Couselor Tribute

Once upon a time, a few months ago in the land of Hyde Park Youth

Things were a little shaky, a little rocky, to tell you the truth.

The number of youth was lacking, but that didn’t matter

Because the counselors weren’t slacking.

Eric, the bad bad man, had taken control

Trying to put kids back on the roll.

His passion for worship, service and U2charist

Made Eric a number one leader on our list.

Not long after, a knight in shining armor galloped in,

Giving Eric more time with family and work again.

Our trusty Dave Sippel, amazed us with his faith and humor, he was never a bore.

We all rejoiced as we sang “Lord listen to your children pray”

Send us love, send us hope, send us DAVE!

We were back into the swing of things with retreats, missions and activities planned

And everyone was like “DANG DAVE’S THE MAN.”

Now we can’t forget the fierce and daring clan,

Our volunteer counselors who helped everything go as planned.

Oh you know we got ELO, she’s been holding down the fort,

She’s been here the longest her time hasn’t been short.

Her obsession with Bon Jovi and sarcasm and love

Have helped shape our faith and make her a cut above.

Fiery Catherine with her camera at her side,

C-Beit just keeps coming back-she can’t get enough this ride.

For all our amazing counselors, we’re grateful for all you do,

The youth wouldn’t be the same without you.

Your love and inspiration make us who we are today,

You’ve taught us how to love, how to laugh and how to pray.

We can’t believe your commitment and the time you’ve given us.

You’ve put us before your family and job without making a fuss.

We’ll never forget the stories to tell and memories we’ve made,

It’s times like these that we would never trade.

So thanks again for just being you,

There aren’t enough ways to say how much we love you.

Lillie Manescala, Plant High School

Nothing Special!?

Hello, my name is Mary Krantz, and I was one of the youth who attended the Atlanta Mission trip. When I heard that the mission trip was going to be in Atlanta, I was just a bit disappointed, I go to Atlanta every year to visit family, and I’ve been around town, and I couldn’t remember any times where I looked around Atlanta and specifically thought “this would be a good spot for a mission trip” the city seemed fine, so I wondered what we would be doing as our mission. When we got to Atlanta, we went to a church that would be our home base. There we were all divided into teams, and each team had a name, and I anxiously awaited to hear where our team would be serving. I soon found out that we would be working at a place called “The Frazier Center”, which was a building where half of the building was a daycare, for small children of all ages, What made this daycare different, was that they allowed children with or without disabilities. The other half of the building was where adults that were mentally and/or physically disabled, could spend their time working on activities that would help them to function in other areas of life.

I soon found that in the mornings, I would spend my time rocking baby’s to sleep in my arms, shaking toys in front of babies, and making sure they were sleeping in their right cribs, drinking out of their bottle, and making sure they are using the right blanket. In the afternoons, I would go and talk with the adults. They would ask me questions, and we’d discus different topics, and occasionally I would find us talking about the same thing over and over again, but I would keep the conversation going. I also participated in a very interesting game of ‘Sorry’, with a couple of other people, and Meg Weiss. one of the men I was playing with, Ben, seemed to be in charge of the rules and kind of controlled the game, he told us when to go, and sometimes we would get to go twice in a row, or not get to go for about five turns, and then on Ben’s turn, he would decide to move people back spaces, and he would go many more spaces that he was supposed to, but we would sit back and watch him, letting him play the game how he wanted to play it, knowing that the game would just end up to one person winning anyway, (which, unsurprisingly turned out to be Ben).

And around the middle of the week, I started thinking, that I didn’t really think this was a great way to spend my time, I wasn’t doing anything particularly special, I mean, ANYONE could be doing what I was doing, wasn’t there supposed to be a special job that only I could do?

Some task that was part of GOD’S master plan for me, that only I could complete? All that I was doing was shaking toys in babies faces, rocking them to sleep, and finding some way to please the babies if they cried. With the adults, all I was doing was talking to them, often about something that wasn’t really important, and playing games where we didn’t even follow the rules!

What was special about what I was doing?

