Thank you to all of the students and parents who joined us at our 2019 trip info meeting. If you missed the meeting or need to reference the info, download our 2019 Mission Team Info Packet here.
Applications and $100 non-refundable deposit are due by Dec. 2 to reserve your spot on our team.
On Sunday, Nov. 11, at 11:00 a.m., students in grades 8-12 and parents are invited to join us for an information meeting for our 2019 summer mission trip scheduled for July 21-28. Mission trips are a great opportunity to serve, have lots of fun, make friends, and grow in your faith. Mission team members are expected to participate in monthly fundraisers, service opportunities, and be in active in our youth program. Applications will be available at the meeting and are due by Dec. 2 along with a $100 non-refundable deposit to reserve your spot on the trip.
Relive all of your favorite moments from our 2018 Youth Mission Team's trip to Kentucky on our picture page.
Hi! It's Marissa, Ian, and Julie. Today, we woke up extra early to begin our fun adventure day. We ate breakfast at 6:45 and immediately headed to Blue Heron. When we arrived, we found a beautiful view to do our morning devotional. Everyone really got to see God's creation in action! Afterwards, we then hiked towards our rock climbing spot for the day. We had two spots for climbing and a rope dangling off the top of a 100 foot cliff to repel! At first, people were reluctant and intimidated to do the activities, but after a while everyone jumped right "off!" The two climbing walls, one easy and one hard, were both quite a challenge. They included numerous cracks and crevices to pull yourself up to the top. When you got the top of each wall, it was a tradition to kiss the carabiner clip. Also, the cliff we repelled off was crazy! It was an awesome feeling getting to slowly back down and then hear the group cheering you on! Overall, it was a really fun and successful day! Everyone did something they probably thought they never would. We now are all tired and are in the vans heading to dinner at Sonny's for some good deserved barbecue! After dinner, we will be going to basecamp for our senior led worship. Then it will be bedtime so we are ready for the long car ride home tomorrow morning. See you guys soon.
This is Luke Buzby, and I’m here to tell you about my day on Thursday, July 26th. So, Ben, Luke S. and I all went with Mr. Marcussen to clean up the trash we laid out on the sidewalk the previous day. We got in the car thinking this trip would take only an hour or so, but we were totally incorrect. We started bonding over songs and other weird things that I can’t even begin to explain. We started packing up the truck’s bed with trash that reeked. We then headed to the dump, but we got lost. We asked a neighbor that lived in the area of the dump who said that you take a left instead of a right. We did that but found a dead end and almost ran over a dog that was running circles around the car. We somehow got out of that and ended up finding the dump. Then we went to Lowe’s for supplies, and Luke and I broke the mission trip record with 136 inches of tape measure. We then got in the truck and headed back to base camp. When got back, Bethany, our Adventure Serve leader, told Luke and I to go look for a wood stretcher. We went out for a stroll and looked for this so called “wood stretcher.” Luke quickly caught on that we were looking around for something that didn’t exist for about 2 hours. It was a day of unexpected adventures. Our work has come to an end and looking forward to tomorrow's real adventure!
Hey! It's Jordan and Matt M. Today we went to a new worksite. The family had 5 kids that lived with their grandmother. In the morning, we played lots of games with the kids and really bonded with them. They also had 2 puppies and they were tiny and so adorable! I (Jordan) helped the grandmother with folding and hanging clothes! She was so sweet and very helpful! I, (Matt) played with the puppies a lot! We all then ate lunch together and had fun! We did a Walmart run and bought them new brooms and chairs and other things. After lunch, we got to work. We primed and painted the door frames with Hannah and Dan while Ben helped replace the toilet seat and Luke B, Luke S, and Clay cleaned the garage. It was very exhausting, but definitely worth seeing how happy they were. We were so lucky to have met these kid, and we really did a great job of showing them God's love. We ended the day with pictures and a big game of Duck Duck Goose. We were blessed to have met them and they definitely touched our lives.
Today we were on a new worksite to do demo! Our mission was to tear down two sheds for a family that had just moved from Ohio to Kentucky. They shared that they had no family here in Kentucky so it was quite a leap of faith. Katie and I were chosen to be worksite leaders, which meant that we were in charge of telling people what to tear down and take to other places. I was pretty nervous because I was in charge of a project that I had never ever done before. While hammering through the tin roof of the shed, a bunch of ants that were crawling through the wood underneath. Pretty gross if you ask me! Throughout the day, I continued to think about our Seed Thoughts devotions this morning ... that we are beloved in God's eyes. God has chosen our own identity not by the things we do but from who we are. Despite always being consumed by other's judgements or trying to perfect our image, God loves us no matter what. - Grace
Today our worksite team helped out a couple that had just moved to Kentucky. They were in need of two sheds to be tore down. At first, I was definitely in my yellow zone as I literally had no idea what a crowbar was. Five minutes into our workday though, I was prying nails and tin off of the shed's roof. Towards the end of the day our group does debrief, and each of us share our lows and highs from the day. My work team is so fun and we have all grown closer to each other. It's amazing how close you can get with people after only spending just a few hours working together. Later at night we were able to meet the former directors of Cleft Rock and hear their story. God is working through all of us this week as we serve others and be the the hands and feet of Jesus. - Sienna
Today was a great day! This is the 5th mission trip I have been on and honestly, every trip always feels like a brand new adventure. After meeting our Adventure Serve leaders last night, we spent today bonding with them during our work projects. Our Adventures Serve leaders (Heather, AJ, Cameron, and Bethany) split up our teams into 3 groups, each for a separate work project. My group was led by Heather, who in turn chose me to be the worksite leader. This means I was now in charge of tearing out a floor in someone's living room and replacing it. As someone who barely knows how to use a hammer, this was quite a challenge. Luckily I had a crew consisting of Ian, Darci, Julie, Jonathan, Conrad, Jake, and some of the leaders at my disposal. With their help, we managed to move the furniture (we had some trouble with the couch) and tore up the floor. God moved through us throughout the entire day and all 3 groups accomplished much more than anticipated. Overall, it was a good day and I think the team is really starting to bond.
-Matt (the better twin) Ross
