All Saints' EYC

Matt's Hair Net

2011-07-10T11:04:00.001-05:00

Day 3: The Beacon and Open Door

2011-06-23T21:19:00.003-05:00

Today was a busy day, though perhaps not quite as packed as yesterday. Our first shift was at The Beacon, a center across the street from CCC that provides various services to homeless citizens. The Beacon is open 5 days a week, taking a break on Wednesday and Thursday for preparations and maintenance. When we arrived, we split into 3 groups and separated out into jobs: laundry, kitchen, and window washing. Laundry folks folded towels, rags and clothes for the center and for the visitors. Kitchen duty involved food prep for tomorrow (we'll actually be going back tomorrow afternoon to serve lunch), and window washing, of course, involved washing the windows. I actually got pictures of us working at this one! I also know there's at least one picture of me floating around with a hair net and apron... who knows when it will surface? However, we worked so quickly that we finished our work rather ahead of schedule and ended up with nothing else to do but head back to HQ a little early. Some of us discussed the strange frustration of knowing there is work to be done in the big sense of the problem, but no tasks to actually do. It can be difficult to want to help but to not have a solution.

After lunch, we went to a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center called the Open Door Mission. We worked in the kitchen to prepare an early dinner for the folks there. Food prep = more hair nets for everyone! We served the meal out on the basketball court, and everyone there was immensely grateful and very polite towards us. We didn't get to learn too much about the organization because apparently there was a perfect storm of scheduling involving a program graduation, filming a commercial, and a board of directors' meeting. Still, it was clearly a strong community that we served today, and it was wonderful to see that.

To conclude the ongoing debate between the interns and us about Houston v. Austin food, we ate dinner at a taco place a few stops down the train. Many "this is good but not as good as Torchy's" comments were suppressed when our food finally arrived, and those who dared to try the dessert tacos gave the rest of us wimps the feeling we should have been a touch braver.

Tomorrow is our last full work day, after which we'll jump in the van and trudge through Houston traffic to get back home. We'll see you all back at the church!

~Matt

Taylor rockin some chicken in the kitchen!

Hair nets at the ready.

Noah swiftly swiping inside walls at the Beacon.

Laundry crew!

End of Day 2

2011-06-22T21:03:00.004-05:00

Winding down back at Christ Church Cathedral right now. Can't believe it's the same day as when we woke up! 5:15 was pretty early for us, but we trudged out of beds and into our clothes without too much complaint (perhaps too tired to complain?). We took the 6am train to Palmer Episcopal Church, where an organization called The Way Station has been operating for over 40 years. This group serves breakfast to about 350 homeless men and women every weekday, and today we had the opportunity to help make that happen. Some of us prepared food in the kitchen, some prepared hygienic giveaway bags, and others sorted mail (they actually have a great program where participants may use the church address as their own for mail correspondence, making it easier to take advantage of social programs in the area). We had only been working for a couple of hours when the rain came down, and it poured for several hours, past when we were finished. It put a bit of a kink in our day plans, but since we had gotten up so early, it turns out most people were happy to rest and nap back at the cathedral till lunch. I definitely crashed out for an hour--it was lovely.

After making sandwiches for our lunch, we went to the Houston Area Food Bank, where we worked a 4 hour shift inspecting donated food. We lined up along a conveyer belt and checked expiration dates and packaging to be sure that the food being sold was up to health standards. At the end of our shift, we learned--much to our surprise--that, along with the other volunteers, we had moved 10,000 pounds of food that day, amounting to 8,000 meals for low-income families. That's quite a haul! Amazing that it didn't even feel like too much labor.

For dinner we walked down to Niko Niko, a Greek restaurant in downtown Houston. We ate wraps, then came back to the cathedral where we've been relaxing and are now watching the great epic, The Land Before Time. I think tonight might be an earlyish bedtime, as I think we're still reeling from our early morning. Thankfully, we get to "sleep in" till 8 tomorrow!

~Matt

PS - No pictures of us working yet! Didn't want to make a photo-op out of serving breakfast, and the Food Bank made us giev up our phones and cameras before going into the warehouse. Still, a few pics here and there:

Dinner at Niko Niko

Breakfast of champions!

Main rec room at the cathedral

Arrived in Houston, safe and sound

2011-06-21T21:56:00.002-05:00

We pulled into Houston today a little bit before 7--turns out traffic getting out of Austin was a little more sluggish than anticipated. No worries, though, our hosts have been very flexible and friendly so far. We met Ben and Frances, both in their freshman year of college, who are CUSE interns this summer and will be helping us in our activities this week. For dinner, they led us over to a place called Bombay Pizza, which had (as you might guess) Indian pizza. None of us had ever eaten anything like it before, but *almost* all of us really enjoyed it (ha)! When we got back to the cathedral where we are staying, Frances led a short presentation on the basics of urban poverty, both causes and characteristics, and linked it into some of the text of our baptismal covenant, really making it clear that we're here as part of our commitment as Christians. It set a good tone for the next few days.

