Who wants to see more pictures?

Thought we'd post some pictures of the adults that you entrusted your children to.


The multi-talented, jack of all trades....PJ














Clay & Brenda...our heroes!


















Ahhh....what can we saw about our favorite intern?
We love you Steve Berg!














Dr. Doug...we wouldn't have survived without him!


















One of our great foremen - Matt Elmhorst
Darryl - The Euchre King - Clapham

More stories.......

We have 2 more stories for you. One is from a student. The other from Dave Masterson. He wasn't a part of PPC in body, but we all know he was there in spirit! Check these moving stories out....

This weekend was one of the best weekends so far this summer. Okay, I’m not going to lie; I entered this missions trip with a bad attitude. It seemed like all it would be was another weekend at home. I wasn’t interested, but I decided that anything could happen so I signed up, and now I feel bad because it was so much more than I expected. To start, I was a little worried about my team. I wasn’t really friends with most of them because they totally scrambled the ages! But I ended up loving my team, and became close to all of them, even if they were 3 or 4 grades ahead. This trip was an amazing time to make friends who had the same thing in common with you, a love for Christ and a strong faith. During the course of the week, we had many life changing experiences. We fixed up trails at Boston School Forest, worked on the Harrison’s home, held a wheelchair wash and a carnival for the Boys & Girls Club/Big Brothers Big Sisters and even picked up cigarette butts and washed windows in downtown Point. But probably one of the most powerful things on my heart was the Prayer Walk. Each team was assigned an area in Portage County to go and pray for. We got to pray for Meade Park, the county jail, the court house, crisis center and the Boys & Girls Club, but the most inspiring thins was praying with Millie Medin. She may be older, but she had the energy and life in her like a kid, but most of all I’ve never seen anyone with such a passion for Christ. Overall the week was extremely successful and now I’m just waiting to see what’s in store for next year.
~ Shelby Cronce

Hi, all. I wanted to share with you a phone call I received from an employee out at Boston School Forest and was the recipient of a PPC group of kids under the guidance of Steve Berg and Jonathan Whitford. She called me to tell me: "What an awesome, Godly church I belong to"! Wow. What a blessing the kids were for her and the Forest and such a testimony of God's love, grace, and mercy. She was praising and crying at the same time and it was super to hear her say that. She said the kids worked harder than any she has seen in years, did more than they were asked, and did with joy and had fun. What a testimony. So to all of you who planned and executed what the Lord called you to do, thanks! Know that your efforts are bearing fruit for the Kingdom and showing that indeed, "the Church has Left the Building"!
Your admiring and thankful brother in Christ,
Dave

More story sharing

I received the following story from Audrey Shilka. Her son Josh was part of PPC and she came out and helped with the carnival on Wednesday night. Here's her experience...

What a great time at Mead! I ran one of the games. The kids that came were great and had lots of fun playing all of them. I encouraged some parents to play as well so they could get more candy for their child. Each one that did, smiled and said it WAS fun to play, they seldom had the chance to. After the child picked out the candy the parent “won”, it was nice to occasionally see the child give it with love to the parent. What a priceless look of surprise on that parent’s face when their child gave up a piece of precious candy to them!

Our Woodlands kids are the BEST! They helped kids with the games and played themselves for the kids they took around and let their “assigned kid” pick out & keep the candy. It was such fun watching how they connected with them. I felt proud of each one of them!

I met a single mom of 4 (who was standing alone)as she was watching her children at a distance, playing and having a blast. As we chatted, I learned that she had been physically abused by her husband and that he had been deported back to Mexico. She is on disability and was having a hard time with her 15 yr. old son who came with them, but then took off for a friend’s house as soon as they arrived. As we were talking about her family, I had the opportunity to share info about church, AWANA, Youth Group & Women’s events. She seemed like a sponge, just absorbing all of the info about our church. They didn’t attend anywhere. She was always smiling as she watched her kids interact with our students. I introduced her to some other parents (one also a single mom) and I could see her relaxing a little. She said she never goes out or does anything and was so glad that her kids kept asking to come to this event they heard about through the Boys & Girls Club.

