New Orleans Caravan of Joy!

Surprise!!! CSF alumni dropped off snacks, drinks, games, supplies and personal sanitizers (nice touch!) for students 2,200 mile mission trip to New Orleans. Many of these alumni have been on CSF trips before and get what it means to be immersed together in the damage, loss, grief, and need. They get it. You get it. We all get it. Nice job alumni!

Half of the group has never been on a mission trip before, awesome! Team CSF has arrived as the southern flood waters capturing nationwide attention are receding. On day one they got to slosh through wet and damaged materials. They also grouted floors and painted.

Through intentional travel, planning, fund raisers, WVU grants, and exceptional alumni and churches, CSF strives for all CSF students who can to go on mission trips. In the past, students home communities can't or won't support for a variety of reasons. It drives me nuts seeing college students with limited home or church connections not be able to go. Yet again a CSF team effort has succeeded in that goal.

Thank you alumni, partners, and churches for following and aiding New Orleans as well as fantastic students and community at WVU!! Follow updates and use the pictures as spring boards to share YOUR past experiences with spouses, children, or friends! Or help knock out the remaining expenses via online banking, PayPal, or check. 

Team CSF is YOU!

Honored to be a part of Team CSF!

Gary 

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Spring Break Experience 2015

Spring Break Experience 2015 is an experience with missions and inspiring leaders. And you'll eat at the only Chick-Fil-A open on Sunday.

We will sit with one leader every day who builds, creates, dreams, and grows stuff that matters (no you can't buy it in Washington or Colorado). You may question their absurdity, wonder about their choices, cringe at their words, but you'll be in awe of their commitment and work for Jesus!

If helping and loving people, and serving organizations that do that every day, and being with inspirational leaders sounds like a great way to spend Spring Break 2015 - you're right, it is!

Atlanta, GA - March 23-27

Mon - Dinner in Atlanta anyone?
Tue -  City of Refuge and Cafe' CCF
Wed - Package 100,000 meals with GT community.  Grant Park initiative.
Thu - Church on the streets.  Thursday night at GT.
Fri - I'm having polar vortex and snow withdrawal - let's go home!
 

Serving Moore, SB2014

And we’re back!

Another successful CSF mission trip is in the books! The previous blog gave some basic information about our trip. I am here to fill you in on the nitty-gritty details.

As was stated beforehand, we stayed with CCF in Rolla, MO Saturday, Match 8th. It was really cool getting to know some of the people staying at their campus house and both the guys and girls had some awesome, meaningful conversations with people. We went to Greentree Christian Church Sunday morning with some of the members of CCF, then packed up and finished our journey, stopping at Church of the Harvest, our lodgings for the week.

Throughout the week, we worked with Serve Moore, whose focus is to help rebuild and renew the community. We were one of many groups tasked with fulfilling whatever work orders came in from the community. We specifically were working on a shed for most of the week, building from bottom to top. You can check out a blog post from Serve Moore about the work we, and others, did here. (keep an eye out for CSFers in the pictures!) Since we only were at the one site for the entire week, it was a great opportunity to meet with the homeowner, Robin, and just get to know her family and their story. By the end of the week, we were all joking around and adding each other on Facebook!

That’s what these trips are about, at least, for me. We had the opportunity to really get connected with a family and show them genuine love. To me, mission trips are less about the actual work being done and more about making connections, not only with the people we work for but between each other. I saw what were originally "hey, I know you" relationships develop into deep friendships. I saw a family who was turned away from Christ be encouraged by eight CSFers. I saw a sense of completion and comfort enter Robin as she saw the finished shed, knowing that her house was finally finished after the devastation. I saw this, and so much more, on this trip and I am truly grateful for being given the opportunity to go on it. Thank you for everyone who made this trip possible, whether it was from monetary donations, prayers or a well-wish. Because of you guys encouraging us, we were able to encourage others.

Thank you all for what you have done and continue to do.

Ryan

Spring Break Mission 2014

Howdy folks. Right now, we are on our way to our annual Spring Break mission trip! This year, CSF ventures west to the great state of Oklahoma, to help the city of Moore in the wake of the massive F5 tornado. Road trip!!!
 
We left Saturday, March 8th and stopped for some rest in Missouri. The CCF in Rolla, MO was kind enough to house us for the night. We’ll finish our trip today, pulling into a Church where we will be staying the week. They are providing lodging, breakfast, and dinner for only $25 per person, per day. Like the Joplin, Missouri trip two years ago, this trip was entirely planned and executed by members of CSF. We will be partnering with Serve Moore who will coordinate the relief efforts. Follow along with us on Twitter (@csfwvu) for updates throughout the week. After a full week of worship, service, and discipleship, we will head back to good ol’ WV in time for CSF service on Sunday, March 16th, with a pit stop around Indianapolis on Saturday night.
 
The cost estimate is around $3000 for the trip. This includes lodging, food, gas, and a U-Haul trailer we are renting to transport tools and luggage. We were lucky enough to achieve most of the funding before the trip. If you would like to support us during this time with a last minute donation, it would be greatly appreciated. More importantly though, we would love to have your prayers and encouragement, and of course, pray for those still affected by the tornado !

Your support of CSF mission trips ensures vibrant young leaders all get to spend a week together in worship, prayer, scripture, and serving to meet needs of damaged communities!  That, my friends is worth lending a hand to!

Thanks and keep up the great work Team CSF!