Phoenix Servant Event 2009 – Martin Luther Chapel
Dear Friends,
We are excited to write you both to thank you for all your support and to share with you the awesome week we had. God was truly present, and it was wonderful to see Him working in & through us all week! Hopefully this letter will provide a glimpse into our experience, but as words fall short, just know you were part of something amazing.
We flew into Phoenix on Saturday, March 7th, and that night we were blessed with the opportunity to visit Pete & Helen Miller who have hosted groups in the past. Unfortunately, they were unable to do so this year because of medical reasons, and we ask that you join us as we continue to hold them in our prayers.
On Sunday, we got to worship our God in many different ways. At the evening service at Christ Church Lutheran, Ashley, Ben, Carissa, Holly, Matt, & Steve A. joined the high school band in leading worship which was a powerful experience for all. We also toured Arizona State University after our visit to Alleluia Church which was a blast.
Monday began our work week at Oro Vista, a Habitat for Humanity community in southern Phoenix. Throughout the week, Matt greatly improved his hammering skills as did we all. Ashley made a great “level girl,” and Ben took a shift as the “shovel guy.” Carissa & Holly paint trim while Steve A. and Lauren spent a morning on the roof, and Katherine and Ashley put up a “perfect column.” Jordan & Steve S. put 32 nails in countless hurricane brackets, and Julie lent a hand in many different ways from nailing to caulking to insulating. On Wednesday several of us joined forces to put walls up in one of the houses which was a new experience for all. You also should know that God placed many incredible guys at Habitat to support and patiently teach us. Paul, Dale, Roy, Bill, Pat, Katie, Thor and many others were a blessing to us even as we were there to serve.
Our work week finished up on Thursday at Valley Lutheran High School where we split up into groups to wash cars, clean an alley, and weed the baseball diamond. They were so excited to have us, and it was great to see how we could serve in a new and different way. Thursday evening was spent at Celebrate Recovery, a worship service for people dealing with “hurts, habits, and hang-ups.” We all were deeply touched by our time there as we were reminded that each and every one of us deals with our own “addictions” that we need to turn over to God.
Outside of work, we had some equally amazing experiences. Ashley, Ben, Carissa, Holly, Jordan, Julie, Katherine, Lauren, Matt, Steve A., and Steve S. (yup, that’s all of us!), successfully hiked to the top of Squaw Peak. Our time at the Grand Canyon was awe-inspiring and fun, though some people got too close to the edge for Lauren’s comfort. Paul & Kathi Unterbrink, our coordinators, had us over for dinner one night which was delicious to say the least, and we had our own barbeque on Wednesday.
Needless to say, we were all exhausted by the time Saturday rolled around, but it was still hard to say goodbye to Phoenix. As we return to MSU, we are reminded of the sign posted at the exit from Christ Church Lutheran: “You are now entering the mission field.” It was amazing to spend the week serving as Christ’s hands and feet, and we can’t wait to see what new opportunities God has in store for us back at State.
Thank you again for all of your support!
Yours in Christ,
Steve Anderson and Lauren Paluta – The Leaders
Team Phoenix, 2009
Ashley Paluta, Ben Bain, Carissa Campbell, Holly Balentine, Jordan Lindsey, Julie Schaeff, Katherine Bowlby, Lauren Paluta, Matt Gorris, Steve Anderson, & Steve Schaeff
