From this morning’s report about Operation Barnabas orientation at Lititz, Pa. To read more about the weekend’s activities, see the OB orientation blog here.
Finally, the moment that solidifies each student as an Operation Barnabas team member. They get to put on their slightly wrinkled Sunday outfit and gather in mass to help lead worship on their first Sunday service. It was by no means a small task to be prepared for this, having only been in Lititz for six days.
However, the day certainly did not begin there. The alarms sounded at six am and we began stumbling to the showers and moving our sleeping rooms so we did not interfere with classes held in the rooms we call home. By nine, we were all smiles, greeting attendees and hurrying to the stage for our first song. The services both went flawless, with the group sounding very refined. An outdoor baptism was held briefly after the service, followed by the next classic OB step; team pictures.
The afternoon was all business, running from puppets, to drama, to clowning; hoping to remember those lines and cues. Rich Russell shared on Children’s Ministry for two sessions, giving them a slight break in activity. Then back to three groups for more work on the programs. Exhaustion had set in for most, but many choose to smile through the droopy eyes and prolonged yawns. Finally, the last evening session and some time to debrief on the day.
Most believed Sunday morning was a few days ago with the amount they had experienced today. We tucked the students into bed, read a bedtime story (kinda, but not really… it just seemed to fit here) and prayed for our teams and ministry opportunities. Take a breath, get some sleep, and let’s get up to do it all over tomorrow.
