The GoGrace Trip top South Korea to help with a Winter Bible English Camp for kids is finished…
Below you will find all the photos and some videos:

Here is are links to the photos on facebook (click on the link)

#1 - Facebook
#2 - Facebook
#3 - Facebook

Here are the photos - you can view them by clicking on the photo below or see a slide show by clicking here.

Here are some videos:

Click on the picture below for some GREAT pictures of Steve Saint’s visit to Grace College.

Today was the kinda day in chapel that inspires me to think I have the most perfect job in the world.
Dr. Mike Grill spoke about prayer and the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The music was perfect, the setting was just right, Mike Grill was spot on, and the student’s responded in a beautiful way.
So fun to be working hard in an environment where God is still working and moving!

We had a blast this weekend…
They say a picture is worth a thousand words - I believe it.

Chapel picture of the year so far… what a GREAT day in chapel today. In a few days you can get it off iTunes. Just search Grace College Chapel.

Photo taken by Jessica Borst

We had a great time in Chicago this weekend. Some Grace College students needed drivers to get them to a work project. After searching high and low, they could find no one… so Jodi and I volunteered to drive. After dropping them off to serve Jesus (we felt kind guilty) it was off for fun. The American Girl and Lego Store later, we had lunch and then it was back to the group. We had a great time.

The newest member of the Feather Family, Cari Friddle, joined us on our adventure.

Hundreds Camp At Courthouse To Raise Poverty Awareness
Jennifer Peryam
Times-Union Staff Writer (Click here for the article)

Rocky Martin was homeless on the streets of Calcutta, India, for the first 15 years of his life.

Martin, 34, now lives in an apartment in Warsaw and is a minister on staff at New Life Christian Church, Warsaw. He serves food to those in need at the church’s food pantry Monday through Thursday for an hour each day.

“Sleeping in a cardboard box was a luxury as I remember sleeping with hay over me on the side of the road in Calcutta,” Martin said.

He moved from India to Missouri to work in the missions field in 2006 and moved to Warsaw in April.

Martin and 100 Grace College students and others in the community slept on the courthouse lawn Thursday night in tents and cardboard boxes to raise awareness about poverty. The “tent city” was sponsored by The Greater Warsaw Ministerial Association and New Life Christian Church.

Participants were allowed to bring food and beverages, but were encouraged to fast and pray if they chose.

Katie Adams, a junior double major in criminal justice and psychology at Grace College, slept in a cardboard box.

“I’ve never experienced poverty and often take what I have for granted. It’s easy to judge other people, but I think to myself why judge someone if I have no idea what it is like to be homeless?” Adams said.

Brian Shively, a sophomore sociology and Bible major, slept in a tent with other male students. He is a member of Winona Lake Free Methodist Church where the church collects toiletry items for the homeless.

“I thought sleeping in a tent on the courthouse lawn would be a good way to make the community aware there is homelessness here,” Shively said.

Rachael Ramos, a sophomore communication and public relations and Spanish major, said homelessness is an issue that needs to be addressed.

“I think it’s important to speak for the voiceless people who are so many and don’t have a representative,” Ramos said.

Scott Feather, dean of the chapel and global ministries at Grace College, said he hopes the students will come away with a realization that poverty is in their own back yard.

“I think my college students worry about poverty that happens 3,000 miles away, and I hope sleeping on the courthouse lawn brings it home that poverty is in their community,” Feather said.

New Life Christian Church provided shelter at the church in cooperation with the Salvation Army last winter season, providing 472 nights of stay in a four-month period.

This year, the Project Refuge Shelter is being developed at The Salvation Army with the support of the association and church.

The shelter will re-open Oct. 1 and remain open until March 31. It will alternate at different locations with Salvation Army and New Life Christian taking turns hosting the shelter, with plans to have assistance from other churches.

Pastor John Lowe, Greater Warsaw Ministerial Association board member and New Life Christian church pastor, came up with the idea for tent city. He said the purpose was to help the community realize there is poverty in Kosciusko County.

“Poverty is hidden in this county, but at the same time there is more poverty than people realize,” Lowe said.

He said people live out of tents and vehicles, and sometimes have their home foreclosed on and don’t have anywhere to turn.