We also discovered Rock Band (the Xbox game), so some folks are jamming to Bon Jovi right now. It's just about bedtime, though, since we're getting up at 5:15 tomorrow morning... phew! I'll post up pictures tomorrow night of our adventures.

Till then, God's peace, y'all!

~Matt

Home again home again

2010-07-19T13:56:00.002-05:00

It's Monday afternoon now, and we've been back in Austin for a couple of days. The last couple of days of our trip didn't get covered quite correctly because of a failing internet connection, but here's most of what happened on Friday:

We cleaned house and then walked across the street where our landlord for the week cooked up an incredible bounty of breakfast--I'm talking croissants, eggs, pancakes, sausage--it truly was delicious. After we said our goodbyes, we jumped in the van and made the long drive home. Not too much to say, except that we listened to the Tetris theme song about 3 times. There was much napping to be done during the ride. We pulled into the All Saints' parking lot around 9, cleaned out the vans, and then parted ways.

It really was an incredible week. There was a whole lot of rolling with the punches, waking up to a day full of surprises, and everyone did very well with it. One of the big things I learned is that volunteer work requires lots of flexibility; it's almost impossible to fully anticipate what's going to happen before it starts happening. In fact, that's probably part of why it was such an adventure for us. I'm quite proud of all the work we did in New Orleans, and I'm proud of every youth and adult that came on this trip.

We'll be doing a short presentation next Sunday at 10:10am in Kinsolving if you want to hear more stories!

Peace,

~Matt

Last day in New Orleans

2010-07-19T13:32:00.004-05:00

[This blog was written on Thursday night, but the internet signal we were "borrowing" sort of disappeared on us, so I haven't been able to post it til now]

End of Day 4, last day in New Orleans

Today was our last day in the city of New Orleans, and it was indeed a good one. We went out for our last job this morning to an intensely overgrown lot. When our friend Randolph showed us the site, even he was a little surprised at how out of control it had become. We had our hands so full that I barely took any pictures (although I believe Joey did), but we made a very good mark on the lot. After a quick spin over to Home Depot, we all put on gloves and set to work pulling up the 4-5 foot tall weeds and other plants that had overrun the area. We didn't get to finish before lunch, but the next crew that works on that site will find their jobs much easier.

After we finished our work, we ate lunch at the Cathedral (chicken and couscous!), and then headed back to our house to get cleaned up. Since this was our last day in town, we made our work a half-day and set aside the rest to go down to the French Quarter to see some sights. We parked our vehicles back at the Cathedral and took the trolley into downtown. We walked several blocks to Jackson Square, where we eased off the whole "schedule" thing and poked around in various stores. My personal favorite was the Little Toy Shop, where we played around with puppets, cars, lunch boxes, and more.

Our dinner was incredible... the Gumbo Shop was just awesome. A great little restaurant around the corner from Jackson Square, this was apparently frequented by Tennessee Williams back in the day and still serves great food. For dessert we crossed the square again and got beignets at the famous Cafe du Monde. Then we walked back to the trolley along the waterfront, where we happened to see Anderson Cooper! Needless to say, we didn't get to talk much.

Tomorrow we'll be getting up bright and early and hitting the road back to Austin. The week has been tough in a lot of ways, but we've risen to each challenge and done some serious work for people in the Lower Ninth Ward. While there is always more to do, the gratitude and appreciation that has been poured out on us during our stay reminds us that every bit counts.

Peace,

~Matt

Luke sports a classy belt made of two trash bags.

Ellen and Campbell on the trolley to the French Quarter.

Joey, newly crowned, systematically taunts everyone with the most awesome tarantula puppet.

Digging into dinner at Gumbo Shop off of Jackson Square.

New Orleans lighting up the Mississippi River.

Day 3, finished!

2010-07-14T23:55:00.003-05:00

Day 3:

Today the Jr. High group returned to the house where we worked yesterday, just to finish some lawn trimming and edging. We made quick work of it, and moved on to another yard before lunch. This house was mostly the same drill, so we were well-rehearsed and prepared to conquer another grass jungle.

We headed back to Christ Cathedral for lunch (meatloaf!) and, after some karate and academic tutoring, we swung by a Snowball stand (the NOLA twist on snow cones... if you've been to Casey's in Austin, you know what it's like). It was a much needed treat, with flavors from Georgia Peach to Ice Cream to Nectar. Also, condensed milk is a possible topping (see below)!

In the evening, we headed over to St. Anna's for a Wednesday night mass followed by shrimp creole and live music. The music was all gospel, with piano, electric guitar, electric bass, and a whole lot of singers. Father Terry preached a moving sermon, telling us that the most important work we do on our mission trip is not construction, paint or mowing, but restoring dignity to the people of New Orleans. By being here, he said, we are sending the message that they matter and are important human beings, not to be forgotten when the media hype has faded.

