I am back from our Mission Trip and I AM TIRED! The New Smyrna Beach United Church of Christ’s TEENS IN ACTION Youth Group just got back from a week long mission trip in south Florida, where we helped build a deck; put a roof on a pavilion and poured concrete for a walkway at a deaf center. The center has apartments for the hearing impaired. This was pretty strenuous work for someone who sits at a computer for 40 hours a week!!! But it was so worth it.
What a wonderful trip it was. Our youth group has kids ranging in age from 12 to 15 and I was soooo proud of them. We were led on the job site by a St. Petersburg contractor, Mr. Davis, who taught the kids how to use power tools, ratchets, build roofs, shingle, pour concrete and more! I have never seen a group of kids work so hard. They spent 7 hour days working to help the residents at the deaf living center have a place to gather together for fellowship, picnics and just plain fun!
We stayed at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg in some of the older dormitories. One of our chaperones (who is 66) said that it reminded her of her college days in the 50s! The kids were able to use the outdoor volleyball courts, a beautiful pool and the soccer fields.
I saw the kids mature emotionally and spiritually – they participated in worship services held by TeamEffort, the organization that coordinated the trip. The Teens in Action group bonded, grew in love for each other and learned how serving others could make them feel good about themselves.
Each evening after working at the center our group joined the three other youth groups who were serving in south Florida that week. Our group got to know a group from Georgia really well. Some groups were doing work on the hurricane damaged homes of migrant workers, and some were leading Bible School classes. We enjoyed great worship services led by college students who shared their life stories and their journeys of faith.
We took a day off to visit Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida – where the braver of them rode the new ride ShieKra (which was a lollapalooza!) – along with all the other roller coasters – Montu, Python, Scorpion, Phoenix and the Cheetah Chase. We got wet on the Stanley River Falls Log Flume and the Tanganyika Tidal Wave – it was a welcome relief from the heat of the day. Some of the groups got to see a few shows, but not ours.
We saw lots of animals, including a baby Grevy's zebra, who stayed next her mother, Kellye. Other animals sitings were giraffes, endangered black rhinoceroses, Bengal tigers (where one of the kids accidentally dropped her camera over onto the ledge, a Busch Gardens employee saved the day - and the camera), chimpanzees, all kinds of exotic birds and much, much more.
We were on the go from 7:30 a.m. to at least midnight every day and even though we were all tired (especially the chaperones) we were energized by becoming closer to each other and to God while there. The day after I got back, I had phone calls from parents who were excited about the changes in their kids and phone calls from the kids about stuff they had read in the Bible.
The trip surpassed my expectations and was an awesome experience for everyone involved. Our church helped raise most of the money for the trip, along with the parents and lots of fund raisers. On the way home, the kids were already planning how to raise money so we can go again.
One of our Teens in Action members had an especially good week where she learned to whistle, blow bubble gum bubbles, overcame her fear of heights by shingling a roof and overcame her fear of roller coasters. A banner week indeed!
A continuation of the group's mission work will happen next month when we share a meal with a youth group from Vermont who will be doing mission work working in Daytona Beach.
We want to offer our thanks to the congregation at the NSB United Church of Christ for sharing their vision of ministry to others. I personally want to thank my bosses, Mary and Rusty Crawford, for donating to the cause and our company, the USCity.net Internet Website Directory for allowing me a week's vacation while on the Mission Trip.
I hope to involve some of our college employees on the next trip as chaperones. (hint, hint, Kristina and Jen!).
Thanks also to Carol for taking up the slack while I was gone.
9 comments:
I think they are very lucky to have had someone as caring and kind as you are. A great role model. What a great time!!! Thanks for sharing.
Lynda
And I am lucky to have them to share amazing things like this week with!
Thanks Lynda :-)
I am the mother of two of Miss Pam's campers and words cannot express my gratitude for her willingness to take this trip on. My children's spiritual growth was phenominal and their own relationship strengthened beyond words. The trip exceeded both MY and the kid's expectations! Miss Pam is truly ONE OF A KIND and we LOVE HER SOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH! Thank you USCITY.NET for your generosity and for sharing Pam for the "greater good" last week!
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful account of the mission trip with us. We are so proud of YOU and the Teens. You are the one who makes this fellowship work. Blessings on you.
WE LOVE YOU MISS PAM! Thanks for the great trip. You are so awesome. I really learned a lot on the trip and got close to our group.
I love you all too :-)
And thanks to you, our Beautiful Woman, for being there when the kids needed you. You always seem to know just what they need when they need it. This trip would not have been possible or even remotely as successful without you.
Love to all,
Pam
Aunt Pam - thanks for the awesome trip and for letting us meet the Georgia boys. I love you =0)
I am so thankful for you and your ministry to the teens at our church. We are truly blessed to have you with us. The kids are very special to all of us at the NSB United Church of Christ. Their willingness to help is truly a gift to all of us in this community and now in South Florida too.
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