Donations for Project Refuge may be sent with checks payable to GWMA, PO Box 1797, Warsaw, IN 46581. For more information, visit www.gmawarsaw.com

Caring Becomes Contagious Wednesday Throughout County
Daniel Riordan
Times-Union Staff Writer

Click here to go to the article on the web
or read below…

They are just small white yard signs with plain blue lettering.

But what those signs stand for can’t be encapsulated on a sign.

United Way Day of Caring signs could be spotted throughout the county Wednesday as volunteers from local businesses, charitable organizations and Grace College worked to improve the lives of members of the community

With more than 100 homes being worked on, each person, each family had a compelling story.

But Charlie Johnson-Parker’s story may have been the most compelling.

Johnson-Parker’s home in Sidney was damaged in a house fire 15 years ago. She said she hadn’t had a bedroom in that time.

Wednesday, crews arrived and built a new bedroom for her. But the work on her home has been going on for nearly a month.

Johnson-Parker said that now she has new plumbing and new linoleum floors among other projects.

Johnson-Parker showed up to an event at Grace College’s McClain Auditorium Wednesday night to show her appreciation for the students who worked on her house. Not the easiest task considering Johnson-Parker has Alzheimer’s.

“When the volunteers left my house today, there was a $50 bill on my table,” said Johnson-Parker fighting back tears. “I had three prescriptions alone that needed to be filled and I didn’t have the money to pay for them. Even if I did I didn’t have the money for gas.”

“Now I can go to Zale’s and fill my prescription,” said Johnson-Parker.

Johnson-Parker said it was impossible to express how grateful she was to those who helped her.

“There is no way to say thank you,” said Johnson-Parker.

She said that until she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s she never knew programs like Day of Caring were available. And seeing those volunteers work for her gives her motivation.

“If I ever get better I’m going to be a part of this,” she said. “Before I got sick I was always the one helping others. I wasn’t the one who got help.”

Now when she goes home she has a real place to lay her head.

“I have a real bedroom now,” said Johnson-Parker. “I have a bedroom with a window.”

During Wednesday night’s convocation at Grace College, students, volunteers and homeowners shared their stories from the day.

“It was really rewarding,” said Grace sophomore Megan McGarvey, LaPorte, who helped work on homes in Warsaw. “I got to see different people come together and help out.”

Melissa Jones, a senior from Otisville, Mich., said she was able to connect with the woman whose house she was working on.

“We had time to talk to her and get to know her,” said Jones.

The students, who don’t start class until Tuesday, are back early as a part of student leadership activities. Day of Caring is now a yearly event for Grace College students.

One Grace student recalled a story about the house he worked on.

The home belongs to a married couple and the husband, Vaughn, has Multiple Sclerosis and is now wheelchair-bound. This caused Vaughn to suffer depression, according to his wife. She tried to remedy this by getting him a piano, something Vaughn always wanted to learn how to play

Vaughn’s wife said he eventually got a piano teacher who lived near them. The piano teacher was suffering from depression as well. Vaughn’s wife said the relationship her husband and the teacher formed helped each other get past their depression.

“And now they’re like brothers,” the Grace student recalled.

Pat Coy, executive director of the United Way, along with Pam Kennedy, executive director of Housing Opportunities of Warsaw, and Monica Wilson, campaign coordinator of the United Way, shared their stories from the day and thanked the volunteers for their help.

In Mentone, John and Londa Lewis’s home had been condemned.

Wednesday, crews from Zimmer and Grace College, 23 in all including the Lewises working side by side the volunteers, worked to bring the Lewis’ home up to code.

Construction manager Don Laughlin said once the home is fixed, it will become part of Housing Opportunities of Warsaw.

“The Lewises are working very hard to uncondemn their house and have done everything that’s been asked of them,” said Kennedy.

Kennedy said they are looking for a licensed plumber to put a sink in the house.

Volunteer Bill Curtis, who was managing the site along with Laughlin, said he was impressed by the Grace College students.

“They just jumped right in and got to work on whatever needed to be done,” said Curtis.

For Tom McKinstry, Wednesday was a role reversal.

McKinstry had volunteered in the previous days of caring with his church, North Webster United Methodist Church. Wednesday, McKinstry was on the receiving end of help from members of his church along with Grace College students and other volunteers.

McKinstry’s home was in desperate need of a new roof. And crews worked diligently to get a new roof on.

Kennedy said it was probably the biggest single-day project since Day of Caring has gone on.

