How many servants can you fit in a mission?

42. The number of men, women and children here from Bagot, Manitoba (blip on map) having a weekend missions experience.

Our Prep:

• Lists and more lists of to do's!
• Supplies and materials purchased.
• Prayer.
  

Their Prep:

• Bagging 2 tons of potatoes to haul to the Soup Kitchen.
• Thrift Store bargain hunting for our needs list.
• Fund raising chili cook-off.
• Lots of TDA's.
• Signing release forms.
• Finding vehicles and drivers.
• Baking breakfast muffins and snacks.
• Arranging the work crews.
• Finalizing to do lists and details.
• Having planning meetings galore.
• Prayer.
• Worship service practise.
• Arranging bedding and air mattresses for sleeping on the Mission floor.
• Shopping for our needs list.
• One Sunday's offering designated for the Mission.
• Finding men with special skills and tools to help frame our Emergency Shelter Rooms.

I could go on and on. But the point I want to make here is that this group did more than just show up at our doorstep Thursday night.

And, like any Missions trip, they were prepped for the chaotic adventure that is RESCUE. Timelines got bumped, jobs got switched, people got sick, a blizzard blew up, Ex-Lax was eaten as a chocolate bar... all the usual tales!

Was it worth it? From our perspective? A big whopping "yes." Why? Why do we think that having this huge group invading our space for three whole days, causing us to go without a day off for a week or two, and having us live in general disarray all weekend?

Results, that's why!

What They Did:

• Men: Complete steel stud framing for our Emergency Shelter. Now, instead of 12 men sharing one huge room, two people have walls and a door and some privacy! It also allows us to collect some rent from those on our WaitList Program.
• Youth: Cold calling to 200 businesses to help us raise sponsorships for our Love Your Neighbour Fund Raising Banquet and Graduation Ceremony.
• Women: Sorted entire garage in preparation for World's Largest Garage Sale!
• Children: Deep Cleaned Soup Kitchen, Made sandwiches for Coffee House.