Whenever her kids would come by her, she would thank the student for playing and spending so much time with her child. They all had so much fun together. Pam Holbrook took pictures of her children and also a family shot. She was so happy and the picture shows it! Pat Dahlke asked if she would like to take home some extra salad and then blessed her with a whole meal including the delicious brownies the students made earlier! Before they left, the mom hugged each student that was with her kids with tears in her eyes. She was so touched by what they did for her kids. Then she told her kids, maybe we will see them at church on Sunday, we’re going!

I would like to personally thank each student and person there who helped make this event happen. I know we touched many peoples lives last night and I could feel God’s presence all around. What a wonderful outreach!

Pictures...

Do you know how to play the jumping game?














I'd like to introduce to you the "Pengwunkies"














Let's bake cookies!


















Tyler Hansen was one of our best wheelchair washers!


















The Hatton boys and Tyler Vandre played checkers with Leone. What a sweet lady! You should ask Jenn about what she said after having lunch with the boys.

Another Day Goes By...

Friday.....what can we say, we made it through the week! No one lost any limbs. The Brewer's won their game and we saw fireworks at the lake front. Tomorrow is our Great America day and then we'll head home. Here's a few more stories, hope you're enjoying them. Another post will be coming along shortly, it'll be all pictures of our week.

It was our last day of work and my group was out at the Harrison’s house. Darryl, Q and I built steps in the morning, then after lunch it was only me and Q working together. Q had minimal experience in building things, but he was very willing to learn. He did everything I told/asked him to do without complaining or losing his smile. Needless to say, because he worked so hard we were able to get all of our construction projects finished in time and they were looking sharp.
~ Josh Shilka

Starting out on this trip I was not excited about my team. We were split from our friends so we could “bond” with others from the youth group. I was not pleased. Come the first meeting no one talked, no one wanted to share or jump into discussion. I figured it was going to be a long week, but I was pleasantly surprised. All it took was a little appreciation and a few good songs on the radio to get the team working and singing together. By the end of the fourth workday I really felt like out team bonded.
~ Anna Evans

This week has taught me a lot about myself and a lot about my teammates. As we helped the Morey family rip out a back pathway and put it back in, and honestly, I was excited! This was going to be my first manly project of the week! We ripped it out and leveled out the area and placed about 1/3 of the bricks when we decided that they were too crooked. Time to rip them out. * sigh * We prayed for unity and patience, and God immediately answered that prayer. We all pulled together, had an awesome time, and completed every task! Even though we left at 7:15pm when we were scheduled for a 3:30pm departure. The entire day filled me up, blessed our entire team, and created memories that I’ll never forget.
~ Jana Hansen

I’m a little reluctant to put this in words, but this week has changed my life. I’ve spent the week with a group of people who are positively glowing with the love of Christ. Everywhere they go they bring their fire for God with them. It made me really step back and look at my own life – and I found myself not really liking what I saw there. Last night (Thursday) God was not so much speaking, but shouting that it was time to make a change. I’m going to try to reflect God in everything I do. It’s going to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done – but I have my Savior on my side. With Him I can do anything.
~ Hannah Galbraith

This week has been such a blessing for me. I almost didn’t go because of selfish desires, and I’m so glad I did go. God has shown himself to me in so many ways. He has placed amazing people in my life. I am determined to keep on serving the community. I just want to thank everyone for being amazing encouragers, workers, and servants! I want to encourage everyone to continue in their quiet time every day. Make it a priority. Continue being servants. Give yourself 100% to God, because you are nothing without Him.
~ Jasmine Markley

This week was amazing for me. Coming in I had a lot of things I wanted to accomplish, but only now do I feel like they are within reach. It’s like the feeling you get when you’re about to try something hard, but somehow, you know you can do it. It feels good, & I know it can only come from God.
~ Laura Griglak