Was I really going to change the babies lives just because I helped them out for a week? But then, I realized that I was missing something, and then the big picture popped into my mind. I was doing to these children and adults, what GOD does for me, sometimes, GOD has to shake answers in front of my face before I realize it, when I am sad, he comforts me, when I am not in spiritual “crib” he places me where I was supposed to be, he feeds me spiritually when I am hungry. Thinking about my prayers, I realized that God probably listens to the same stories over and over from me. And he is infinitely patient with me when I try to play ‘games’ by my own rules. Even though I might not be playing the game how the rules state it should be played, GOD knows, that it will end up with him in the end, and he will love me unconditionally no matter what. What I was doing in Atlanta was what GOD meant for me, and everyone to do, to share GOD’s love with everyone, no matter how different people are.

I hope you will go out now and share GOD’S love with others, remembering that even the smallest of tasks are part of GOD’S plan for your life. thank-you.

Mary Krantz, Coleman Middle School, Testimony from Youth Sunday, August 5, 2007

Judge Not!

Hey did you guys like totally check out like that girl out front today? OMG like total fashion like suicide! I mean did u see that bag! Stripes don’t go with polka dots that’s like a serious pra- DUH! Where does she think she is! THE STREETS!

Judgment - the ability to judge, make a decision, or form an opinion objectively as from circumstances presented to the mind. Hello my name is Lauryn Bodden and I attended this year’s mission trip to Toronto where god showed me a lot about judgment. Through our sites I was able to see that just because someone is different doesn’t mean we can set them aside from the rest and treat them differently. We don’t know where they’re from or what they have been through. The only thing we can maybe tell by the looks of their appearance is if they shop at Abercrombie and fitch or Walmart which in any case doesn’t even matter.

Walking into the Salvation Army Church where Youthworks was stationed I was greeted by this awkward, lanky stranger who decided to perform an Nsync dance that night as a way to introduce himself. To be honest Darcy kind of freaked me out a bit when I first met him, but as the week went on I was able to see him for who he really was which is a loving, crazy, and fun guy who loves to serve the Lord. At one point in the week my worksite group prepared dinner. Now looking at some of the people in my group such as Andrew Burger, Charles Silverfield, Michelle Potter, these strange Connecticut boys, and myself you might think this is a recipe for disaster. Well you would be right. There was spaghetti, garlic, and cucumbers covering every inch of the room including the ceiling. Not to mention we almost burned the building down. Darcy was in charge of our dinner crew that night and after looking at the damages we caused he looked us in the eye and said, “THAT…WAS THE MOST FUN I HAVE EVER HAD EVER! God was actually able to show me through Darcy that you shouldn’t be quick to judge someone because they are not like everyone else. In all that time your wasting on forming stupid opinions of them you could be getting to know a really cool person.

Darcy was just the beginning of my week in Toronto though. Our last day doing mission work my crew went Salvation Army to serve food. Rushing from table to table, carrying trays loaded with meals good enough to be served at any gourmet restaurant I never knew I could have so much fun in my life. The atmosphere was friendly and the people were wonderful. All this may be true, but when we were told to sit down and talk to them in our spare time I froze. It wasn’t where these people came from that scared me, but what would I say? What if there was awkward silence?

All day there had been this one man sitting in the same spot, alone. When I asked if he would like anything else to eat he simply said no and went back to sipping his coffee. Our time was about to end at our site and I kept having this feeling every time I looked at this man like god wanted me to step out of my comfort zone and talk to him. It was as if Robert heard what God was saying to me and knew his plan, opening his arms for me to come join him. Hearing his story was amazing. He was from Argentina, where he traveled to Italy, made his way to our hometown Tampa, and ended his journey in Toronto. He was an incredible artist and sold his paintings on the streets. He even played soccer when he was little which I can definitely relate to! No joke Robert probably could have written a novel on his whole journey through. In the end I realized that my offering of friendship to Robert meant more to him than the meals we were serving that day. Leaving Robert to go back was like losing one of my close friends. I have a feeling that God worked not through me that day, but through Robert. He helped me in more ways than I could have ever helped him. God made me realize that someone may come from somewhere else or have different customs, but they are still people; people with feelings and stories to share.

