Refuge Youth Group

Camp El Har

2011-11-01T09:09:00.000-07:00

November 20 - 22

We will be going to Camp El Har this instead of Sky Ranch. Camp El Har is much like Sky Ranch, just a little closer!!! This event is open to any youth that wants to attend. (You don't have to be a member of the church to join us!) Please let Keri know ASAP if your youth wants to attend. Also, we NEED A MALE SPONSOR! The price is $80 per youth. Here is some information about Camp El Har……

Camp El Har has always been a place for people to get away from the hustle and bustle of the nearby city. A place to just relax and enjoy God’s creation. A true refuge for campers and family! Camp El Har is full of fun and exciting recreational activities for all ages. From horseshoes to hay rides we have it all. Below is a small sample of some of the activities on property that guests can participate in.

◦Swimming Pool

◦Playground

◦Horseshoe Pit

◦Sand Volleyball

◦Carpet Ball

◦Sports Field

◦Disc Golf

◦Archery Range

◦Rifle Range

◦Zip Line

◦High Ropes Course

◦Hiking Trails

◦Horseback Riding

◦Basketball Court

◦Maze

◦Hay Rides

◦Miniature Golf Course

◦Petting Zoo

You can check out more on their website at http://www.elhar.org/

TEAMeffort - July 3-9, 2011

2011-07-10T18:26:00.000-07:00

So yeah I was uber-tired when I wrote my first blog post so this one will be a lot better. It was our last day to HELP Mrs. Wheeler, and ME and the others had a great time! I don't know if anyone told YOU, but the Refuge Youth kids now HAVE a toad! He was going TO get eaten in the yard but David saved him and we managed to DRIVE him home in a bucket. Then we put him UP in a cage we got at Walmart and now he's HERE in our cabin. Oh AND we're going to name him Toada... Well I'm going to SAVE Miss Keri's battery! Bye for now, pray for US!
----- Zane

Ok well this is how the day went we went to help Ms.Wheeler and well it was sooo fun putting the sheet metal on the roof! Then we went to pizza hut and we also went to this amazing looking church that was made by some awesome architect for freeee then we come back to the cabins and I go outside to play some ball and after that Eli comes out and we play some football by throwing it around it was alot of fun so that was my day.....
Hay hay

What can I say. This trip is pretty fun but hard work. It is cool meeting this other group the Winonas. We don't work together but we have to stay in the same house as them. This trip is so great to bad this was the last work day at Mrs. Wheelers house.

Hunter Hurst

TEAMeffort - July 3-9, 2011

2011-07-06T16:25:00.000-07:00

I am having a lot of fun on this trip. It may not have been what I expected but I'm still having a great time. I have also made some new friends too. So I guess the rest o f the trip will end up like this and bye.
-MR.Freeze (Colin)

Helping Mrs. Wheeler is nice but I don't like the rabies showers... I have yet to shower. My highlights of the day were eating tasty breakfast potatoes and getting to play with an adorable puppy!!!!! Ok I'm done.... Z-Mac

Hey everyone! Today was the first day that we actually started mission work. We worked at a lady's house who recently had open heart surgery. She has had to raise almost all of her grandchildren, several of whom still live with her. Despite all she has done for her family, her home is in desperate need of repair. It was really nice to help out someone who deserved it. thanks for your support! -Liz

Yo homes! This is day UNO and I'm having LOADS of fun. Last night me and Heidi did not go to sleep at all I'm sooo tired. Our group is working on a lady's house name Mrs.Wheeler and I feel Iike we have done a lot just on the first day of work! After we finished doing our work for today I think I speak for all of us when I say we where all plum worn out. I've gotten to meet and know a lot of people like Chase and Shane and even Alicia. Just letting y'all know it feels really really really good to take a shower after a long day of work! Well smell ya later -Dri Dri

This is so fuuuuuunnnnnnnnn and yes that is a word. Ms. Wheeler is a very nice lady who takes in a lot of her family's children. We are putting sheet metal on the roof to stop leeks and I'm HELPING yay it's Soooo fun hahaha Hahaha bye yall.......
Hay hay

HELP ME!!!!!!!!! Sean

Hi everybody! Today we continued our work on Ms. Wheeler's house. The roofing team put down tin roofing on about a fourth of the house. The rest of us did basic yard work around the property, like raking, weeding, picking up trash and cleaning toys. We are told that tomorrow we will be working on hea church. I can only wonder what the Team Effort staff has in store for us next! Wish us luck on our remaining endeavors! -Liz

Hey y'all! It's nia
Soooo... I kinda wanna go home but I'm actually having an ok time here and the house owner is really sweet she has a really nice heart! Devotion time is pretty cool and Keri has a new frog so yeah... That's kinda basically it adios!
-Nia

This mission trip is really eye opening. These people are living in dark places that are down but they are filled with the love of Jesus. When I talk to the home owner she puts a smile on my face. I'm in the roofing crew and I'm helping lifting the sheet metal, nailing, and screwing it in. It seems like every one is having fun even doing the work. I love helping out the nice lady and making her smile.
Brandon

I am hot. I am thirsty. The showers at our campsite are unreliable. But it's all worth it. We've been helping out at Mrs. Wheeler's house for the past two days, roofing, weeding, and cleaning. I did a lot today, but the first thing I did was washing all of the toys in her back yards. They were pretty grungy and we found spiders at every turn, but thinking about Mrs. Wheeler's great granddaughter's safety made it a lot easier to keep scrubbing.
Sydney

This trip has been lots of fun. It's taught me to appreciate what I have. Mrs Wheeler has an amazing story. Her grand children have literally gotten dropped off at her house and there parents never come get them. Right now she has 9 children living at her house this moment, plus her children. It's made me feel grateful that I have a nice home and a nice roof over my head and food. Thank you all for supporting us!!!
SavannahLeigh

Testimony's

2011-06-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share with you the testimony's that the teens wrote about Youth Choir Tour 2011. Not everyone turned in a testimony, but here are the ones I did get.......