After we returned from St. Anna's, we briefly recouped and then walked down the street to the Lower Ninth Ward Village Community Center. It was certainly not like most community centers. It was a somewhat rag-tag building, an amalgamation of many different materials and themes, but featured a library, computer lab, open mic/living room area, and several showers for public use. The coup de grace, however, was the whole back of the building: a small hallway opened up to what appeared to be a small airplane hangar, converted into a basketball court, convertible movie theater, and art area. Mack, the executive director of the center, told us all about the birth of the center in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, how it changed his life, and his vision for a new community. He said we must learn to embrace disaster rather than hope to avoid it, and that the way to do that is to invest in the wellbeing of our neighbors so that no one's suffering is forgotten. He told us over and over again that we are his heroes, and invited us back anytime.

Peace,

~Matt

Here are some photos from the day:

Mowing and whackin' at house #2

Mowing and whackin' in the backyard

Enjoying some snowballs of strange and bizarre flavor combinations.

Georgia Peach with condensed milk.

Enjoying dinner at St. Anna's while listening to the band (they're off to the right).

Winner - Most used demolition tool that we didn't plan to have

2010-07-14T23:53:00.002-05:00

This snow shovel did an enormous amount of work at the Thompson's house. We found it when we got there and were glad to have it every day we worked. Seems unusual that there would be a snow shovel in New Orleans, but there it was in a dark corner just when we needed it.

Water break percussion

2010-07-14T23:51:00.006-05:00

Ellen and Derek really flying at Cups during a water break -

Ellen, Derek - looking to expand the routine? Check out the undergraduate team from Harvard.

Photos from Senior High Wednesday at the Thompson's

2010-07-14T23:50:00.017-05:00

Our Senior High group went back to the Thompson's for a second day of ceiling and floor demolition. Today we removed all of the carpet from the house and finished pulling down the lathe. The house got much hotter as we removed the barrier between us and the roof.

We stopped work for a few minutes each hour and went across the street to the church for cold water and cool air. Two highlights were the unexpected arrival of an ice cream van, and the look of surprise on Rev. Thompson's face when he saw how much we accomplished.

We finished our work day with a late lunch at Frostop - foot long po-boy burgers!

Taquitos, Red Beans and Rice, Compline, Movie, and Bed

2010-07-14T01:21:00.007-05:00

It is late and everyone is sleeping now. We spent the evening playing board games, watching Ghostbusters, and eating a late dinner of taquitoes with red or black beans and rice. Hannah officiated a friendly Compline tonight - a cheerful relaxed worship service. Time now to catch a few Zs and get ready for tomorrow.

Matt's first lengthy-ish update from New Orleans!

2010-07-13T23:25:00.003-05:00

We've completed our second day here with much success! It was a sweaty time, but we're doing good work. Martha and I worked with the Jr. High group at a house in desperate need of emergency lawn care and an inside paint job. We were joined by another group of volunteers from Memphis, who were just as stoked as us to be there. We wrangled the lawn and the inside simultaneously and finished both before a delicious lunch of red beans & rice back at the cathedral. Our Sr. High group met us for lunch as well, after their morning of demolition work. After cooling off for a bit, we worked with the kids in the summer program on academic tutoring in math and other subjects for a few hours, then came back to our house for rest time and eventual dinner preparations.

Tomorrow we're returning to our worksites from today and wrapping things up there. After lunch, Jr. High will move on to another lawn, though Sr. High will probably return back to the same site as today.

I've pulled a few pictures from various activities from yesterday and today, see below!

Peace,

~Matt

PS - for the record, internet is scarce in the house so I'm posting this from the passenger seat of our van (aka, Derek Gets Shotgun, or, the DGS) where there is an inexplicably strong internet connection.

Gabe slammin some dunks behind the cathedral.

Many a ferocious game of late-night speed Scrabble.

Cooking class at the cathedral!

Playing sports with kids with the Anna's Arts for Kids summer program.

The front lawn of a house before we got to work.

Katrina effects

2010-07-13T21:04:00.007-05:00

Most of the houses in New Orleans are marked with a spray paint survey stamp on the front of the house. Here are the attributes of the stamp.

You can learn more about some of the big picture effects of Katrina here:
http://danswenson.com/paper/katrina.html

What is a Columbarium?

2010-07-13T15:48:00.005-05:00

After lunch Jack and I were walking from the cathedral to the van and we passed through the memorial courtyard. Jack asked me about the plaques on the wall and I explained that the plaques mark the recesses in the wall that contain the ashes of the person indicated on the plaque. Jack asked me about the unlabeled spaces and I told him that people can reserve space before they die and that the names are added when the spaces are filled.

Jack stopped to think.

He said "so, it's like calling Shotgun for when you die?"

Tuesday workday - Senior High

2010-07-13T15:45:00.005-05:00

The Senior High group worked today in Reverend and Mrs Thompson's rain damaged home in Leonidas. We helped pull down the failing ceiling and we cleared debris out of the house into to the roll-off dumpster on the street. The work was hot, dirty, hot, fithy, hot, and rewarding. Mrs Thompson kept us company all day and insisted that we take water breaks in the chilled air of the neighborhood Baptist church. I am extremely pleased with the dedicattion (all heart, harsh conditions, and no complaints) that our team displayed today. A huge amount of work is done and I am looking forward to joining the team for more if the same tomorrow.