Robert also, gave me a piece of his art to remember him by.

A poem titled:

Friendship

It’s natural, it’s fun, it’s fair

It’s healthy, lively

With plenty to share

It’s sharing the good times

Along with the bad

It’s working together

And not getting mad

It’s helping each other

And showing you care

It’s lending a hand

When no one is there

SOOO did you guys like totally check out like that girl out front today? She is… probably one of the nicest people I know.

- Lauryn Bodden, Plant High School, Testimony from Youth Sunday August 5, 2007

What others taught me this summer

Good morning. My name is Margaret Carr and I went to Canada this summer.

Toronto was, simply put, incredible.

The city itself is divided into two parts: the suburbs and the downtown metropolis. The opposite of south Tampa.

Our YouthWorks location was in the suburbs. Which had a small-town feel. It was composed of little cottages and duplexes, cafes, restaurants, ice cream parlors, and thrift stores.

Downtown Toronto had a NYC feel. Big advertisements, public transportation, Starbucks on every other corner, parks and sidewalks congested with people.

Toronto is the most populous city in Canada. And the most diverse place I have ever been. Over two hundred languages are spoken in this city alone.

And all these different ethnicities live together peacefully.

But my trip wasn't memorable because of the place; it was memorable because of the people.

My worksite all week was St.Jude's Academy of the Arts, a daycare-type facility for mentally and physically handicapped adults between the ages of

18 and 56. Each day the clients participate in different activities: dance, drama, crafts, and music. We played a variety of games: jeopardy, musical chairs, charades, bowling, so you think you can dance, even a water balloon fight.

But most importantly, we formed relationships with these amazing people.

Somehow, prior to this trip, I had formulated the idea that I wanted to become a teacher for the mentally handicapped. So when I first heard that we would be working at St.Judes I was ecstatic. Others looked skeptical or nervous. But somehow I knew it would be a good experience. I felt God was placing me somewhere where I could love and learn.

Of course, St.Judes exceeded all my best expectations. The people there were filled with so much joy. They cherished simplicity and routine. They appreciated the little things. They had some of the biggest hearts I’ve ever known.

It was so easy to look into their eyes and see God.

One of the clients, probably my favorite, was a twenty-something named Jogee.

Jogee is a short, curly-haired, Indian man with the cutest and most contagious laugh ever. He doesn't understand a great deal of English, so Jogee mainly agrees with an enthusiastic "yeah!" and laughs. At absolutely everything. His constant happiness rubs off on everyone he runs into.

Jogee taught me to lighten up and laugh.

Another client was a woman named Ritu. Ritu is very smart. She can read and spell and remember. Ritu always wears a helmet. And while eating lunch on our first afternoon I must have looked at it quizzically because she explained. "I had an accident. I used to be normal. That’s why I wear a helmet. Because I don't want to get hurt again." she said.

It was heartbreaking and eye-opening all at the same time. They are people.

They are just like me. And God loves them exactly the same as he loves me.

They are people. And while I had known this previously, it suddenly sunk in.

Like never before.

Ritu taught me everyone has similarities. And everyone has a story.

Finally there was a client named Lisa. Lisa intimidated me the first time I encountered her. She in non-verbal, exceptionally strong, a little hunched over, with a facial deformity. on the final day we went bowling with the St. Jude’s clients. And I buddied up with Lisa. I couldn't help but notice after one bowl that Lisa had tears running down her face. Wiping them off, I felt helpless. What could I do for her? So I sat, holding her hand and giving her attention. Trying to silently communicate that she wasn't alone.

Lisa taught me not to judge prematurely.

After working with these unforgettable adults everyday, for a short four days, I learned so much.

I feel like my thoughts about becoming a teacher for the handicapped, or at least working with them in some fashion, have been confirmed.

I can't think of a more rewarding career.