Liz Parks

I have a testimony to share that will hopefully reassure you that your support for our choir has made a huge difference in many lives, including ours. Over the course of the 2011 Refuge R.O.C.K.S. Choir Tour, my attitude about youth group was changed for the better. At first, I was kind of shy and reluctant about coming to youth activities. I was afraid I wouldn’t be accepted by the rest of the group, because unlike most of them, I am an introvert by nature. But, during the choir tour I had a chance to really connect the other kids. It was a great opportunity for me to strengthen the bonds between me and the rest of the youth. Because of this opportunity, I am now more active in the Irving FUMC Youth Group/Choir than ever before. I get excited about upcoming activities, and am now one of the most consistent attendees. I truly believe that the Holy Spirit gave me this opportunity, and because I accepted it, I have also strengthened my relationship with Him. I believe it impossible to fully express my gratitude to you; because the gift of friendship is the most important gift you can give. But anyway, thank you for giving me this chance to become closer to both the youth group as a whole, and God.

Savannah Leigh

When I first agreed to go on the trip, I though that we would have fun and come back as our same old youth group. Well, that's not exactly what happened. We came back closer and stronger as a youth group, but we also came stronger and closer to God. We really bonded together. God did wonderful things for us. Every song that we sang, every sanctuary we sang at, the people just lit up every single time. It was an awesome experience, and I hope a next year is just as good! The scenery was what got most of us. It made us all realize that these types of things don't just appear. God had to mold and form all of it, just as he had to do with us. We are all different. We all like different things. We all have different personalities. But that doesn't stop us from being a family. And we weren't a family before, but now we are.

Thank you all for supporting us. It was wonderful.

Colin Craft

Youth Choir Tour was an awesome experience. I had no idea when I left Irving on June 5th what I should expect. From the time we left I started making new friends. Even though I had spent some time with everyone on the bus I did not really know them. You never know a person until you spend 8 days on a bus with them! When we left I honestly thought it would be a little bit of singing and a whole lot of fun. What I didn't realize is how much closer I would become with God. I was humbled by all of the nice people at the churches we stayed in. They opened their doors and gave us their floors to sleep on. Some of them even prepared meals for us. They did not know us – we did not know them. But they opened their arms for us – I became thankful! I was in awe of the mountains just thinking that they are God's creation. The Royal Gorge was amazing! That was my favorite! Bible Study at the Royal Gorge was good. We talked about “high points” and trust me you are pretty “high” sitting on top of a mountain! I felt closer to God. The Garden of the Gods was pretty cool. I really enjoyed the Olympic Training Center – I am hoping to go there again someday! The Air Force Cadet Chapel was amazing too! I only have one word for that organ... amazing!!! I have memories to last a life time. I have a new extended family. I have a new relationship with God. Refuge R.O.C.K.S.!!! Thank you First United Methodist Church, thank you Miss Susan, thank you Sean, thank you Keri and Eli, thank you Miss Plunkett, thank you Miss Shardel, thank you Miss Diana, thank you Kim, and thank you Refuge!

Adriana Colunga

The choir tour for 2011 rocked my socks off! There was so much that was said and done that touched me. Keri, Eli, Susan, Sean, Diana, Donna, and Kim did an amazing job on the trip, making everything possible. I’m really glad that I got the chance to go on the trip. I have learned so much about my friends and have made new friends. They are so cool and I’m blessed to know them. All those practices really paid off. God was in the singing, and in the scenery, and in everything! The churches that hosted us were great to open their doors and to feed us, and to come listen to us was a gift. One of the best parts for me was when we sang. I feel like we really got the message out to all we sang to, from the first church to the last. I hope we touched a lot of hearts and I’m extremely glad I got to share my love of the Lord. When we mingled, I felt and saw the love of God and it made me feel so good! I felt so blessed. Another best, was the last night because we all acted like a family and that is how it should be. This was definitely a life changing experience. Thank you for making it possible for me to be part of it.

Colton Howard

Choir tour was amazing. From Texas to Colorado, from our church to the Air Force Academy, all was outstanding. But one event hit me right in the gut.

That event would be the 12 stages of the cross in Groom, Texas. At one point I sat in the tomb next to where JESUS lied and just prayed. I prayed asking and thinking and asking and thanking...Christ our LORD. As soon as I said Amen, I knew I made my relationship with JESUS 1000 times stronger. As we came back to Irving, I felt strong and proud of how I came even closer to the LORD. It was an amazing trip. God bless to all that went. Thank you, Moreno’s and Susan. Praise the LORD! THANK YOU!

Matthew Jauregui

It is good to praise the lord! Through songs, places, word, and tone, as long we have the lord we will never be alone. Not only has this trip has shown that here I am to worship; all of us went to worship the lord. Of course, we also many tales both funny and not. Whether it be from Jesse's snoring, losing personal items, or trying to fit 10 of us in a Jacuzzi, this trip we be as memorable as Kum-Bah-Yah. Of course, sometimes its better to remember the quiet times, such as the mountains, and going down to the river to pray. We just need to be still and remember the 12 labors to Jesus’ crucifixion. And how he sacrificed to go light your world and mine. The Garden of the Gods was so Joyful Joyful that you could see the artists drawing all of the majestic mountains from across the valley. But I got to tell ya'll, the bus trip was sometimes where we had the most fun. Singing, playing, and becoming closer with each other were just some of things you would've seen on the bus. This trip overall was just as great as for God to be in my head. For no matter what we did,

it was all for the Father, Son, And holy ghost. Praise His Holy Name!

