakers!! We arrived and were put straight to work painting murals and breaking mortar off bricks to make them usable again. Soon groups were split up, one on a tour to Detroit and the other stayed to finish the murals! After the tour group returned lunch ensued and the brick breaking continued along with some hardcore gardening. Dinner was pizza from Little Ceasars, and the day ended with an awesome worship session with some amazing testimonies.
Betsy: One of the more interesting things today (and this so far week) was meeting some of the non-Peacemakers people from the community. Led by Pastor Jeremiah, Evan Easom, Alyssa, Nick, Brian Samuel and I went around the community to hand out fliers for our Saturday outreach event. We saw some of the roughest places around, including a homeless shelter where bedraggled, forgotten folks were literally strewn all over the road. Interacting with these people, as well as some of the other people in the community was at one time both heartbreaking and encouraging. We saw the initial hardness and resistance and brokenness of people who are so used to being neglected and ignored, but the minute we called out to them, made eye contact, and told them that we wanted them at our outreach event, their faces lit up and suddenly all hardness and resistance seemed to fall off. It was wild. It made me really think about how, underneath the many layers of brokenness and suspicion and addiction and loss, people all really want the same things: to be invited in, and to be told that they are wanted!
Nick Richardson: What an amazing day. After ariving at Peacemakers, I embarked on a tour of Detroit with my small group. It was interesting to see the stark difference between the classes and neighborhoods, but throughout all of it there was a beauty and individualism to each place. After arriving, I spent some time working on the bricks. After this, I left again to pass out fliers for a block party type event that Peacemakers will be hosting this Saturday. Once again, it was an eye opener as Pastor Jeremiah, Evan Easom, Betsy King, Alyssa Winkler and I took to the streets. Most of the time we were accepted and people were very interested in what we had to say. This was very fun, but it was also a challenge when some people were distrusting of us. All in all it was a good experience and I'm glad I got the opportunity.
Alyssa Winkler: WOW. Today was beautiful. Today I toured Detroit and saw a lot of characteristics that you couldn't find just by listening to Detroit stigmas. It's full of beautiful people with gorgeous spirits that don't get the respect or attention they deserve. After returning from the tour, I had a nice chat with my new best friend Larry from Peacemakers (so awesome!!! love you!) and set out with Evan, Brian, Nick, Betsy, and Pastor Jeremiah to take the streets to hand out fliers for our reach out event on Saturday. I'm so excited! I got to meet so many people and put my social inhibitions aside to do God's work while growing closer to people from my team. I also shared my testimony for the first time today during the service and just felt so close to everyone in the room. It was both an emotionally freeing and draining event. And according to a woman from Mercy house, we are all officially Chene St. now :) GO US!
Hannah Gadway: Hey everyone! Thanks for all the prayers, we're all doing great and drinking plenty of water and such so don't worry too much!! :) I came down about halfway through the day expecting some work and worship and maybe some play time, but what i got was so much more. The work was there, no doubt about it, but what really struck me was the testimonies at our church service at the peacemakers church. Hannah Klinkman, Nick Richardson and Alyssa Winkler all (very courageously) shared their testimonies and I admit that by the end of it I was crying and hugging everyone I possibly could. It was so amazing and I can tell this is gonna be a fun next few days!!!!!
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