Here are pictures if the team pulling down the ceiling with prybars.

Tuesday workday - Junior High

2010-07-13T15:44:00.003-05:00

The Junior High team painted, cleaned, and did yard work today for a family in the north end of the Lower 9th Ward.

A note from Campbell:
"Hi this is Campbell and today was painting day. It got super duper hot while we were painting and i almost died. Over all I guess that i could give today and yesterday a five but o guess o couldn't pick a favorite. But I guess that I have to keep in mind that this isn't play all day in new Orleans but more like fix houses and help children."

Derek Gets Shotgun

2010-07-13T10:50:00.001-05:00

Derek has named our van "Derek Gets Shotgun". This leads to - "alright everybody, let's get into Derek Gets Shotgun". And yet, Derek has yet to get shotgun.

Breakfast meeting and Hurricanes

2010-07-13T08:31:00.001-05:00

We are about to head out to our work sites. Lots of questions about Hurricanes this morning. Today's menu includes demolition, painting, and yardwork. 20 minutes till we load up...

Big words in Scrabble

2010-07-12T20:50:00.000-05:00

It turns out that you can play a 25 letter Speed Scrabble word.

Walking the levee in the Lower 9th Ward

2010-07-12T20:32:00.006-05:00

We took a walk along the levee this afternoon. It felt strange to walk uphill from the street to that water. From the top you can see hundreds of shipwrecked houses and rebuilt homes. There is a tremendous amount of work to do here. I think we are all looking forward to our workday tomorrow... And dinner :-)

Tekrema Center - Dance!

2010-07-12T20:26:00.006-05:00

This afternoon, on our walk through the neighborhood, we met Mrs Greer Mendy when she called down from the balcony and invited us to come inside and tour the Tekrema Center. We went in and were treated to a walk through the beautiful art exhibit and dance space. Thank you Mrs Greer! http://www.thetekremacenter.com/

Junior High classes and workshops at Christ Church Cathedral

2010-07-12T18:08:00.000-05:00

The Junior High group worked with the staff and volunteers at the cathedral.

Campbell and Hannah wrote about their day.

Campbell -
"We worked in the kitchen to make pizza and I think that all of the kids enjoyed doing that activity and in the art class all of the kids decided that instead of doing all of the activities that it would be fun to draw all over Campbell. Other than that the majority of the time the teachers just asked all of the volunteers to just sit upon the side lines...apparently they didn't need us as much as Matt said that they did. Over all it wasn't the best experience that I could have asked do on my first day on New Orleans! But I guess it was alright."

Hannah -
"I had fun today! First we did dance, and the coreographer picked a dance that was really simple yet I couldn't get the hang of...I guess that's not my forte. Next was chior, and we sang "we are marching in the light of God (African version, too) the kids acted up often, which made the job mission trip worthy!! Karate was fun!! "the slimy worms" Aka the kids, had to do obstacle courses that we made extra difficult for them. That was really fun!!! For lunch we had some pretty decent food, which was like heaven to me because I was STARVING !! After that was recess. Me and Campbell played with a cute kid named Tyler. All was going well and then suddenly he chucked a rock the size of my head at us. He was mad at us for some reason, but i don't believe it would make anything better if he gave me and Campbell a concussion... He didn't though and I was happy about that. He forgave us, and now we're all friends!! We then made pizzas in cooking class and It was really cool!! 2 people in my group hated cheese, which I didn't think was natural, so half of our pizza was cheeseless. After that, we went home. Now we're chillaxin' and having fun!!!"

Senior High Workday Photos

2010-07-12T16:37:00.003-05:00

Here are some photos from our workday at a house in East New Orleans. We groutted tile, swept, worked in the yard, and worked on kitchen cabinets.

An important part of this complete breakfast

2010-07-12T07:46:00.002-05:00

Cereal, bananas, & sunshine. Mike is still working on being awake :-)

In a few minutes we'll head to the cathedral to start our workday.

Our House

2010-07-11T19:43:00.001-05:00

Everyone is happy to be out of the van and moving around. Mike is tuning a guitar and ukelele while everyone else is unpacking and claiming sleeping bag space. Dinner soon. Status of team: very enthusiastic.

Driving through New Orleans

2010-07-11T19:36:00.001-05:00

We've made it to New Orleans. We are nearly there :-)

Lunchtime in Beaumont

2010-07-11T13:49:00.001-05:00

We are putting in a GIANT order at Sonic. The staff are friendly and taking it in stride. Good work Beaumont Sonic!

EYC Mission Trip is on the road!

2010-07-11T10:57:00.001-05:00

We are on our way to New Orleans - twenty people, a basket full of board games and work gloves, and two ukeleles. We'll be back Friday; 'til then check here for updates.