Heidi Hurst

I had so much fun, so many smiles, so many laughs, and so many moments that I just will remember my whole life. I will always remember the time at the cabin everyone was at the picnic table laughing, smiling, and having a social time, I felt like we were a family coming all together. Another moment was when we were up in the mountains I felt like I was closer to GOD and I felt like a child of GOD. My favorite song would have to be down in the river to pray, because it’s telling all those people who don’t know who he is to come down to the river and pray. I would like to thank Mrs. Susan, Mrs. Keri, Mr. Eli, Mrs. Diana, Mrs. Plunkett, Mrs. Shardel, Kim, and Connie and Maryann coming all the way down to hear us sing. I can’t wait till next choir tour!!!

Hunter Hurst

First of all I would like to say that this trip was the funniest experience of my life. I met so many friends on this trip. When we sang at any place no matter how nice it was we sang amazingly. All the places we sang were so welcoming and kind that we felt apart of their church at that moment when we walked in the door. Although we sang almost every where we stopped some how our leaders found detours along the way. My personal favorite stop was Groom, Texas where we stopped at the 12 stages of the cross. It felt so spiritual there knowing that the person beside you believed in the same man that you do. Another stop that amazed was the Garden of the Gods. It was great knowing how all the mountains there were formed. Some people there probably just saw mountains but we saw a wonderful creation of God’s work. Same as the Royal Gorge. There is only one man that could have made the gorge like that and that is who we praised on this trip. Anytime we sang we were singing toward that one person that needed that kick back start. If we changed one person’s life while praising God then we succeeded our goal for this choir tour.

Haley Hurst

I will never forget the trip I took this summer with the First United Methodist Church choir. I had a great time riding on the bus, hanging out with all of my friend laughing and playing games. Being on this trip has wider expanded my faith in god. Sean's lessons on the rocks at the Garden of the Gods and the Royal Gorge made me feel closer to god, knowing that he created us as well as these wonders. It was great to be able to touch the people that came to hear us with our music, and I was amazed that when we sang at the Air Force Academy random people taking the tour stopped, took out their phones, and recorded us. The places we went during this choir tour where amazing and inspiring and I will never forget it.

Miranda Cardona

The trip this year was the best trip I ever went on with the church. I never knew how much everyone at the church means to me. It was great getting to know every single person who went on the trip. I miss everyone dearly. I learned so much on this trip. When we drove up to the huge cross in Groom, I thought oh great I have been here before. In Ballinger they have a huge cross like this one. But to my surprise the thirteen statues of Jesus' journey really touched my heart. I really felt closer to God. Best trip ever can't wait for next year! Yes I'm staying in the choir! I love the feeling I get singing in the church choir, so much more emotions and feelings than singing in the school choir! :)

Maricela Cardona

The choir trip was such a life changing experience! I loved being with everyone and doing all the fun things. The most life changing thing for me was when we stayed in the cabins. Yeah it wasn't all that roomy but through the experience of no phone reception it let us really get to know everyone and become a much stronger family than what we were. During the sermon at Royal Gorge with us all sitting around on the rocks I really felt closer to God. Nothing could have made this trip any better than enjoying the great outdoors, seeing God's creations, becoming a stronger group and getting closer to God.

Michelle Cardona

I had so much fun at the trip. We experienced a lot of different things. The most fun was messing with Kim. :) I thought he was just an old man at church playing the piano, but he is really a cool dude. :) When I was feeling bad or sad or just not having a good day he made it better. It’z pizza place was amazing I loved playing all the games. I had a really fun time with the water balloons. The zoo was awesome, the monkeys, the momma monkey picking up the baby and hugging it, the lazy gorilla and the one that threw the rock. I liked the time when we had our time for our self, because that's when we came together as a group. I really liked that time because we became closer and got to know a lot of different things about everyone.

Sydney Farris

To be honest, I never pay adequate attention to my surroundings. My ability to recall things like the previous day or what I ate for breakfast is very poor. So I can’t place all of the enriching events of our trip on a timeline; I can’t even tell you all of the cities we stopped at without looking at the back of someone’s shirt. What I can tell you about are hard floors and 6-hour bus rides. I can tell you about painfully long lines at the door to the women’s restroom. I can tell you about cramped cabins and overcrowded hot tubs; scraped knees and fevers. I can tell you about hot weather and freezing charter buses; about terrifying elevators and exhausted sponsors. I can clearly recall the tedious loading and unloading rituals we performed almost every morning and every evening. And let’s not forget all the beloved cell phones, purses, hats, and debit cards that were lost in the endless heap of luggage and the decidedly rude pedestrians of Santa Fe. I could go on forever with blurry pictures, bumpy roads, and that dreaded morning wake up call that no one flat out wants to answer. Yet, I can’t think of a single time in that short week when I really thought, “I’m tired of this trip; I’m tired of insert-name-here; I just want to go home.” No, because I can also tell you about power naps, basketball, and PB&J sandwiches. I can tell you about endless landscapes, breathtaking mountain ranges, and mesmerizing canyons. I can tell you about volleyball, pizza and games, and pancakes in a bowl. I can tell you about the big dipper, glowing steadily in the Colorado night. I can tell you about a chapel that looks more like a spaceship and rocks, daunting in size, and as red as a robin’s chest. I can tell you about funny stories and laughing so hard you can’t breathe; about the high points in our lives and what we endure to get there. But I wish I could show you the welcoming arms of the congregations that accepted us, along with the warm meals offered to thank us for journeying away from home to spread God’s love. I wish I could show you the face of every person in every audience. I wish I could show you the feeling you get in your chest when you know the words and you sing them proudly. I wish I could show you how it felt for each of us to grow a little closer to God in that short week.

