We were tripping all right!
On June 27, twenty-five youth and thirteen adult leaders boarded a tour bus, (we had some many sign-ups there weren’t enough limos!) and headed for Big Rapids, Michigan. Almost from the first moment that our Youth Team had the idea to do mission work in our own backyard…this trip was…CHALLENGING!
However, there’s no reason to dwell on the challenges since the trip ended up being such a huge success! With a group of middle and high school students (mostly middle school boys) we worked to stock shelves at Manna Pantry, freshened up the grounds surrounding Big Rapids First UMC, helped set up a block party for Angels of Action, cleaned 50+ storage containers, and helped the Big Rapids Council on Aging organize items for their annual treasure sale. Our work was important and much appreciated. Our students and their leaders were excellent representatives of the Central Bay District!
We also found time to have some fun! We enjoyed the most decadent milk shakes and ice cream creations, and had a blast at The Jump Station, a trampoline park.
One of the most meaningful moments was the teaching message that Rev. Jeremy Wicks shared. He came over to our dorm at Ferris State University, late on Thursday evening and even though everyone was tired from a hard day’s work, quickly everyone was engaged with his message of taking action when needed. It was the perfect ending to an awesome day.
Mark your calendar…next year we’ll be heading to Midwest Mission Distribution Center in Illinois. We’ve reserved that whole dorm June 22-28. Spots will be limited. So keep watching for updates and registration.