The 2010 Mission Trip Team

2010-07-11T08:38:00.000-05:00

Here we are - The EYC 2010 Mission Trip Team

New Orleans Mission Trip: Prologue

2010-07-08T11:08:00.002-05:00

Friends and family,

Some of you may be reading this because your kid is going to be with us in New Orleans from July 11-16. Some of you may have a friend going on the trip. Some of you may read this sometime next year to see what an All Saints' mission trip looks like. Some of you may even be on the trip yourselves, reading blog posts about your life in almost-real time--ahhh it's so meta!

Anyhow, here's the short and skinny:

depart Austin at 8:45am, Sunday July 11

arrive in New Orleans sometime between 7 and 8pm

WORK ADVENTURE WORK ADVENTURE WORK ADVENTURE

depart New Orleans around 10am

arrive back in Austin around 8pm

You'll see the full details as the trip unfolds! Tune in daily next week to see what happens...

Peace,

~Matt

Mission Trip 2010 registration packet

2010-03-27T22:30:00.002-05:00

Here's the mission trip registration packet! Download, print it out, fill it out, and turn it in with a check for $100 in my mailbox before May 1!

Download

Schlitterbahn: a magic castle full of water

2009-09-18T10:50:00.003-05:00

hey everyone!

we're going out to Schlitterbahn this sunday, 9/20! 2 groups leaving, one after each service (so approximately 10:15 and 12:30). bring $15 and a lunch if you think you'll get hungry (especially if you're leaving with the first group). also a bathing suit would be a good idea. we'll be back around 7!

also, i'm posting up some pictures from our photo scavenger hunt on 9/13. the rain let up just in time for us to scramble around the drag and decipher and photograph the clues (some with more ease than others). check them out!

this is just my first post, but i'll be trying to keep this blog updated more regularly. keep checking in...

~matt

Super Epic and Awesome Photo Scavenger Hunt

photo hunt export

Help out with ECW Garage Sale and earn service hours!

2009-03-24T11:32:00.001-05:00

Looking for ways to earn service hours?

All Saints' ECW Garage Sale needs volunteers this Saturday, 25 March! You will get service hours for helping out.

Contact Wini or Mary if you are interested.
mlwright@alumni.utexas.net
winiwood@usa.net

EYC January 18

2009-01-13T15:14:00.001-06:00

4-6:30 pm

movie..."The Freedom Writers"

dinner...we are making pizzas...bring a favorite cheese or other topping!

Friends welcome

EYC This Week November 16

2008-11-11T15:02:00.001-06:00

EYC THIS WEEK NOV 8

2008-11-05T10:56:00.001-06:00

Movie night...bring a covered dish to share with the group!
We are also collecting shovels, crowbars, hammers and sledge hammers for our ongoing mission work in Galveston!

EYC - Canoeing on Lady Bird Lake

2008-11-03T15:16:00.009-06:00

On the 26th the All Saints, St. George, and St. James EYC groups went canoeing together. Here are a few pictures from our trip.

EYC this week Nov 2

2008-10-29T15:30:00.001-05:00

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EYC THIS WEEK OCTOBER 26TH

2008-10-25T13:05:00.002-05:00

CANOE AND PICNIC AT ZILKER
4-6:30 PM
BRING: $5 PER PERSON, A SIDE DISH...WE WILL HAVE CHICKEN AND DRINKS
PLEASE RSVP TO ELIZABETH SO WE DO GET ENOUGH...963-0054

EYC this week! October 19th

2008-10-13T15:43:00.001-05:00

EYC this week! October 5

2008-10-01T11:55:00.002-05:00

BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS, PIZZA AND PLANNING RESPONSE TO IKE

Bring a pet ( have your folks stay if you do this)
Bring unopen pet food...this will go to help the animal shelters in town who have hosted so many displaced animals.
We will share pizza & ideas for our continued response to St. Augustine's community in Galveston.

this week in eyc

2008-09-25T09:29:00.003-05:00

EYC this week! Sept.15-22

2008-09-15T11:08:00.002-05:00

Sunday raincheck plan

2008-09-10T17:09:00.002-05:00

If it is raining Sunday, we will meet from 4-6:30 at All Saints' for an indoor picnic and noodle/broom hockey. Bring thick socks and a pool noodle (we have some plastic brooms here as well!

2008-09-09T10:06:00.001-05:00

2008-09-08T10:34:00.002-05:00

This Wednesday, September 10, 6-8pm

OPERATION FEED THE HOMELESS

BRING $7, SHARE DINNER WITH ONE ANOTHER AND THE HOMELESS, ENJOY CONVERSATION FOLLOWING AT SPIDER HOUSE service hours available

2008-09-08T10:17:00.000-05:00

PICS FROM EYC KICK OFF!

2008-09-07T20:38:00.000-05:00

2008-09-07T20:35:00.000-05:00

2008-09-07T20:31:00.001-05:00

2008-09-07T20:25:00.000-05:00

2008-09-07T20:21:00.000-05:00

2008-09-07T20:17:00.001-05:00

2008-09-07T20:12:00.000-05:00

2008-09-02T10:47:00.002-05:00

This week...September 7, 4-6:30 pm...east central Austin progressive dinner and games night!