Working in the midst of the Lord is very conducive of powerful stories., but this one is a little more tangible than others. On the first day of work, after about 15-20 minutes, I was exhausted. I had no idea how I would make it through the day much less the entire week. I shot up a quick prayer, and almost immediately I filled with an incredible strength. I was able to use the strength to work hard for the rest of the week.
~ Dan Bondeson

My experience this week was amazing. I love to serve other people especially for God. I can’t wait to go on another trip. God really got my fire going again!
~ Luke Whitford

This week I had such a blast but I wish it had lasted a little longer. I started by ripping a deck off at the Harrison’s and ended by painting Mrs. Harry’s home. I learned that God is just so kind to us and we set high goals and He helped us finish them. I was also amazed at our team and how we stuck together. My only regret was that we only had one week!
~ Dane Berres

Updating....finally....been busy!

Sorry we (meaning Jenn) haven't updated the blog in a few days. It's been wonderfully busy, we're tired, sore & dirty. We're blessed beyond imagination! None of us have spoken in complete sentences in a few days now, but we're so bonded that we don't have to. Tonight we have A LOT of great stories for you, so here we go......

On Tuesday night we did something that really put me out of my comfort zone. We were told that we were going to go on a "Prayer Walk". When I first was told this I though Jordan and Heath were crazy. They told us we would be going around and asking people if we could pray for them. Also we would be praying for anything in Portage County such as parks, stores, bowling alleys and whatever you feel like. So my group was assigned to Park Ridge and it was a super powerful experience. God surely showed up that night. I never thought that I could just pray for random strangers and feel very comfortable doing it. I know for sure I wouldn't have been able to do this if I wouldn't have been challenged by Jordan, Heath and all of the leaders. I was just so thankful that Jordan and Heath set up this wonderful activity.
~ Danny Novak

Before going on this trip, I wasn't extremely excited about going and I also didn't know very many people in our Youth Group. Missing a whole week of summer meant I would miss a lot of basketball games and other important things. I also didn't like the idea of being in a group with only people that I didn't know at all. After going on this trip, I am very happy that I went and would definitely do it again. Seeing how happy people get when our group did something for them was a great feeling. I also made a lot of friends just because we were with each other all the time. God definitely made this a great experience for me and also brought me closer to Him.
~ Cody Griffith

Before I went on this trip I was not very excited. I thought that we would go to the same site for a few days, work and then go home. Going on this trip also meant I would have to miss a week of baseball and some other things. But I am happy that I went because I have met new people at the camp we are staying at. The work is also fun, each day we go to a different site and we work with different people. At the end of the trip we are going to a Brewers game and to Six Flags. I have had a lot of fun on this trip and I want to go on the next one. God has made this a great trip and I feel like I am getting closer to Him.
~ Austin Franz

My group went out to the Harrison's on Wednesday, and was pretty afraid, to say the least, of using tools and making a fool out of myself. But with a little help and direction I was getting pretty handy with the power drill. The whole time working there made me feel awesome because I've always wanted to learn how to use power tools and I got the quick hands-on tutorial on a missions trip. Later that night was the carnival and I wasn't exactly looking forward to it after working at the Harrison's. But as soon as I took the kids around the carnival, I lightened up so much & got so into the kids that I was actually sad to see them go. What also amazed me is that we apparently didn't have a huge turn-out of kids but I never noticed. Everyone seemed to be playing with another kid or helping out another person with theirs. Seeing the kids & parents reaction to everything we did was amazing and it was cool to see God working through all of us, giving us energy & a lot of patience to spend the night with kids that were never even met before. The whole day was extraordinary and allowed me to see how much this trip has been blessed, as well as how it has and still will change me.
~Q

