Stories From the Youth

This trip to South Dakota will be unforgettable! I really enjoyed painting the pastor's shed and getting to know him and his wife. This being my second mission trip to South Dakota was very special to me. I met lots of new people and built better relationships with my church group. I can't wait for my next mission trip!!
~ Anne J.

This was my first time going on a mission trip with the church, and let me tell you, it was one of the greatest times I have had in my entire life! Everybody instantly made me feel like I belonged here. Working with the kids at Kids Club was inspirational to me. To see those kids light up the moment you started playing with them was amazing. Also, working with my crew to help beautify a house was spectacular. Seeing how much they appreciated it really meant a lot to me. And bonding with kids from my group and from other churches was really special and I absolutely can't wait for next year's mission trip!! I'm so happy I was able to come.
~ Kate Riv.

This week in Kadoka was one of, if not the, most meaningful and spiritual weeks of my life. As the week went on I felt not only myself but everyone there grow closer to God. This trip opened my eyes to God's love for everyone. I saw this when in Kids Club kids from rough neighborhoods were able to just be themselves and have fun wothout having to worry about their safety and image. I also saw God's love when I painted Pastor Gary's house. His love for the community and his sincere thankfulness for us being there showed me that every little thing counts. From the friendships all the way to Kids Club, I saw God's love in this world and it made me be thankful for my ability to help these people.
~ Nicholas

This was my first mission trip and it was just amazing. From the trip to the reservation to being there. At first I was nervous because I was the youngest person going. I soon learned that didn't matter. This group was like a second family. Once we got to Kadoka I was worried about making friends with strangers in just a few days. I'm not that good at talking to people so it has always been a problem. But everyone there was there for the same reason so it wasn't that hard. Working at Kids Club was so much fun. We got to tun around with these amazing kids. The kids were shy at first but once you began to talk to them they changed. They were crazy but loveable. Working on Tony's house was great. I really bonded with the people on my crew. I loved helping Tony with his house though the scraping was annoying. But none of this compares to the last night we spent in Kadoka. We had a foot washing. Our adult leaders washed our feet and prayed for us. It doesn't sound like much but it was really touching. Even I cried. And those that are very close to me know that it takes a lot to make me cry. I can't explain the feeling but it was strong. I didn't want to leave. I want to do more mission trips. Not only because of the people I met but because ofhow close I felt to God. Just seeing what the Lakota people went through makes me so thankful of what I have. This trip made me feel better. The best I ever have and I can't wait for the next trip. I hope I get to go to New York next year for the next one.
~Caroline

These are just a few of the stories from the youth. We will add more soon so check back often!

We're Home!

After a fantastic week, we made it back to Roanoke last night around 11:00. Everyone stayed around to help unload, clean up, and have one last prayer and round of good-bye hugs. The weather did clear up on Wednesday and Thursday. Since the camp staff decided not to reschedule our visit to the 38-feet tall cross sculpture, our group decided that it was worth it to make our own trip. The entire group quietly left at 5:00 (yes, that is a.m.) Thursday morning, which was an achievement in itself since we were sharing sleeping quarters with all of the other youth groups. We made the beautiful drive just after sunrise to the cross. The last part of the trail was not clearly marked so we ended up going too far and got the bus stuck in the mud (there always seems to be a mishap story on these trips!). Much good came out of this story, though. First, we had to walk up to the cross, which one of the youth said felt like we were actually getting closer to God as we walked. Second, the kind person who came to tow us out with his tractor happened to be the artist who created the sculpture. Many thanks to Brett and his dog, Highway! Third, we did make it back to camp in time for breakfast. Throughout this entire experience, there was not one complaint. Everyone just enjoyed the experience and we all agreed later in our back home meeting that it was worth it.
The cross sculpture is made of old metal parts and scraps, and one of the youth pointed out how it was neat that those things could be put together to create something so beautiful. It reminds me of 2 Corinthians 5:17, which says: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
In the next day or so, we will be adding stories from the youth so that you can read firsthand what this trip meant to them.

We're Here!

On Sunday morning, we were able to tour Crazy Horse Memorial and Mt. Rushmore, and even had time to stop by Wall Drug before arriving at camp late Sunday afternoon. From the time we arrived, our youth have been completely and fully involved in all of the activities. We are so proud of them! It has rained here the past two days so some adjustments have had to be made with work crew sites, and Kids Club has been inside in the rec center beside the school. But even with all of that, things are going really well. It is so neat to see our youth giving piggyback rides, reading to a child, or making friendship bracelets with their Kids Club buddies. Today we also visited the nursing home in Kadoka and sang songs for the residents there, had a devotional time, and were able to visit with them. Other groups have helped with Vacation Bible School here at the Presbyterian Church or have been painting (inside). All of these things have been done without complaint or hesitation from the youth. Our trip to the 38 feet tall cross had to be cancelled tonight due to the rain, but it did clear up enough last night for us to do our hike in the Badlands. Absolutely amazing! We can't wait to see what the rest of the week will be like. Please pray for nice weather!

Floods, Friends, and Fun

Heading out of Missouri this morning, parts of the highway were closed due to the flooding they've had in this area. So while that was some not-so-good news that required us to detour, our new route took us through a scenic route in Nebraska. Ahhh Nebraska! It really was a beautiful drive. The youth have been entertaining themselves on the bus with energizers, trivia contests (thanks to Phillip), Scrabble, Pictionary Telephone (a new game Cathy taught us), and lots of talking and sleeping. Once we hit South Dakota we were literally heading west into this beautiful sunset. Tomorrow we see Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial, and then head into camp in Kadoka. I'm not sure what the internet access will be once we're there, but will try to post when we can.

St. Louis Arch

We made it to Lexington, Kentucky last night then headed to St. Louis, Missouri today to visit the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, otherwise known as the St. Louis Arch. We had to drive through a pretty intense storm, but everything cleared up just as we arrived in St. Louis. We rode the "pods" to the top of the 630 feet high arch and were able to look out at the city and the Mississippi River. Tomorrow we will drive up through Iowa and cut across South Dakota. We've been through 6 states so far already!

Ready to Roll!

Once again, the youth of Second Pres are heading out to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. 15 youth and 5 adults will leave this Thursday, June 16th to begin our journey. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, as well as the people we will meet along the way. It probably wouldn't hurt to also pray that the fuel pumps will be well-marked, the deer will stay in the woods, the storms will be calmed, and the floodwaters will subside! Between now and our next post you can check out what participants had to say about the trip last year, and view pictures from the past 2 trips on our Flickr site. Stay tuned for more!