Brandon Ivey

This choir tour that I took a part of was really exciting and fun. It also changed my life and brought me closer to God. When we sang the songs we sang it put a smile on our audiences’ faces, which in turn put a smile on my face and showed me what the word of God could do to people. Everything about this trip was great, even though there were some stressful points, we all got through them. The highest point of the trip was literally was the Royal Gorge. Sean gave a beautiful sermon about high points and low points in life. I felt that when were all at the end of our trip and talking about what songs we liked and why, it brought us closer together because some of us liked the same songs for the dame reasons. Everyone just being together was really fun, we all got along most of the time. This was a really great trip and I am glad I spent it with friends, family, mentors and people of God.

Haley Ivey

The thing that changed me and got me closer to God on the choir tour was when we were at the Royal Gorge. We sat on the rocks and listened to Sean’s sermon. He said there were high points and low points in life. What that meant to me was that there will always be bad days, but the sun still rises which means no matter how bad it is, good times always come. The day we all got closer was the day we went to Colorado Springs and stayed in the cabins. We were all tired because of the drive. We settled down in the cabins and played for a while as a big group. Now we may look like we are all friends, but we are not. I guess it was that kind of day, but everyone was having fun. No downers or anything. That was probably my high point on the trip. To me there was no low point even when I was sick, it was still fun! The sight I loved the most was the Garden of God and Groom! At the Garden of the Gods you could tell it has been there for centuries and every time and every time I looked at the gorgeous rocks I could tell that God is strong and powerful, but more than that, he is an artist who knows no boundary to what he can do. The cross in Groom had to be over 60 feet tall. It was amazing to see that and looking at the 14 actual stations of what Jesus had to go through before he died. Those stations showed me that many people loved him and still do.

Refuge R.O.C.K.S. Choir Tour 2011

2011-06-14T12:23:00.000-07:00

Refuge R.O.C.K.S. Choir Tour 2011

Refuge R.O.C.K.S Choir Tour 2011 was awesome! It was a week filled to the brim with blessing after blessing. God truly opened the heavens and poured His love, His light, and His grace on 21 youth and 9 adults.

We sang, we danced, we laughed, we cried…and we gave thanks. We loaded, we unloaded, we rode, we cooked… and we gave thanks. We traveled the highways of Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado and gave thanks for a safe journey as we touched the lives of hundreds of people along the way. We loved each other in the high moments and in the low moments and God was at work in our hearts…and we gave thanks.

In Plainview, Texas the kids were so excited as First United Methodist Church opened the doors of their brand new Youth Building. The gym, the media center, the café, the kitchen, and the bathrooms were top notch! However, the concert in their beautiful sanctuary was the highlight of the evening even though the congregation was small. The kids touched each person in attendance with heart felt singing. The senior pastor was so moved by the Youth Choir that he extended an invitation for a repeat performance. After speaking with the kids, I think we’re going to take him up on his offer. Early Monday morning we circled up, prayed…and we gave thanks.

We were welcomed in Sante Fe, New Mexico by our host church, St. John’s United Methodist Church. They opened all three floors of their facility for us to use and we used all of them. The view from the church , which overlooked Sante Fe, was beautiful. Adobe houses and business lined the narrow streets. After unloading, the youth and sponsors hit the streets to sight see, shop, and eat dinner. We were awestruck by the timeless beauty of Loretto Chapel and the miraculous, spiral staircase. We sat for awhile, listened for God’s voice…and we gave thanks.

Our next stop in Pueblo, Colorado was at Wesley United Methodist Church. Pastor Kim James and congregation were simply delightful as they very lovingly prepared a place for us. They fed us with a delicious pot luck dinner and gave each of us pins of honor to wear on our shirts. The love of God was evident as we sang our concert. The congregation laughed with us, clapped along with us, danced in the aisles, and stayed afterward to compliment the kids. God was at work…and we gave thanks.

The next morning we loaded up, prayed with Pastor Kim and we were off to Colorado Springs to stay in the Mountaindale Cabins. After everyone settled into their cabins, we realized there was NO internet or cellular service. What a cultural shock to all of us! After the reality of the situation, the kids found their way to the playground where they played volleyball, they played on the swing set, they played horseshoes, and sat as group on the picnic tables. Without the interruption of cell phones and computers, the group had the opportunity to bond as a Christian family…and we gave thanks.

The second day in Colorado Springs we were busy. We visited the Olympic Training Center, sang at the Cadet Air Force Academy Chapel, visited the Cheyenne Zoo, and finished the day at ITZ pizza. It was a beautiful and meaningful day…and we gave thanks.

The next day UMC Amarillo was waiting for us with open arms. Again, another United Methodist Church graciously gave us their facility for the evening. After a 9 hour bus ride to Amarillo, it was great fun to play in the water and have water balloon fights. The people in Amarillo were precious. They were thrilled to have us and were eager to hear our stories about our trip. We exchanged beautiful words as we departed…and we gave thanks.

Saturday morning we headed for Groom, Texas to see the Stations of the Cross. It made a profound impact on the youth as they made their personal pilgrimages from station to station that featured life sized sculptures of the events that lead to Christ’s Crucifixion.

Our next stop was our last stop at Trinity United Methodist Church in Wichita Falls, Texas. Our dinner and breakfast was prepared by the hands of a group of church members. That evening the boys played ball as all the girls French braided their hair. We also had the opportunity that night for each youth to share the highs and lows of the trip and how their experiences brought them closed to God. On Sunday morning we worshiped with the congregation at Trinity United Methodist Church. We sang, we prayed, we listened to the Word of God…and we gave thanks.

As we headed home to First United Methodist Church Irving, we recalled the wonderful opportunities that we had to sing for other United Methodist Churches and the gracious people we encountered. We were awed as we recalled the magnificent grandeur of the Rocky Mountains where we played, we prayed… and we gave thanks.