Before Toronto I struggled with my future. What would I become? Would I be worth remembering? Would I positively impact the lives of others?

And now the questions don't seem so hard to answer.

Because God is pulling me in a direction.

He is calling me to help others.

He is showing me opportunities.

He is teaching me to truly love.

- Margaret Carr, Plant High School, Mission Testimony, Youth Sunday 2007

God's Purpose

All kids have an idea of what they want to be when they grow up. For me, it was a veterinarian. But it could be anything- a doctor, a fireman, a teacher, an architect, even a power ranger. But no matter which job kids pick, they always choose that particular one because it's how they want to make a difference in the world. Putting out fires. Building really tall buildings. Taking down the bad guys. It's all the same. They are all attempting to change the world.

Recently I've been considering God's purpose for me and how he wants me to leave my mark on this world. And I have to admit it's been a really hard subject for me. There are so many things that need to be changed and so many ways to make a difference that I've been having trouble knowing where to start. The Toronto mission trip not only showed me what specifically needed changing, but also gave me the assurance that I really can make a difference.

Toronto has a ridiculously huge amount of teenage runaways. Meaning a ridiculously huge amount of teenage homelessness. We got to experience this homelessness firsthand one of our first nights in Toronto. We walked around the downtown streets for two hours, pretending to be homeless. While we walked we were supposed to think like we were really homeless, trying to figure out where to sleep that night and what to eat the next morning. During the walk it was hard to get into it, knowing that in less than a week I would be coming back to my comfortably big house here in South Tampa. But afterward we met with Steve Martin, this amazing guy who had willingly been homeless for seventeen years, just for the experience. He knew how it felt to not have anything to eat for days. He knew how it felt to have to fight someone just to sleep on a bench. But what he said he remembered most was the way people looked at him, as if he was so far beneath them that they had absolutely no respect for him. They didn't know his story. They didn't know why he was homeless. They didn't offer him something to eat or drink. All they had for him was judgment.

In 1 Corinthians 4:5, it says so don't get ahead of the Master and jump to conclusions with your judgments before all the evidence is in. When he comes, he will bring out in the open and place in evidence all kinds of things we never even dreamed of--inner motives and purposes and prayers. Only then will any one of us get to hear the "Well done!" of God.

People rarely look at homeless people. If they ask for money, people either say no and keep walking or throw it in their direction without even looking at them, as if they are only giving it out of guilt. We should not be giving to people in need out of guilt, but out of love. And even if you don't have money to give, look them in the eye, smile at them, maybe even sit with them and get to know them. They would probably be so grateful for money because it's whats keeping them alive, but i bet they would be way more thankful for a friend. Because having someone to talk to them or just knowing they have a little respect is keeping their hope and faith alive.And hope and faith will keep them alive a lot longer then food or money ever could.

I've always believed that God loves everyone, but this year's mission trip showed me that God wants us to love everyone the way He does- fully and without judgement. That week, I was up close and personal with real problems that thousands of people face, but when at home I'm completely blinded from. I love living in South Tampa, but sometimes i get so caught up in my own world here, that i become blinded from injustices that I know God wants us all to see and respond to. I'm so happy we finally went on an urban city mission trip because we saw so many needs there and then we came back home and saw so many of the same needs here. I know i can't make any more excuses for why I'm not making the world a better place. There are opportunites every where i turn now- people who are in need, places that need volunteers. I guess they've always been there, but God has finally opened my eyes and let me see them. I've always had the desire to affect change ever since I was a kid, but now I'm finally doing it- one step at a time, I'm changing the world.