Meet at All Saints--pick up at St George's

Bring an hourderve to share!!!

RSVP so we have plenty of seatbelts! 963-0054

2008-09-02T10:03:00.000-05:00

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2008-09-02T09:51:00.000-05:00

Next Upcoming Event - Kick-off!

2008-08-30T09:44:00.001-05:00

Sunday, September 7th (4-6:30), EYC starts the new year with a Progressive Dinner!

We'll be meeting at All Saint's and then continuing our meal at the new churches in our youth group - St. George and St. James.

Get ready for food, fun, and fellowship!

2008-05-07T11:58:00.001-05:00

VBS Staff is needed in July

call EG today 963-0054

2008-05-07T11:57:00.001-05:00

No EYC this week-Mother's day!!!

Remember to send in your Mission Trip registration and payment!

2008-04-18T09:51:00.001-05:00

This Sunday...April 20...4:30-7pm

Movie and dinner...also planning for mission trip...be there!!

2008-04-18T08:56:00.002-05:00

Mission 2008 to Galveston has 24 eyc members signed up! We have rented an additional house on Boliver!
Please sign up to help at the Mission Booth Sunday mornings...we need to raise an extra $1500!!!

2008-03-26T13:23:00.002-05:00

Lockin this Friday!!! 6pm-9am Saturday morning

Midnight rollerskating!
Michael's yummy lasagnia!
Games, games, games!
A trip to Casey's ices (if it's open)
Olivia's birthday cake!
Movies!

Bring:
*$10 cash
*Friends welcome....but eg MUST know ahead so we have enough car seats.
*permission slip from our web page
* sweet or salty snack to share

2008-03-03T10:55:00.000-06:00

Enjoy spring break!

Sign up today for the mission trip!!

2008-03-03T10:50:00.002-06:00

Times & dates for Ruby Jane Smith performances!

march 7...7-9pm...waterloo icehouse on 38th
march 13...3pm...nuno's
march 15...3pm..sittin in with jim stringer band...opal d's
march 16...5-7pm...with bill carter & will sexton...east side cafe
march 20...6pm...central market westgate
march 29...7-9pm...waterloo ice house 6th st.

2008-03-03T10:47:00.002-06:00

Epiphany Labyrinth Walk

2007-10-29T10:55:00.000-05:00

EYC this week...Nov 3
play rehersal from 11-noon in Laura Corner

EYC Back to the old time 4:30-7pm
Movie night and pizza!!!
Friends welcome!!

2007-10-08T09:52:00.000-05:00

Acolytes...off to the Acolyte Festival at the National Cathedral in D.C.!
on a mission from God!

2007-10-08T09:47:00.000-05:00

2007-10-07T13:33:00.000-05:00

Blessing of the Animals
Sunday, October 7 4:30pm
See you there!

2007-09-25T12:42:00.000-05:00

This Sunday September 30
Progressive dinner
meet at the church at 4:30
Pick up at the Kohout's at 7pm.
Friends welcome!
RSVP a must (for car spaces)
963-0054
Parent drivers are encouraged to call too!

Annual EYC Ladies Lockin at the home of Dan and Martha Jones

2007-09-23T00:07:00.001-05:00

2007-09-23T00:03:00.000-05:00

more ladies!

2007-09-22T23:53:00.000-05:00

September picnic

2007-09-22T23:49:00.001-05:00

2007-09-18T11:04:00.000-05:00

EYC Girlds Lockin...this Friday!

Meet at the church at 4:45-we leave at 5:30 on the dot to dine at the home of Martha & Dan Jones. We then return for a slumber party with nail painting, movies and more!
Bring:
$5
dress nicely-bring comfy cloths
a snack to share
manicure items

Must RSVP 963-0054

2007-09-08T05:56:00.000-05:00

Sunday School Begins September 9th

Following Sunday School, EYC meets in the parish hall for games-then we head to the park for frisbee golf and burgers and dogs,
Bring a covered dish, comfortable cloths and a frisbee!
RSVP so we have enough seatbelts!

2007-07-23T15:19:00.000-05:00

Events to come...be there!

July 19th ... Schlitterbaun

Sept 19th ... Girl's lockin

Fall schedule is on the way!!!

2007-07-23T15:09:00.001-05:00

2007-07-23T15:05:00.001-05:00

2007-07-23T14:52:00.000-05:00

Mission 2007!

2007-07-23T13:16:00.000-05:00

OK...We seem to to be running once more!
I hope your summers are going well. I will post pics from the mission trip and VBS. Please add your own!
Love you all!
Elizabeth

2007-04-25T16:41:00.000-05:00

We are back and running (blogwise that is!).
This week we will have confirmation at the 9am service.

At 4:30 (meeting at the church) the EYC will take off for a progressive dinner ending at the labyrinth at the Christian church on 45th street.
Be there...and bring a friend!

2007-02-07T11:25:00.000-06:00

February 7th 2007

Operation feed the homeless & sock handout!
6-8pm

Sunday February 11 get ready for Mardi gras...remember this is our HUGE fundraiser for the mission trip! Ask your family & friends to make a contribution!!!