We arrived home to our loving families Sunday afternoon…and we gave thanks for First United Methodist Church Irving for loving and supporting our youth! AND WE GIVE THANKS!!!!!!!!

Susan Smith

Youth Choir Tour - Amarillo & Wichita Falls

2011-06-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

So we just landed in Wichita Falls, Texas. Everyone here, already, is so nice. They had tables set up or to eat and stuff and gave us some basketballs so that we could play some ball! We are going to warm up in the morning, sing, then after we done we are going to load up for the very last time, and head on home!!! I cant wait!

Nia

P.S. I’m sick, homesick, Adios!

As of now, we are sitting in Trinity UMC in Wichita Falls. Eli thinks he is the coolest chaperone. :) Today, during yet another long bus ride, we stopped in Groom, Texas to view a famous rendition of the stations of the cross.

Liz Parks

Some might ask how it’s been going. Well, while I’m listening to people playing basketball, I’ll tell you. The night before we had stopped in Amarillo. Now, first off, we had been on the road for six hours, so we were a wee bit dodgy. Now, honestly, when we got to the church in Amarillo, we were like “You have got to be kidding me.” It smelled in the Fellowship Hall, the girls got the Youth room (which had a TV), and WE THE MEN got stuffed into the recreation room. Later that evening, we basically had this EPIC water balloons OLYMPICS. Afterwards, Matthew, Thomas, and Hunter were scaring people in the hallway leading to the Fellowship Hall (I might have helped one or two times. No one saw me do it! You can’t prove anything! !) ) While all that was going on, we had an EPIC, four-player TO THE DEATH game of EGYPTIAN RATSCREW. Zane won after about thirty long minutes of playing. Now, Haley Ivey was not feeling too well, so she was really lethargic at the time. Then, after she wins a hand, she randomly lets out this MUAW-HA-HA-HA-HA out of nowhere and me, Zane and Colton are just laughing hysterically. Afterwards, we found out that Haley and Brandon’s uncle on their Father’s side had a heart-attack. We prayed for him and learned that he was lucky to be alive. Eerily, it happened right as we were all telling scary stories in our room. I won’t go into detail, but lets put it simply like this: they involved a hook, a clown statue, a ringing phone, two dogs, a married couple, an engaged couple, Squidward’s Suicide (Youtube video: don’t watch), a butcher’s knife, and a crazy donkey-lady centaur. I couldn’t get any sleep that night for fear that someone or something was going to sneak in and kill me. But, those fears proved futile. Then today, we had to sit another six hours in the bus. But, on the way, we stopped in the town of Groom to look at the largest cross in the western hemisphere and at statues that depicted the twelve stations of Jesus’s journey to ascension. Among the things there was a building where they showed a photo of the replica of the Shroud that covered Jesus, and they had a picture of him on one side, showing what Jesus looked like. And, what struck a chord in me was the memorial to all the innocent kids that were aborted. By the marker, there was a statue of Jesus kneeling, crying, while holding a poor, young, gone FETUS IN HIS HAND! ISN”T LIFE SACRED ANYMORE!? I now have a slightly better understanding of the love and nature of Jesus Christ, the Son of God the Father. Life is SACRED. Martin Ngyuen, Jimmy Ngyuen, Shelby Anderson, Sean Cawthon, Zane Cawthon, Refuge, and whoever else is out there and reading this, let Jesus Christ’s love show, let your light be shone, and go light your world. And know that God the Father, God the Son, Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Ghost love every one of you.

Yorn - Everett

Second to last day of our very long Choir Tour! This has been a lot of fun. I am so grateful for the people around me. We are such a big happy family now. This trip has made us so much closer. Yes, we have had hard times, we have fought, we have complained, we have all been annoyed by each other, but at the end of the day. We all love each other. Last night we had a big wonderful water balloon fight. It was lots of fun! In my opinion we had a little more fun filling up the balloons then the actual fight. Michelle, Marcella, Miranda, and Adriana, and I had lots of fun last night, giggling and talking last night. When we got to Groom, Texas we got off the bus. I didn’t know what to expect when we got there. We went to the Stations of the Cross we were told to go alone. I went through, it was amazing. See you tomorrow.

SavannahLeigh

So the last two days have been the best couple days of the trip because we got to go to the Air Force Academy and sing! Then we had an awesome time on the bus & also got to see the Royal Gorge. Today we stopped in Groom, TX and got to go to the humungous cross and had fun there.

Colin Craft

We have had an awesome trip. To day we visited the sight of the largest cross in the Western Hemisphere. Also the sight of the last steps of our LORD Jesus Christ. It changed my life forever.

Colton Howard

Youth Choir Tour - Day 4 - Colorado Springs, CO

2011-06-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was full of EPIC WIN! We started off the day with a trip to the Garden of the Gods. Eli bought me these awesome shades at the gift shop, and the gigantic rocks were cool too.... Sydney was actually able to crawl through this crack in this one rock and crawl out the other side!! It was impressive. The weather left something to be desired, but other than that it was a great day! We then drove to the US Air Force Academy, where we sang in the Chapel. The building was absolutely gorgeous, and we ate lunch at the local Subway ( xP ). In the Air Force gift shop I accidentally cut a gash in my arm on a coat rack. Keri has pictures of it... After that, June our bus driver drove us to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, the highlight of my day! The CM Zoo is impressively laid out, and all the animals seem to enjoy themselves as they interact with the visitors. Peacocks, chipmunks, and wallabies roam freely, while orangutans and siamangs love to show off. A gorilla threw a rock at us, and giraffes love to be patted on the head. My favorite animals were the grizzly bears, who were playing in the water, and the Pallas’ Cat, who is the same size as a regular house cat, only it is a lot fluffier and could probably beat the crap out of a tiger. Those little things were feisty and awesome, and I was thoroughly disappointed when I discovered that the gift shop did not host Pallas’ Cat merchandise. Once the zoo closed, we travelled to iT’Z Entertainment, where we divulged in pizza buffets, video games, and the Mavs game. Speaking of which, GO MAVS! WOOHOO!! Alright, I think I’ve said enough, so I will hand the laptop over to Kimmy. Bye for now!!