thanks! bye

Carly S, 10th Grade

Testimony given at Youth Sunday, August 5th, 2007

Service in Faith

Good morning. I want to begin by telling you a little bit about myself. My name is Jamie Johnson, and my family and I first came to Hyde Park in 2000 before I went into sixth grade. As most of you know, we regularly attend the 8:30 chapel service. I enjoy coming here and seeing all the familiar faces. My favorite part of the chapel service is that we take communion every week. That’s very important to me because I feel like my sins are washed away, and I have a fresh start for the upcoming week. While I like the traditional service, the 9:30 contemporary service is more my style. So, when this service is over, I go to the 9:30 service and enjoy the more upbeat music. From sixth grade to now, I’ve been involved in the youth group here at Hyde Park. Over the years, my youth directors, youth counselors, and friends have made a huge impact in the person I have become today and the relationship that I have with God. In less than two weeks, I’m heading off to Stetson University in Deland. I’m going in Undecided, knowing full well that God is going to be with me, and help me fulfill the calling for my life. I plan to become actively involved in the Wesley Foundation on campus, and find a new church home. My expectations are pretty high after coming to Hyde Park, so I’ll try to have an open mind.

In the summer of 2003, before I started my first year of high school, I had the unique opportunity to join the youth group on a mission trip to Costa Rica. This was my first mission trip, so going into it I had no expectations. I had decided to go because I had heard from all my friends how amazing the mission trips were, and I felt like I was missing out on something. I was just hoping to somehow make a difference in the lives of the Costa Rican people that we met.

When we got to Costa Rica, we were split into two groups: one group was building a school for the local children, and the other group was working in a small village doing repairs and whatever else needed to be done. We were assigned a group, and in the middle of the week, we switched places, so everyone had the opportunity to experience both.

I started off working at the school. Now, let me tell you. If you’ve ever had to tile a floor, you know what I’m talking about. But if you haven’t, I can honestly tell you that that is the hardest physical labor I have ever done in my entire life. Tiling a floor may seem easy, but let me let you in on a little secret: it’s really not. This is what the tiling process consisted of: We poured dried cement into a wheelbarrow and mixed it with water. Then, we took a tile and spread cement on the back of it and carefully placed it on the ground. Then we took a rubber hammer and pounded it into place. It doesn’t seem that bad, until I tell you that we were tiling the floor in the entire school.

Now, I’m not here to complain about the work I did on the mission trip or to brag about what I did either. I’m just telling you what my mindset was the first few days of the trip. I was only concerned with how much tiling there was to be done and how much we would be able to finish before the day was over. I was completely focused on getting the tiling done, instead of realizing the real purpose of the trip. It wasn’t about how much work we got done, it was about the testimonies we shared with each other and the relationships that we built with the people we met. It wasn’t until later that week that all of this seemed to come together for me.

I was sitting against the wall taking a break, and I looked up at a Costa Rican man standing next to me. He was leaning against a shovel, and he was looking at the beginnings of the school, and he was just smiling. I looked at him for awhile and realized that this meant so much to him that we were here. And, he was working right alongside us, not just watching us do all the work. In that moment, I knew that God was trying to teach me about the importance of serving others and what an invaluable lesson that is.

The purpose of serving is not to see how much you can get out of it, or what you can personally gain from it. When you serve, you should do it whole-heartedly, expecting nothing in return. Surprisingly, this selfless act is so much more rewarding than anything you could ever expect.

The youth group’s theme verse for this summer was Isaiah 1:17 which says, “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Punish those who hurt others. Help the orphans. Stand up for the rights of widows.” This summer we looked at injustice and how we as individuals, as Christians, and as a youth group, can somehow make a difference in the world around us. Last week, Dave Sippel, our youth director, talked to us about making a change now. It is our job as God’s people, to reach out and serve those around us, no matter what our age or where we are in our walk with Christ. It’s important to realize that while all of us may have our different callings in life, God has called each and every one of us to use our time, our talents, and our resources, to help those around us.

Every Sunday morning in this service, we recite the Lord’s Prayer together. Part of that prayer says, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.” Just looking at those few lines, we can see what God is calling us to do. He’s asking all of us to be like Him and show His love by humbling ourselves and being servants to others. We are to take the characteristics of Heaven, and, like Jesus, bring them into our sinful world to spread the word of God. So, from now on, whenever you speak the Lord’s Prayer, listen to what God is calling you to do. Open your heart to all the opportunities you have to serve God’s people.

