Update:

We are back in Colorado! We narrowly missed the storm that went through Missouri the day after we left. Missouri was cold! We have been blessed to have been able to go to warm states all semester so far! I guess we had to experience some cold in Missouri. But it was a good time there! We switched one of the guys of each of our teams so we had a new member which was really fun! We were at a middle school and got a chance to break up into four small groups and spent some good time getting to know our group of kids really well. Below is a pic of my small group of 7th graders :)

From there we headed to the beautifully warm state of CALIFORNIA! We were north in Sacramento at a church youth retreat. These 32 students gave up their spring break week to spent at their church sleeping on the ground, with no showers, and spent their days out in the community of Sacramento serving. We were split up into four teams and paired with a youth leader and between 8-12 students. My team, who called themselves the penguin juggernauts, spent our first day at a local nursing home and played bingo for about two hours! Let me tell you, do not mess with elderly people and their bingo!  They get so competitive. Then the afternoon was spent at an organization called Love Inc. and it was spent organizing their offices.
Day 2 we were at Loaves & Fishes moving boxes in their storage shed and organizing. That afternoon we were at a local house that takes in kids off the streets and we helped with painting and building a fire pit. Lots of heavy lifting and only smashed one of my fingers in the process :)
Day 3 we spent the morning at a local house that takes in children off the streets and help them through school. We organized their food barn and cleaned out a few rooms then some of the guys cooked us lunch. My team finally got to shower that afternoon at the local YMCA since there were no showers at the church and we headed to a scavenger hunt and private communion at the church before dinner with everyone else. It was a really fun experience! Being able to spend time with the students not only when we were speaking (oh right I forgot to mention that part...we did speak every morning and night) and then beside them doing missions work throughout the community! Below is a picture of my team!! They named themselves the Penguin Juggernauts and they loved to sing in the van rides...very loudly. But it was a great time with these kids!

So we are now headed to our last trip of the semester!! I have some exciting news but I think I will wait. :) We are headed to Washington and Oregon and after this trip I will have been to 28 states!! Making my way! I am excited to see the beauty of these two states. I have heard that they are so pretty! So please continue to be praying for my team and I. We are speaking at two schools and will be doing our second family presentation at a church! So that will be fun. I will try and update more when we are on the road. But until then...time to hit the trails again! Bye for now!