----Zane C.iii

Yesterday was SO MUCH FUN!! We went to Garden of the Gods, and Colin and I walked ahead of everyone, (slowpokes) The scenery was so pretty and I felt exhilarated walking through the rocks. After that we went to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, it was so cool. They had animals roaming around the zoo. Then we went to ITZ Entertainment. We ate pizza, played tons of games, and rode rides! When we got back to the cabin Liz, Alicia, Nia, Mrs. Keri, and I were sitting on the couch looking at all of the pictures from the week, when Mrs. Susan comes in telling us she heard growling. We all quieted down and heard the growling of a bear! Mrs. Susan went into her room because the window was open, and looked out just in time to see a mama bear right by our cabin porch! It was so scary! -Until Tomorrow.

Haley Hurst

This week has been very wonderful. The youth group has gotten so much closer. We are all getting along for the most part. We still have a little way to go, but we’re getting there. I am so grateful of the people around me! Yesterday was so much fun. We went to the Garden of the Gods, it was so beautiful. Then, we went and sang at the Air Force Academe. The chapel we sang in was one of the most beautiful chapel’s I have ever seen. Then we ate at the Subway there on campus. We then went to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, the animals were so active. They weren’t all asleep or anything like the Dallas Zoo usually is. Some monkeys were showing off to us and twirling around and swinging on the vines. We then headed to ITZ Entertainment Pizza Palace. At first we weren’t that excited about it. We thought it was going to be like the one is Euless, but it was actually a whole lot more fun! There was a ride there, and bumper cars. I called the guy that worked the ride, Mr Man! His real name was Henry but he also called me Ms Lady, He was funny. We watched the Mavs Game in the bus. We were a little loud when we won though. It was a pretty awesome day!. Today, We have been in the bus for about 4 to 5 hours and we still have a lot of driving to do! -

SavannahLeigh

Of all of the days, I think that yesterday was the best. First, we went to the Garden of the Gods where we saw some amazing rock formations and Pastor Sean taught us a powerful lesson about possession. Next, we went to the Air Force Academy where we performed a few select songs in the Protestant chapel. Then we finished our tour by learning about the history of of the Catholic, Jewish and Buddhist chapels. After that,we rushed down to the zoo. I think this was my favorite part of the whole day. Some of us got the opportunity to feed the giraffes and monkeys. All of the animals at this zoo were very active. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was the highlight of the day, being clean, uncrowded, and overall a great experience. Finally, after the zoo we made our way to ITZ Pizza. We were all kind of tired, but we actually had lots of fun playing bumper cars and playing games. Again, thank you for all of your support! We are having a blast!

Liz P.

Hey y’all! So my favorite day by far in my entire life was when we went to the mountains, and we had a lesson, talked about some stuff, and we went back to the bus. Before that, we went to the olympic training place; it was sooo amazing! I hope to go back there sometime to play professional volleyball. After we went to the mountains, we went to go find where we were going to stay for the next two days. When we all found our cabins and such, we went out side to one of the cabins, and had some homemade burgers and hot dogs, and BOY WHERE THEY GOOD!!!! After most of us finished, we played around some, took a break, and after a while we had a family game of volleyball. I had so much fun! Some other people were playing a horse shoe game and all of us just had an amazing fun-loving day!

Nia-Chanel Sage Brock Guinn 3rd

P.S. We hadn’t sang that day.

P.P.S. That’s not my real name.

P.P.P.S. Colin and I are making a church version of “Look at me Now”

P.P.P.P.S. I fed a monkey and a giraffe at the amazing zoo!

Howdy y’all its Heidi!!! So we are half way to Amarillo,cant wait to get there cause I can take a nap:D The bus right now is boring but at least we are watching the sandlot; its amazing!!! My new name is Maria Cardona, because all the Cardona’s start with a “M’, my brothers name is Mikey (Hunter Hurst) Dri Dris is Meagan!!! PEACE LOVE BYe!!!

Youth Choir Tour - Day 4 - Colorado Springs, CO

2011-06-11T14:28:00.000-07:00

This morning we went to the Royal Gorge. We went to a viewing area that had the most breathtaking view of the gorge. We had a lesson on the rocks that spoke to me in such a strong way. I realized that the twenty-something of us will never be in the same place all at once together again, and that we should cherish the memories and experiences we are getting. After the lesson Susan gave Heidi and I a ballet lesson on the railing of the gorge! It was so funny! I can’t wait to get to Pikes Peak and start our hike! Love the views, but hate the ear popping.

Haley Hurst

We were just at Royal Gorge. There was some miscommunication and it turned out that it cost 25 dollars per person to walk across the bridge. Instead we walked over to the free viewing point where the view was amazing. Matthew jumped over the fence and fell to his doom while Haley Hurst did ballet. No, just kidding. Haley Ivey said I should type this and for some reason I did. Matthew didn’t jump, but Haley H. was doing ballet. Anyway, we sat on the rocks that we weren’t supposed to climb on while Sean spoke about high points in our life.

-Sydney Farris

So what happened was .... LOL We are having a good time right now, or at least I am, and we are on our way somewhere . I don’t know where but in sure wherever it is it’ll be fun . So far I’ve had a good time on this trip , I look forward to coming on this trip next year if they have it again. PEace Out! .

-Jesse P .