First, coming on this trip, I knew only 4 of the 10 total on our team. Well, 5 if you include me, I was a little unsure of how it was going to be, but on day 1 when we did construction at the Slacks. We threw down all the walls we had up between ourselves and really bonded as a team. I am having an awesome time working with everyone and seeing my whole team grow in their faith as the week presses on. I have seen everyone step out of their comfort zone and do things. My first impression would tell me they couldn't. It's been a great experience for me being here. We are all so thankful for your prayers because they have done wonders for us on this trip.
~ Emma Williams

Yesterday we went to the kids carnival. It was really fun I got to watch a kid named John Jr. and his uncle and cousin. We went kayaking and played games. I think I learned to be more nice to people I don't know.
~Nick Jacobson

This is my first missions trip. I met a lot of new people. PPC showed me how to be more patient with other people. Even though this week has been tiring and hard work, I've enjoyed myself and my team members. The most important thing that happened to me this week was the "Prayer Walk". I found that you can love others before you even get to know them. I learned that even when you feel that your prayers aren't going far or impacting people they really are. Prayer is one of the most important things you can do for someone.
~ Trista Zimbauer

The highlight of my week so far has been the children's carnival where I had the opportunity to hang out with a boy named Andrew who has Autism. He loves the jokes on the Laffy-Taffy he won as prizes. He reminded me to find joy in the little things in life.
~ Colleen Reid

This missions trip is by far different from any other that I have been on. It is different because we are always moving to a new site everyday. But even though we were moving around I felt we had a big impact on the community. I think that when we are moving around, more people can see us which means that we could effect more people I think this has been great. My favorite part of the missions trip was the "Prayer Walk". For me I could really feel God that night. But the funniest thing that happened was this morning. PJ was taking out a sink and water started shooting everywhere from a pipe he disconnected. It was so funny! But it's been GREAT!
~ Christian Rindahl

First coming here I was pretty excited. I wanted to do some work for the community that I live in. I also wanted to grow in my relationship with God. I thought it was really neat how God made us feel like one big family. Coming into this trip I wasn't really good friends with too many people. I mean I knew them but we never really talked much. But through the course of the week I got closer to everyone and I'm really good friends with them all. I hope this trip impacts the people we help as much as it has me.
~ Brennan Nelson

Alright, sorry it’s been so long, but our focus has been on the people of Portage County, not on Blogspot (right… we’ll stick with that…) No, but seriously. It’s been amazing to see how we can help people around our community and see the difference we’re making. Our kayak and carnival event was a huge success and we had excellent conversations with some of the many people who came through Mead Park. Duty calls, so I must cut this off here. God bless!
~ Noah Whitford

So on Thursday morning we played rummy at High-Rise Manor with a nice lady named Linda Carol. It was so fun to just do something fun and relaxing, compared to what we’ve been doing. :] I have grown with my team and really really enjoyed spending time with these amazing people and talking with them. All these little things are part of a bigger picture. God works in amazing ways, and I hope that we touched peoples lives today.
~ Jasmine Markley

Not all of our experiences have gone smoothly. Yesterday (Wednesday) Me, Kelly Jung, and Bitsy Hess were working at Riverside along with our group. One of the jobs they had for us was to fill up a dump truck with mulch from rapids. We stopped to fill up on gas, and found out our tailgate had fallen off. This was the first unfortunate event of many. Throughout our day we had our tarp and a pitch fork almost fly off on the highway, we got detoured by a acid spill, we took TT instead of DD which lead us to Waupaca county, and locked the boys lunch in the Durango. But we were able to find the good in the situations, and just laughed it off. It was a great lesson in flexibility and patience.
~ Hannah Galbraith

Just a quick note from a leader...your kids are amazing! Thank you for the honor of allowing us to serve alongside of them. They have taught us humility, grace, patience & love.

A few pictures...

Molly and Julie, our expert painters!



















Hanging out with the kids @ Camp Helen Brachman















Who are those masked students?!?















Ahhhh...the multi-talented "Beyond the Weak" team.















Worship around the fire each evening is sweet!