2007-01-02T12:22:00.000-06:00

Thursday-Jan 4 11:30am
The Nativity
meet & pick up at Regal Gateway 16 ff 183
rsvp 973-0054

One Exception - Operation Feed the Homeless TONIGHT

2006-12-13T15:54:00.000-06:00

I just chatted with EG and she said that we will have one last Operation Feed the Homeless tonight before we take our EYC winter break - so come join us tonight.

Here is a photo from our outing last Wednesday.

Joey

EYC Christmas Break - We will begin again in Epiphany

2006-12-13T13:36:00.000-06:00

Regular EYC resumes January 7.

Don't miss 'Uncle Myron's Christmas Review' at 10:10am on December 17th (especially if you are one of the performers :-)

This week at EYC - Ice Skating on the Roof

2006-11-30T18:01:00.000-06:00

Ice Skating & rooftop picnic at Whole Foods on Lamar!
This Sunday...4:30-7pm
meet & pick up there
Bring $$$
Friends always welcome-just let me know
We need to pre purchase the tickets, so...RSVP to eg at 963-0054.
if you reserve a space-you buy the ticket-show or no show!

ECW Armistead C. Powell Scholarship

2006-11-29T11:19:00.000-06:00

Attention Seniors:

Please consider applying for the ECW Armistead C. Powell Scholarship. This is a scholarship provided by the All Saints' Episcopal Church Women, and is awarded to the graduating senior who has made the greatest contribution to the All Saints' community.

You can pick up an application on the ECW bulletin board starting on 10 December 2006 or download an application here. There will be reminders and announcements in the Saints Alive and in the bulletin over the next few months. The deadline is 31 March 2007.

This week at EYC - Tie Dye Do-Over!

2006-11-26T12:31:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody! There was no EYC on Wednesday, and we will have a DEJA-VU Tie Die Event tonight. I am still on the road, but I miss you all and plan to be back to see you next Sunday.

Joey

This week at EYC - Tie Dye!

2006-11-16T14:05:00.000-06:00

This Sunday we plan to play games and tie-dye some whites - bring white socks, shirts, and a friend.

im old now!

2006-11-14T18:27:00.000-06:00

Hey yall!
On November 11, i turned ________ years old. Im not going to say exactly how many, because the nice man from that Austin police dept. that came to speak to us in chapel every year says i shouldn't post such things. Hmmm... Wonder why?? my big birthday present was a cell phone. come see me in person to swap numbers. Believe it or not, Im not stupid enough to post my cell Number! My best present was simply that the week of finals hell is over, and I passed all of my exams with flying colors.

Love,
Caroline

EYC Renfair Trip a.k.a. LARP-a-palooza 2006

2006-11-12T14:42:00.000-06:00

We could have made a game out of finding the seven deadly sins but that would have been like shooting fish in a barrel...which is exactly why we came; to have fun!

There were me ladies and the dark lord on parade...

dudes...

face painting...

more dudes

and a pleth-o-idle worship...

We all made it back safely, had a good time and the ride was fun.

OK guys...this sound fun...who is in?

2006-11-08T20:32:00.000-06:00

Help Make Poverty History!
Sunday, November 12th at 6:30 PM
All Saints' Episcopal Church
U2CHARIST
One Spirt. One Will. Zero Poverty.

A ONE campaign benefit for Bread for the World

Join the Episcopal Student Center for Holy Eucharist
Featuring the music of U2 and a sermon by Bono about God's call to lend
a helping hand to those in need!

busy week

2006-11-05T10:56:00.000-06:00

finals are coming up soon, so you would think that the teachers would be busy reviewing us in class. well, apparently "finals" to them means "one last chance to stuff information in their already overflowing minds". so ive been having a dandy week, slaving away over history, earth science, etc.
good thing though: GEOGRAPHY IS OVER! that's right, folks! i can only imagine how gorgeous my life will be now that i dont have to spend my nights cramming for a test over all the countries of Asia.
on friday i went to hear Elie Wiesel speak at the JCC. Wiesel is a Holocaust survivor, author of the book Night, and a Nobel peace prize winner. in short, he's a pretty cool dude. i was kind of disappointed by his speech, though. he never even mentioned the holocaust, and he changed topics randomly.
i want at church this morning b/c i was doing the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure with a group from my school. it was fine, until the bus left to go back to school w/o me! luckily i got a ride home with a friend. to put it mildly, my parents are not very happy with me.
well, must go cram some more knowledge into my poor little brain.
see yall later.
love, caroline

This week at EYC - Dias de los Muertos celebration on Wednesday, Parking Saturday, NO REGULAR EYC SUNDAY - See card for schedule

2006-11-01T13:55:00.003-06:00

Tonight at Wednesday night out we will celebrate in the tradition of 'The Days of the Dead'. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead or the description below to learn more about this tradition.