We are sitting on the bus right now talking bout school and life, while eating suckers. This trip has been the best experience of my life! I’m so happy I did what I had to do to be here. I cant wait for the other things they have planed for us! Well, thanks for everything everyone. I’m so grateful for all y’all have done well much love!

<3 -Miranda Cardona:D-

Today, we are all a little stinky. At the church we stayed at last night,there were no showers. That’s OK, though because tonight at the cabins we are all gonna get to shower and sleep on a bed at last! Right now we are on the bus, just joking around. It turns out that Kim is really a kid at heart. The choir tour so far has been lots of fun. Thanks for all of your support! -Liz Parks

I have erased the original blog. I hope people who read it will only remember it as a immediate joke that the purpose of it was to bring a smile. I am going to instead share a personal section of my journal in compensation of my original blog. I hope to share this with kids so they may ponder upon my thought.

Watching The Chronicle of Narnia

I remember the time. I remember the time when I perceived this world idealistically, rather than realistically. My purest dream was drawn in the white clouds amid the sky.

I used to watch this movie called ‘Hook’ religiously. It was the story or Peterpan. It is the story every kid would happily accept. But what is the factor behind it? Isn’t it the child’s wildest dream come true that totally flow against the reality?

Someone once told me that people should be careful of the small changes we overlook. It is the indifferent reaction toward our slow-changing minds.

If it were a significant event that shakes the life, one could, if he/she is wise, contemplate on the effect and how it shapes our perspective.

It was the time, while I was busy growing up and slowly exposed of worldly view, which killed, or at least tried, my purest dream. As long as we are reminded of and try to pursue this dream, this dream will survive, even once lost. I won’t blind myself again by focusing my eyes only on the road toward this world, which consequently may allow my dream to fall behind.

This movie reminded me of the precious time I used to dream. I can dream again.

Kim

This morning was really awesome, because it was so cold in the room that i was curled up in my sleeping bag. It has been really hot in the rooms we have stayed at, but I am really thankful that the church people of the churches we stayed at opened their doors for us. Today we went to Royal Gorge, it was really beautiful looking from the top of canyon down. The rail road running parallel with the awesome fast flowing river. Sean’s lesson was amazing and made me stop and think. -Brandon Miles Ivey

Mk, so we just got back on the bus after touring the USA Olympic Complex! It was quite enjoyable! We toured the grounds and saw the Swimming facility, the weightlifting and wrestling building, and the Shooting Gallery. What interested me most was probably the flags of all 204 countries that have competed in the Olympics, and the torches from 1984, 1996, and 2002. I was going to attempt to name all the flags by heart, as I recognized most of them, but alas, we were forced to leave and take a group picture and then get on the bus. Bye for now!!! :D

---- Zane Cawthon

Youth Choir - Day 3 - Pueblo, CO

2011-06-07T21:40:00.001-07:00

We made it to Colorado. It has been fun so far. I will get to see a couple of family members coming to see us sing at the Air Force Academy from Boulder and Denver. God help us be safe the rest of the trip.

Colton Howard

Hey, its Adriana again and it feels like its already been 4 days with the youth. I think its because of the LONG bus rides. We stopped at Walmart and had a blast. We keep on saying this random thing like WooooHoooo and once one person says it all the others say it! Also, the sponsors play scrabble on the ipad. All the youth are worn out and sleep a lot on the bus. The Wesley UMC church is SOOOOOO nice and thoughtful. They threw a whole potluck dinner for us it was delicious. The performance was amazing & I think we lifted a lot of spirits! There was also a cute boy in the audience... hahaha. Heidi also liked him too!!! hahahaha. Well, that church was very sweet! I’m watching the Mav’s game so I guess I’m signing off! God bless-

Adriana C.

Wow, its day three! It feels like its been a week already. At St. John’s yesterday, it was crazy! The guy showers were right next to the girl showers, so when the girls were in line for the shower, we could here the guy talking in there shower room. Well, Matthew and Colin were in the showers and Liz and I could here them. We head Matthew say “Okay, you go take your boxers off over there, and I’ll take mine off over here” And Liz and I just started cracking up! At Wesley United Methodist Church, when we sang, there were few people, but I saw it was one of our best performances ever! When we sang ‘Go Light Your World’ I almost cried, it was so powerful. There was very little people, but it was still very good. Until tomorrow-

SavannahLeigh

OK, so it’s been three days since we left the church. We have had SOOOOO much fun so far. We are finally in Colorado! I’m loving the food, and the churches that we are sleeping in. Today the service was small, but cute.

Alicia Lancaster

OH My Goodness! It’s only the third day! It has been so jam packed with activities! Today we left New Mexico, and headed to Colorado. People in New Mexico aren’t very nice people! Today we sang for a church in Pueblo, Co. the people were so sweet, a lady told me she loved watching me sing because she could tell my heart was really with god! I cannot wait to go to Colorado Springs, It’ll be AWESOME!!

Keep it Jiggy -

Haley Hurst

Well, this has been fun! We are in Pueblo, CO!! After leaving Santa Fe, with its less than hospitable people, we travelled in June’s bus to Las Vegas, New Mexico, where we stopped at a Wal-Mart! Then we ate sandwiches on the bus and said goodbye to New Mexico, and at around 4 we arrived at Wesley UMC in Pueblo, Colorado! The people here are soooo nice! We rehearsed in their really hot and muggy sanctuary, and were then treated to a fabulous dinner cooked by members of the church! After eating we performed a wonderful concert! Probably the best of the trip so far! Then we split up in their tiny church building, some playing ping pong, some (aka Matthew and Everett) playing cards, some watching the Mavs WIN GAME 4, and others watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Secret of the Ooze while heckling it mercilessly. Now everyone’s winding down, some munching on pasta salad (Donna and Mama Jauregui), Everett and Matt still playing cards, and me watching Bambi by myself :)

Good night, everyone! God bless!!! :)

---Zane C.

