"For Columbus" Day One!

Today was my 22nd wedding anniversary. We didn't celebrate with a romantic get-away, but tonight as I looked back on the day, I realized that we spent the day in the perfect way to reflect our marriage--with our three girls, surrounded by 450 college students, on a mission trip in Columbus, Ohio, None of the college students are OURS, but still. We do know some of the other collegiate ministers here!
We got here last night just in time for supper at Veritas Church, provided by Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams, and a night of worship.

This morning we went to The Ohio State University. We met at an amphitheater near a little lake where we got instructions and broke into teams. Mike and Jessica stayed on campus meeting people and sharing Jesus with them, while Mikayla, Rebecca, and I went to off-campus housing with 2 OSU ministry interns. We knocked on doors and if anyone was home, we offered to clean their kitchens or bathrooms for them as a free service to show love. Only about 10 were home, and the only one who had a job for us (let us clean his kitchen) was someone they knew from their church. (OH2O) But everyone we talked to was nice, and it seemed like it made them happy just to know we were willing to serve them.

We were the first volunteers there and had a long wait...

But eventually everyone showed up!

Ducklings!

Getting instructions

Off to work!

Rebecca, Mikayla, Steph, and Bryan when we got back

By the time we walked back to campus I was dripping with sweat and totally exhausted. And right after we walked in the Union, it started to rain! I was grateful it held off until we were inside. :) It was a long and tiring day, but really good, And so cool to be able to see OSU.
We finished in time to shower before heading back to Veritas for another DR supper and worship time. We ate outside again, and it kept raining, and the wind was blowing and we saw lightning. So when Jessica and I heard a certain roar that sounded like a freight train coming, we stared at each other with wide, panicked eyes, thinking a tornado was coming...until the actual freight train went right by us. Ha! Pray for us as we have an early morning tomorrow picking up litter and landscaping in a neighborhood.