looking forward

Things I am looking forward to....

We're supposedly on "Spring" Break this week, but it still feels too much like winter!  We've had a few teaser days at 50 degrees, but today's back to 30 degrees.  So looking forward to green grass, green trees, and getting outside more!!

Plans are underway for this year's community gardening efforts in the Walnut Neighborhood.  We even bought "Burmese for Beginners" books and CDs so that we can introduce ourselves to several Burmese neighbors and invite them into garden efforts.  

Looking forward to getting the main floor and upstairs at the 33:5 house done!!

Link Teens are test driving a pie-making social enterprise.  Where will God lead this youth development effort based in business???

Love Cedar Valley is soon to name a new point leader and some plans for the future.  Hurray!!!!

Youth Art Team students finished the Viewfinder Project and have been invited by the Waterloo Center for the Arts to exhibit their work there!!!  So cool.  There will be an artists' reception at WCA on April 24 from 5:30-7:00 p.m.  Come see their fantastic photographs on exhibit!

Starting the plans for Picnic in the Park this summer!  Yay!!

Link Teens Des Moines Trip

Hello everyone!!! My name is Merrsadiz Smith and I am a participant of Link Teens. Link Teens has a mission of empowering and educating young women on business and God. Link teens also allows us to know our strengths and strengthen our weaknesses.  Link Teens has created a specific group for young girls who our looking for jobs and want to participate in building a business. This weekend we were planned to take a trip to Minneapolis to visit the Cookie Cart (who employs LOTS of teens every year), but it seemed God had a different plan for us. We instead took a trip to Des Moines, Iowa, but did not spend the night (weather complications and all that jazz). We spent the night in super 8 hotel in Cedar Falls and had a blast!!!! We played games, ate A LOT of junk food, we even tried out a new Chinese place…that was…different. I and the other girls had a struggle without being with our cellular devices but we were soon given fewer restrictions!!! Anyway back to the trip, like I was saying we went to Des Moines and visited this incredible woman who has been making pies for years. (She’s so incredible I can’t even remember her name). She taught us how to make a GREAT cherry pie and taught us the secret to her incredible crust. (I can’t tell you or it wouldn’t be a secret…Duh! =) Through Link Teens I hope to develop confidence in my pie baking skills and my walk with God. I hope that I learn all the necessary tools to make my own buisness one day, and I hope to continue to work with these amazing women!!! –Merrsadiz Smith

Our group is working out how we'll market our pies.

Bananagram!

We even spent part of our day serving together with a friend who is selling her house.  

Try Pie..here we go!