“It means a lot to us,” said McKinstry.

“If they couldn’t have done this, I’d be liable to be swimming come this spring,” said McKinstry with a wry smile.

McKinstry, a widow, is raising his 10-year-old granddaughter.

He tried to get a grant for money to fix his home. McKinstry also decided to sign up for the Day of Caring.

And a couple of weeks ago, he learned that a crew would be at his house to fix the roof.

“We had the old roof off by 11 a.m. and were finished by 3:39 p.m.,” said volunteer Mike Wilson looking at his watch. Wilson was one of the volunteers from McKinstry’s church.

Kennedy said the quality of repairs on homes needs to be as good as if they were being paid for. She said the cooperation by local businesses has been amazing.

For example, on McKinstry’s home, Millwood Roofing and Construction and Knepp and Sons came together to build the roof. Two competitors coming together for one cause. And not only did they fix the roof, but they also paid their employees for a day of work.

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Here is another one….
Click here for the web page

Korean Vet Gets Home Repairs

PIERCETON - Richard Alexander and Kevin Kemper listened to each other intently Wednesday as they told each other about their experiences in serving their country.

The men bonded during the annual United Way Day Of Caring.

This year was the fifth year for Day Of Caring where volunteers made repairs to homes in the county.

There were 96 homes in Kosciusko County that were improved by 775 volunteers Wednesday. Homes receiving work were in Claypool, Leesburg, Milford, Mentone, North Webster, Pierceton, Silver Lake, Syracuse, Winona Lake and Warsaw.

Partners for Day Of Caring were Housing Opportunities Of Warsaw, Grace College and Kosciusko Senior Services.

Kemper, owner of Lake City Builders, Warsaw, worked with other volunteers to complete repairs to Alexander’s home and garage at 408 S. Third St., Pierceton.

Volunteers from DePuy, Grace College, and Tripp & Associates Insurance, worked alongside Lake City Builders employees to paint concrete steps, side a garage door, and paint the overhead door at Alexander’s home.

Alexander, 75, Pierceton, served in the Korean War from 1952-54, and Kemper served in the Marines from 1972-80.

Since Alexander is a Korean War veteran, the volunteers took their efforts a step further and painted a flag on his garage door complete with stars and stripes.

Alexander said he had a stroke three years ago and gets around with a walker. He was happy to have help from the volunteers.

“The paint has been peeling on the garage for a long time and the front steps of my house needed to be repainted,” Alexander said.

Kemper said he was glad to volunteer.

“With the economy, these are difficult times in the building industry, and I am glad we were able to help out Richard,” Kemper said.

Several other homes in Pierceton received repairs Wednesday.

Volunteers from Lake City Bank and Grace College scraped and painted the exterior of the home of Lorraine Swanson, 536 S. First St., Pierceton.

Swanson, 85, has lived in the home for 42 years and said she was overwhelmed at the work that was done.

“I can’t believe the number of volunteers who showed up, and I am thankful for the work they did,” Swanson said.

Cameron Plew, Lake City Bank employee, said he was glad to help out.

“We appreciate the bank giving us time off to give back to a worthy cause in the community,” Plew said.

Homeowners were required to meet three criteria to receive improvements to their homes. They were selected based on low to moderate income; senior citizens; and being handicapped.

Serenity House residents kept busy Wednesday morning trimming trees at the home of Frances Ross, 1177 Shagbark, Warsaw, in Hickory Estates.

Serenity House managers Hoss Smith and John Davisson oversaw the work.

“It is a great feeling to give back to our community what has been given to us,” Smith said.

Smith said the residents plan to visit Ross two to three times a month to continue to assist her with yard work. Ross said she was appreciative of the work.

“It is hard for me to get around and to see all of these men helping me out is great,” Ross said.

Volunteers from Grace College and Warsaw Community Church scraped wallpaper and painted a guest room of Michael and Summer Voss, 101 12th St., Winona Lake.

“Our neighbors nominated us to receive the work and we were blessed and surprised,” Summer said.

Becky Trad, a sophomore math education major at Grace College, said she was glad to help.

“I have painted before and was glad I could use the skills to help out someone in our community,” Trad said.

Local churches in each town provided lunch for the volunteers.

Hard to believe, but the beginning of the school year is almost here… SO NOT READY.

These are the new Student Mentors for this year Freshman Foundations class.
A Great Group