It was a hot July day in Tohatchi, New Mexico, and my youth group and I were busy unpacking our luggage and placing it next to the church house we were going to be staying at for the next week. This year, the mission trip was in New Mexico and I was beyond excited! Soon after everything was unloaded, our youth group leader split us up into three groups and gave us our assignments. One group was going to be painting a house, another group was going to be making a cement ramp for a disabled woman, but my group had the assignment of cleaning up a cemetery. Soon after, we were all sent to bed with the wonders of tomorrow morning’s jobs and adventures to come. Luckily, the cemetery was a five-minute drive away so my group did not have to wait
Life can have many ups and downs. One positive thing that has happened to me is being able to go on Mission Trips with my local youth group. I have been on a total of four mission trips in my life. Each one I go on opens my eyes to God. It brings people together and allows everyone to go and help the communities out. The mission trips are filled with teenagers from all over Missouri, that go all over America to help out. All the mission trips are put together by the CCYM (Conference Council on Youth Ministries.)
My youth pastor pulled out of our church parking lot at three am in the morning loaded down with a bus full of twenty four teenagers including me. We were off at last head to Colorado Spring Colorado, little did I know, our bus was going to fall apart this very day.
We were traveling thought all the beautiful places and cities in the country. During our vacation, one day we stopped at a restaurant in a small town. As we were eating, my 16-year-old cousin said to me hurry up, finish your meal and we’ll go play outside. I was a little boy just turned six years. I was excited to go play outside with my cousin, so I was the first one to finish with my meal.
It was an exciting day for me and I didn’t even know what was going to happen. My grandpa came to my house and then he told my brother Luke and I that he was going to take us on a fishing trip to Canada with his friend. We were so excited when he told us I told Grandpa, “This will be the best summer vacation ever!” After he told us we went and got gear like fishing poles, rain suites and food. When we got to the house the morning we were leaving, he showed us a picture of the cabin we would be staying in for the week. It took us a while to pack the car we all packed some of the same foods.
During the 1600s to 1700s, the Spanish were settling Texas. They did this by building missions and presidios throughout the land. The purpose was to keep the French out and to change the Indians' ways of life. Some of these missions failed and some succeeded. All in all they were closed after years of trying to change the Indians.
When I was in the seventh grade, our class went on a field trip to Cherokee, North Carolina. The trip lasted four days and three nights, but the adventure would last a lifetime. The experience allowed me to learn many things about myself and to reflect on the beauty that was all around me. We departed at six-thirty in the morning, and I was so excited. I had never been away on a school trip for longer than a few hours. I tossed my purple duffel bag into the storage compartment, found my seat by the window, and prepared for what I knew would surely be an unforgettable adventure.
We went to New Mexico for a week to build a playground. The trip was long and hot but it was worth it. The playground was going to be built at a Manuelito Najavo Childrens Home in Gallup, New Mexico. In the middle of their dorms. We arrived at a cottage and starting unpacking, choosing rooms, and all that. Dinner came, we all took showers and went to bed.
When I was seventeen years old and going into my senior year of high school I was given the opportunity to go on a trip to Spain with my school. It was a two week trip during the summer, visiting different cities and historical sites throughout the country. While we where there we went to see a Flamenco dance show in Seville which is about an hour and a half outside of Madrid, the city where we were staying. It was a Wednesday around one o’clock when we left and the ride up there was really beautiful. We were driving through the country side passing some small villages on the side of the road. We arrived there around 3:30 and sat down for the show. It was really cool they had all the ladies with their bright dresses and fruit in their hair dance around while we ate lunch. And the show ended around five and we started to head home. On the way home we were driving through the countryside along side a small village when all of a sudden we heard a loud bang and the bus started slowing down. After a couple of ...
When we got back to the campground we played at the beach some more. The sky was clear, and low tide was in. The sand didn't have any shells in it so it didn't cut your feet when you walked through it. I took a moment to reflect back on what had happened to me that week and remembered all the things that had happened. I didn't want it to end, but I knew it would have to. I was getting a little homesick and I wanted to tell my grandparents what had happened and the cool bugs and rock samples that I had
When I was around ten years old, my mom took me to my first week long camp. I packed all my cute clothes, my three favorite stuffed animals, candy, and a book for the car ride. I circled the house two times to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything. Clothes check, toothbrush even though I wouldn’t use it check, book check. Everything seemed to be accounted for so I got in the car. Despite the hour long car ride that was ahead of me, which was an eternity for a ten year old, I was thrilled. My best friend, Amy, was coming and there would be horseback riding. We had been friends since the baby program, ECFE, at church. She was homeschooled and I went to public school, however we had many play dates so we saw each other a lot. Our favorite thing
WHen looking back on one’s life it can be hard to pinpoint instances that changed who you are as a person. However for me it is quite easy. Some of the happiest and most influential points of my life were during any of my four mission trips. Alongside members from my Methodist church I had the privilege of traveling beyond the comfort of my home to serve others much more in need than myself. One of these missions in particular had a huge impact on me, shaping my character and altering the way I view the world around me.
After the boat was empty and we set up our tents, we had time to do whatever we wanted. Maxwell and I decided to go to the river and build a bridge. We would get rocks that were big enough to step on. Soon, lots of people started helping. They dug out rocks, they went into the water, and they went around shore to find big or small rocks. Finally after a while of searching, someone found a huge rock. She rolled it over to me and we both tried to roll it to the bridge. It was too heavy to pick up. I got out of the water looking at our progress, I was impressed.
That day I woke up at 6:20 in the morning, feeling sleepy and excited. I quickly ate my breakfast (and brushed my teeth) and set off to the train station with my huge suitcase. On the train, I was excited with a pinch of nervousness. As we got off the train we quickly ran to school with our
I guess I should start at the very beginning which would be getting up at 6:45 in order to make lunches for the students going on the trip. I had agreed to help Brenda make sandwiches, but neither of us got the key for the dining hall so we had to break into the dining hall with a clothes hanger, we are now professional picks locks because we finally got it open on the 30th try. At any rate we had fun making bagged lunches and pick on each other in the process. Then all the mission students piled into the vehicles to ride to New Tribes Mission, I always thoroughly enjoy the rides on these trips because we frequently have some lively discussions and this trip was no exception. Upon arriving at New Tribes the only thing on the outside property
had been warned couple of times about me being late. Luckily the bus too was