Spend a few minutes reading about the tradition, then come celebrate with us tonight. Feel free to bring materials appropriate to the celebration - photographs, fruit, marigolds, pan de los muertos, sugar skulls, etc. See the notes at the end of this post for more details. See you tonight!

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OFFERING FOR THE DAY OF THE DEAD
By Maria Hernandez
Translated (to the best of her ability) by Nancy A. Lynch
Quoted from the All Saints' Mailing List distribution of October 30, 2006

The offering for the Day of the Dead is one of the most famous Mexican traditions. It consists of arranging a table with:
-White Tablecloths (they may be of cloth or paper but only of crepe paper)
-Marigolds (or other yellow or orange flowers)
-Paraffin candles (not tallow)
-Glasses or jars of water and other drinks like ale and/or beer, pulque, etc.
-Fruit, the most traditional being oranges and bananas
-Bread, the most traditional being "pan de muerto"
-Pumpkins and squashes
-A meal. especially the favorite dishes of the deceased loved one and tamales
-Photographs and personal items that were loved by the deceased loved one
-Skulls made of sugar (some come with names on them)

In recent decades it has become customary to adorn above and on the sides of offering with Chinese tissue-paper, folded several times and cut so that when they are unfolded they form figures.

A candle is put beside the picture of each deceased person that one desires to remember or honor. It is believed that the light will guide them in case they loose their way and so they can arrive at the house where they were invited to come by way of the offerings. The photograph is to remember them and to let them know they are in our hearts.

The glass of water should not be forgotten because under this belief, there is only one day a year that God gives permission to the deceased to come and visit us and to quench their thirst with the drinks that we offer them. Also, it is only on these dates you are to bake the traditional "pan de muerto", although one can also obtain it in a lot of commercial establishements like stores or bakeries or street vendors.

In Mexico you can see everywhere the little skull confectionary made out of sugar and which may also be made out of pure chocolate. Each one has a name of a person written on it, and it is very easy to acquire one with the name of your deceased loved one in what ever size you want. Although these are not very popular or well-known yet in the United States, in Mexico
practically every corner in the country is inundated with them.

Also, it is customary to light artificial fires when the deceased are carried to be buried. It is believed by this means we are able to advise God that our loved one is on the road to Heaven.

The offering is set up for the day of November 1st because although November 2nd is the Day of the Dead in Mexico, the 1st is considered the day of the little ones or children that have passed away. The 2nd is the day for the adult loved ones who have passed.

NOTE: THIS YEAR WE ARE PLANNING OUR OWN VERSION OF THIS BEAUTIFUL TRADITION. WE WILL START OUT SLOWLY THIS YEAR BUT MAY MAKE IT MORE ELABORATE IN COMING YEARS. FOR THIS YEAR, WE WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO
SET UP YOUR OWN AREA IN YOUR HOUSE ON THE NIGHT OF HALLOWEEN. THEN ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST, BEGINNING AT 6:00, WE WILL HAVE A WEDNESDAY NIGHT OUT CELEBRATION OF THE DAY OF THE DEAD (COMBINING THE CHILDREN'S AND ADULTS' DAY OF THE DEAD).

PLEASE BRING ANY OF THE ITEMS LISTED ABOVE TO THE CHURCH BETWEEN 4:00 AND 6:00 (IF POSSIBLE), AND WE WILL HELP YOU SET UP. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PREPARE ONE OF THE LOVED ONE'S SPECIAL DISHES, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO BRING IT TO SHARE WITH YOUR LOVED ONE AND WITH OTHERS. (THE FRUIT, ALTHOUGH EDIBLE, SHOULD NOT BE EATEN AS IT IS FOR THE DECEASED, ACCORDING TO THIS TRADITION,) THE USUAL WEDNESDAY NIGHT OUT FARE ALSO WILL BE SERVED. WE WILL THEN HAVE A SHORT PEAK INTO THE CRYPT UNDER THE SANCTUARY FOLLOWED BY A BRIEF WALK TO THE GARDEN NEAR THE CHILDREN'S CHAPEL (WHERE MANY PARISHIONERS HAVE HAD THEIR ASHES STREWN) -- DESSERT WILL BE SERVED THERE. WE WILL THEN RETURN TO KINSOLVING TO LISTEN TO ANY SPECIAL WORDS AND STORIES ABOUT LOVED ONES BEING HONORED. PLEASE PLAN TO STAY FOR THE FULL EVENT. WE WILL END AT 8:00. CHILDREN ARE WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

2006-10-31T14:01:00.000-06:00

Rehersal for Uncle Myron
This Saturday 12:30-1:30pm
Parish Hall
Bring you script & know your music!

No regular EYC this Sunday

2006-10-27T17:24:00.000-05:00

Here is the site for the play!

http://asec-myron.blogspot.com/

EYC This Week - Godspell at St. Andrews

2006-10-27T11:42:00.000-05:00

This Sunday
1:30-2:30 1st read of Uncle Myron's Christmas Reveiw
2:30-5ish trip to St. Andrews to see Godspell...bring $10 for admission
parent drivers needed & RSVP a MUST!!
963-0054