Youth Choir Tour - Day 2 - Santa Fe, NM

2011-06-07T07:47:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day! I had fun when we got to actually get off the bus and walk around. Today, unlike yesterday, we were stuck on the bus all day long! We got to go swimming & we got to see some stair case that was built in 1877. I’m having a lot of fun which counts the most!

Colin Craft

I had a fun day today, the breakfast was really good. We rode on the bus which was cool because we watched The Little Rascals. When we got to Santa Fe we stopped and toured this really interesting beautiful church steeple. We looked around and shopped and I got some really good deals on some stuff. Today was really awesome because we also went swimming. Thank you every one.

Brandon Ivey

We headed out to New Me-Hi-Co today. On the way I bought a really cool book called Starfist: Double Jeopardy. It’s basically a military sci-fi, y’all should look it up. Breakfast was great, was able to play Halo 2 before we left Plainview. The smoke out here in Santa Fe, though stinks. It seems to be coming from the Arizona fires, so our throats are going to be burning from time to time (or at least mine). Otherwise, it has been amazing. You know, when we went to a restaurant called The Shack, they were so booked that out of the four tables that ate there, only two of those tables finished in a decent amount of time; the other tables were caught in the dinner rush. This has been a God-given day anyway, so we can all be happy and glad for another day.

“Yorn” Everett

Well, NM is SOOOOOO barren but AWESOME there was a cross in the mountain and Adriana and Colin had fun at McDonald’s and guess what....we are already getting tired of each other soo, yay fun signing off.

HALEY I.

Today was awesome. We all had so much fun on the bus but we got pretty tired and went and walked around downtown Santa Fe. We all had fun eating at The Shed. Now, we are staying in Santa Fe and hopefully it is going to be a good night. Hunter Hurst

Where to begin, where to begin. I can’t just make a paragraph of all the awesome things we did, so I’ll make a list instead: awesome road trips, apples to apples, swimming, video games, watching the Mavs, basketball, football, soccer, pool, ping-pong, cards, sleep (a lot), listening to music, birthdays, New Mexico, whoopee cushion, mustaches, The Shack, dance, board games, sombreros, very rude lady (everywhere in Santa Fe), singing, meet Kim, girls taking forever in the bathroom, staying up all night, and of course praising the Lord.

MATTHEW JAUREGUI

Choir Tour 2011 - Day 1 - Plainview, TX

2011-06-05T19:35:00.000-07:00

Here is a brief over view of day one from some of our kids.......

I had so much fun already!!!! We just sang to Plainview First United Methodist Church. We are about to eat.This gym is amazing!!! I would like to thank Keri and Eli for setting this all up for us. I also want to thank Susan for being a GREAT choir director. Can’t wait to see what’s next!!! BLESS YOU ALL!!!<3 -

Heidi Hurst (Happy birthday Adriana, I love you!)

Oh my goodness! this trip is already amazing and we JUST got started it’s June 5th, my birthday and I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend it with all my Refuge friends and sponsors and praising the Lord to top it all off! The bus trip was LONG but fun! We saw some good movies and I learned more about all my Refuge members and got to see different sites but no cows yet D’: ! I fell asleep in the bus and Nia put sunglasses on me and took a picture of me. (I’m a heavy sleeper obviously!) well we finally made it to our first destination in Planeview Texas and their youth building is AMAZING! I love their gym and game room and the kitchen! hahaha We preformed and did amazing like always had a small audience but hey we got the message to them! Well its late and I’m signing off.

GodBless - Colunga <3

Having a good time spending it with friends and seeing the faces of the people we are singing to light up. I really can’t wait until we get to Colorado. I love the people and I love the state. The bus is really interesting with the movies we are watching. Today we watched the I Love Lucy show. I’m hanging with Sydney and my sister Haley and I am being nice to of them. I love you all and thank you for the people that helped make this trip possible for me.

Brandon Miles Ivey

Today we got at the church at 7:30 AM. We sang in the service and left around 11. The ride to Plainview, Texas was very long. At one point I thought that we were never going to get here. It felt like we were going to be in the bus the rest of the trip. But eventually we got here at 5:30. We were so happy to get here and set up our bedding and lay down a little while. We hung out and got our computers, iPods, Macbooks, iPhones and phones, and we relaxed. Then we had to get back and sing again. We practiced for 45 minutes, then we sang for the church community of Plainview United Methodist Church. Then we ate a wonderful meal made my Shardel Brock. All in all, it was a good day and I hope tomorrow is even better.

Blessings, SavannahLeigh

Today we started our journey to Colorado. We got to Plainview, Tx at about 5:30, and saw the beautiful church facility we would be staying in. The bus ride felt never-ending, but at least our bus allowed us spread out and watch movies. I am having so much fun, and can’t wait to continue this week singing praises to the Lord, and lifting up the spirits of our audiences.

Haley Hurst

I just finished doing the dishes!!! Woohoo!!! :D We started our Refuge ROCKS tour with our first performance in Plainview, Texas! The Plainview UMC crowd was few, but grateful. The church is magnificent, with stained glass and a wonderful spire. Our bus driver, June, is really nice, and our time on the road is a lot of fun! With Sean falling asleep with his mouth open, going through towns like Floydada and Matador, and watching Napolean Dynamite, the FUMC Irving Youth Choir Tour has gotten off to a GREAT start!!!

Zane Cawthon

Welcome!

2011-06-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our NEW Refuge Blog! We are starting this blog so that the youth can post about Refuge events. We are going to let the youth start posting on here during Choir Tour. Please check back daily for new blogs from your youth!

"I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:2

"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;" Psalm 98:4