We live in a world in which the word “I” is slowly drowning out the cries of the needy and smothering the helpless. We live in a world in which the only way to find true happiness is not in helping and serving others through Christ, but through finding the next quickest, easiest way to help ourselves benefit, no matter what the price. As a society, we have become blinded to the needs of the world around us, whether it’s AIDS in Africa or the homeless men and women who congregate here in the Activities Center every Sunday morning. We selfishly consider ourselves the top priority in our lives, and that is precisely what God doesn’t want us to do. Instead, He wants us to use the gifts we’ve been blessed with to build up our brothers and sisters around us.

In 2001, a survey was conducted to determine the priorities of the generation before WW2 and the generation after WW2. The generation before WW2 said that their priorities ranked in this order: God, family, country. Of the generation after WW2, 98% listed themselves first before anything else. So clearly, people are becoming more and more self-centered.

In the Bible, many references are made, instructing us to be humble and to serve others. In Philippians chapter 2, it says, “In your lives you must think and act like Jesus. Christ himself was like God in everything. But he did not think that being equal with God was something to be used for his own benefit. But he gave up his place with God and made himself nothing. He was born to be a man and became like a servant. And when he was living as a man, he humbled himself and was fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death - death on a cross.”

Matthew 12:18 says, “Here is my servant whom I have chosen. I love him and I am pleased with him. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will tell of my justice to all people.”

A few weeks ago, my family and I participated in a Second Saturday mission project with Hyde Park. There were a few different work sites, but we went to a Haitian church called Faith Community United Methodist. There was a lot of work to be done, from yard work to moving chairs to sorting out clothes for a yard sale. Well lucky for us, we got to start right away on cleaning the bathrooms! After working for a couple hours, our missions group had gotten so much done. Vicki Walker took the preacher of the church from room to room to show her what we had accomplished, and she was so grateful. She wore a big smile on her face and kept thanking everyone. After we left, I felt so good knowing that I had been able to help serve that church and represent Hyde Park. I must admit that at first, I was a little unhappy about giving up my Saturday morning, but after we left, I realized that it was the best use of my time.

In the Disney movie, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Esmeralda, a gypsy, finds herself in a cathedral, singing a prayer to God:

God help the outcasts, hungry from birth

Show them the mercy, they won’t find on earth

God help my people, we look to you still

God help the outcasts, or nobody will.

I ask for nothing, I can get by

But I know so many, less lucky than I

Please help my people, the poor and down trod

I thought we all were, the children of God.

God help the outcasts, the children of God.

Our mission in life, as individuals and as God’s people, is to give of ourselves completely to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. He has blessed us with so many things that we are to be grateful for. But instead of keeping these gifts to ourselves, we are asked to use them to reach out to the poor and less fortunate.

Once a month, the youth group goes on a local mission trip to help churches or families in need. A few months ago, I had the opportunity to go on one to the Good Samaritan Mission, where we were helping a migrant church repaint their youth room. It had been built for them a few years before, but due to a lack of money, they were unable to keep it looking nice. So, we painted the walls inside, while Dave pressure-washed the walls outside. I have to admit. It wasn’t all work. After awhile, we were too tempted with our paint brushes, so we moved from painting the walls to painting each other. Eventually, our fun moved outside, where we attacked Dave. It didn’t last too long though, because he did have the pressure washer. After we left, I felt like a true servant of God. I realized how blessed I am to have this amazing youth building here for whenever I need it, and I was glad that those kids could also have a place to call their own. We helped make God’s love real to that church by giving our time and talents to give them a place to come and worship God together.

So, let’s leave our selfish ways behind and not spend so much time talking about “I.” We need to now focus on the “you?” What can I do to serve you? What can I do to improve your life? How can I show you God’s love through my actions and my words? Before I go, I would like to challenge each and every one of you to ask yourselves, “How do I leave behind my selfishness, my ego, and my pride, and begin to show everyone that I have chosen to rearrange my priorities?” Let us now decide to offer ourselves to the service of others; to serve God in a way that others may come to Him and experience His peace and His love through our actions and our service. Thank you.