Refuge work day

A few weeks ago, on July 7th, we had Refuge youth group from First Presbyterian Church of Hillsboro Illinois bring a group of very hard working young people to help us out for a day and to share in some good fellowship time as well. It was over 100 degrees outside, but that didn't even seem to phase these guys! They were all over the place doing anything and everything from tearing nasty sheetrock out of an apartment building that will be used to house missionaries and people who are homeless,

We also had a group who helped us with some tuck pointing that was in really bad shape on one of out other buildings...

It also just so happens that they brought a few professional carpenters with them who were able to brace the roof in our future Opportunity Garage to keep it from collapsing even further! This garage had been a great worry for us since none of us had the skill or knowledge to be able to deal with it in a safe way. It truly is amazing how God provides!

                                    

A big thanks goes out to Refuge for all the work they helped with and the blessing they were to us. 

If you would like to come be a part of what God is doing here, please feel free to get in touch with us. you can call Mark Goodwin @ 636-544-2153 or send an email to mark@sunministries.org

New Pallet Products and Etsy!

This past year has given us some opportunity to continue to experiment with recycled pallet wood. The Sun Cafe and Market is set to open sometime in early 2013, which will give us space to display our wood products. In the meantime, we have started an Etsy account and will be putting on one-of-a-kind items from time to time. In case you didn't know, our Products with Purpose are made in the Opportunity Center here in Hyde Park.  Our missionaries learn to work with their hands, and the sales (and skills) support the ministry.  It also gives us skills we can then teach to people ready to change their lives.

Here are some of the things we've made in the last year or so:

 



Recycled Pallet Candle Holders



Candle Holders

Simple, rustic, and artsy. A couple different styles. Sold pretty well at the Old North Christmas Bazaar.





Recycled Pallet Night Stand Dresser



Rustic Night Stand Dresser

This was designed by our executive director. Has a rough finish and simple, rustic construction. The lap joints were nailed together.



Recycled Pallet Hall Shelves



Hall Shelves

We tried to find something that would use some smaller pieces of wood. We made a sleek, modern one, and a more traditional/country one.

Patio End Table

Patio end table

This was a custom order piece. Sort of a combination of two table designs we already had. The frame is mortise and tenon joinery, while the slats are simply screwed and glued. I really liked this design because it was sturdy and attractive, and matched our deck chairs perfectly.

Crazy large sliding door

Sliding Door

This was another custom order. The door was two inches thick, 89 inches tall, and 40 inches wide. It weighed A LOT!  The mix of woods gave it lots of character.



Recycled pallet picture frames, and Mark Goodwin Photography.



Picture Frames

Used best to house Mark Goodwin's photography.

Recycled pallet stools with upholstered seats

Stools

A custom order from someone in the community. The design was based off a really simple stool that was in the Opportunity Center when the building was donated. Mortise and tenon joinery. We tried to use oak as exclusively as we could in these.  Getting the stain color right was tricky, as the customers had a table we were supposed to match. The table was really really dark, so we didn't quite make it, but they compliment very well. Also, they were our first upholstery job.

Recycled pallet bookshelf

Book Shelf

This thing is heavy! I tried to make something that really emphasized the material we use, which is recycled pallets. So it's chunky, there is quite a mix of woods, and plenty of character.  The sides are framed panels.

The Intern is Coming - Meet Hannah

Hannah Ruth Groves


I am the second born of four children in a family of seven (my brother recently got married). I have lived as a youth pastor's daughter my whole life in Greenville, IL. Growing up I had many 'typical' struggles with family, but can now honestly say that by the grace of God we have wonderful relationships with each other and thoroughly enjoy spending time together. I will be entering my senior year at Greenville College.
 
My major is Urban/Cross Cultural Ministry and my minor is Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. I'm a dreamer--passionate (and many days simply striving to be passionate) about God's global church, social justice issues and growing in relationship with Jesus Christ. At school, I am a member of the volleyball team, our school's homeless outreach and work at our on-campus coffee shop.
 
I love to do crafts, have one-on-one chats, journal, travel, read children's books and spend time being active outdoors. I might get competitive if you break out a board game, but I'd be put to shame in a drawing contest. I'll try just about any food you put in front of me and hope to someday own/make a hammock in which, over the years many will come to simply be.

Visitors from Tulsa

Visitors from Tulsa

A few weeks ago we got a very unexpected call from David Casey, a leader at First United Methodist Church in Tulsa Oklahoma. David told us that the place they were planning on working and staying on the St. Louis leg of their summer Mission Tour had to cancel last minute and they needed somewhere to go. He asked us if we had enough work and enough space for 50-60 people in 2 separate groups. After we all picked our jaws up off the floor, we thought back to the summer of 2010 when David brought a group of very hard working youth to help us work on our Bremen Theater Project. We very promptly told him yes. He called us on a Wednesday night, and we returned his call the next morning to find out that the group would be arriving on Saturday. We scrambled to prepare places for everyone to stay and to make sure we had enough work ready for everyone to do, and barely finished getting the attic ready for the first group to stay in just a few hours before they got here!

Over the next week we had the pleasure of working, eating, laughing and worshiping with them. They more than lived up to the reputation set by the group in 2010 doing anything from painting and clearing brush to pulling out drywall and carpet and hauling trash out of dirty old garages. No task seemed too big or too small as they rose to meet every challenge we put before them, and did it with a good heart no less.

Along with a huge amount of work, we also got to spend plenty of time talking about scripture, ministry and all sorts of things about being a missionary to the inner city. We spent late nights around the fire pit sharing testimonies and singing worship songs.

For us, having groups like this come in is a big part of what we love to do. It allows us to share in the work God has called us to do with young people who may have never experienced anything like it and pray that God might place the same call on their hearts as he has ours. If you would like to bring a group to serve with us or if you would like to just come by yourself, call Mark Goodwin (636)-544-2153