The theme for day two of Mission Adventure was Pure Community: Being the Church. We began the day at seven o'clock this morning, which is very early if your sleeping in a hotel room with four teenage girls who slumber partied and giggled through the evening! I've got a very sweet group of girls in my room including Kaia, Hayley (Caleb's wife Mary from VBS), Allison and Abigail.
Our first stop was Fortress Youth Development Service in Fort Worth. It is in the mile stretch of where our Metro Relief bus serves the homeless in Unity Park every Friday. The center brings hope to the lives of at-risk children by providing resources that will help them break the cycle of generational poverty. Their programs are designed engage the children spiritually, form relationships and equip the youth academically.
Fortress relies on donations to operate. They do not charge for any of their services. They provide care for children 4 yrs to about third grade. The center began serving the community as the Fortress Church of Christ, a church plant by the Richland Hills Church of Christ. The church provided impoverished families and the homeless community in Near Southeast Fort Worth with basic needs such as food and clothing. They later expanded to after-school programming, mentoring and tutoring. They serve about 150 children and their families each year, with the goal of providing the tools and hope they need to break the cycle of generational poverty.
Our McDermott youth painted classrooms inside the center, along with the sprucing up the outside of the building. The kids also removed broken structures and cleaned up the property around the facility.
After lunch we headed to the Tarrant Area Food Bank (TAFB), a central clearinghouse for donated food and groceries, TAFB receives fresh, frozen and nonperishable food donated by the food industry and the community. They serve 13 Texas counties, including Denton County where we live, serving children, the elderly, people experiencing homelessness, and other Texans in need. Our high schoolers sorted frozen foods and canned goods. It sounds simple but I'm talking carrying and moving forty pound boxes of canned goods for three hours!
After showers and dinner our group walked around Fort Worth's popular Sundance Square. It was within walking distance of our hotel. Sundance Square is a 35-block development filled with boutiques, restaurants, entertainment, and art galleries.
We finished off the day with a devotional at the Fort Worth Police and Firefighters Memorial with a stop off at Steel City Pops for crazy good, creamy, cold popsicles!
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.
Psalm 18:2
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