Today is our first day of work in West Virginia! All of the students and leaders were split ip in to four differenet groups and worksites. We are split up between the community center where we eat all of our meals this week, Tom and Lisa’s house, Mr. Guch’s, and other house.

The weather in West Birginia lately has been a little cooler which is nice for those groups working outside. Below is a picture of the community center where one group is building a future place in which next step staff can stay in the summer.

After working at our sites, we all convene back at the community center to eat dinner. After that, is the must anticipated SHOWERS! Girls are allotted seven minutes and guys five. It’s always an adventure trying to get 50 students showered in an hour.

Next Step has a video series that they show every night and this year’s theme is SHATTERED. The series goes through how the things on this world can be deceptive and ties it in to struggles that high school students are going through on a daily basis. The first video talked about the word “deception” and how things or people can at first seem fufulling and worthwhile, but are ultimately deceiving.

This first day was full of laughs, sweat, community building, and service. If this is what the rest of the week is going to look like, then it is going to be the BEST WEEK EVER.

In Christ,