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REFLECTIONS FROM THE
2006 MISSION TEAM
EASTERN SHORE VIRGINIA
Garrett Borgrud: This mission
trip was a great experience for me. I had really grown up and matured
since the previous trip to Chicago. On
this trip I really understood the reasoning for being there, for serving God.
I got involved right away and made new friends really easily. I got to
know Sam, the site director, who was really nice and taught me a lot about
crabbing down south. The work experience I endured was really worth it
and I’ll never forget the look on Omar’s face (from Kid’s club) when I was
chasing him around the park trying to catch him. The thing that I learned
the most about God on this trip is that He is always there for you if you
need physical or emotional help when you need it most. I really thought
the Eastern Shore trip was productive and
worth it all at the same time.
Dan Steen: I really enjoyed
the mission trip; it was loads of fun. I really liked getting to know
all the kids from Pennsylvania and helping
the people of Eastern Shore. I felt
close to God when we were just helping people; it made me feel great!
Matt
Sebastian: On the
trip I helped people in a number of ways. First I helped out in Kids
Club. This is where we interacted with kids that don’t get a lot of
attention at home and introduce them to God. The kids were happy to
have us there and I enjoyed playing games with them. The next thing I
was assigned to was painting someone’s
ceiling. It made me happy to know that we were helping to improve
someone’s living conditions. This trip and these situations made me
appreciate what I have back in Deerfield.
Shannon
Connor: Over the
past few years I have grown a lot by going on mission trips. Each trip has
brought me closer to understanding God, my friends, and myself.
Kenny
Connor: This was
my first year going on a mission trip and I had no idea of what to expect. I
was a bit nervous going into it but when I got there and saw how excited and
welcoming the Pennsylvania
kids were, I jumped right in. I’m very glad I did this. I had a
good time serving God and the people in VA. The thing I will remember
the most about this trip is the kids from PA.
Morgan
Gamm: I had an amazing time on the Virginia Beach mission trip. It was great
to help people in need. God really showed me how he helps and blesses
everyone. Even though Barbara is living alone, in a small, unkept, and dirty house, she is a very grateful and happy
woman and she shared that with all of us. She loved having all of us at
her house to talk to and help her. On this trip I learned things about
myself as well as getting closer to the group. I learned that I can do
physical, hard work even in the conditions of very hot weather and a blinding
sun. I loved getting to know people better as well as helping others who are
not as well off as us in Deerfield, being Barbara or children who just need
someone to play with and have fun. I had an awesome time on this mission
trip, and hope that next year will be just as great or even better.
Skyler Frickelton: Throughout my past three years participating in mission
trips, I’ve always returned with a new humility for serving others and a
stronger relationship with God. I had high hopes going into this year’s trip
because we had a strong team bond. In turn, I felt it helped me work
more efficiently and concentrate on God. I felt that God worked through
me when it came to meeting the PA group. As I look back on my past
trips, I remember being a little tentative when it came to meeting the other
groups, but this year I jumped right in and met more people this year than
ever.
Molly
Verink: The 2006 Eastern Shore
mission trip was a great experience for me. It really showed me a
different side to things. I learned a great deal from the people that we
worked with. It seemed that everyone at the Thrift Shop was so happy to get
some help. Every time we came in to work they greeted us with smiles.
It showed me that even a little help goes a long way. The kids at Kids
Club were just so happy to have someone there to play with them. I was
so glad and proud to help others in any way I could. I definitely grew closer
to God and others on our team. We also met a great group from PA that we
became good friends with. I had an awesome time on this trip and I am
looking forward to future trips.
Alex
Verink: To me, the 2006 mission trip to VA was a life-changing
experience. Even though this was my third trip, I still feel as though
I got as much out of it as the first. The kids from our mission team
and the team from PA were amazing. Everyone had so much energy and did
tons of hard work. I think the thing that I most took away from this
trip is the amount of work that can be done in just two days by a small group
of teenagers. When we first arrived at our worksite we could see that
we had our work cut out for us (we were at Barbara’s home). Daunting
would have been an understatement, and we were not even the first group to
work at this site. By the end of our two days, however, we could see
major improvement. I think we could have stayed the whole summer and
still have work to do, but we made the most out of our two days. This
trip has changed my life in that it has made me consider mission
opportunities in my life after high school.
Trey
Borgrud: Unlike other trips, I got to know many more people so I had
much more fun. I also got in touch with God, and felt God work through
me as I worked on the houses and with the kids. These experiences made
it a great mission trip.
Taylor
Borgrud: Since this was my first mission trip, I didn’t know what to
expect. I was a little nervous but after working with the kids I knew this
trip was going to be a lot of fun. I had a great time getting to know
more people and getting closer with God. With all the people I met, and
all the people I helped, this is definitely a trip I will not forget.
Morgen Keller: On this mission trip God touched me by
showing me the way that other people live. He showed me that we have it good
here and have food, water and can go to a good educational
environment. I have more respect and compassion for the people who live
that way.
Garrett
Miles: The
mission trip this year was great. I had fun and it was cool getting to
meet other people. The biggest thing that affected me was how hard the
people on Eastern Shore have it. Some
have very difficult living conditions.
Clayton
Miles: This
year’s mission trip was another memorable and life-changing experience. The
group from PA was incredible to work with and spend time with. God
challenged me in many ways. The biggest thing was how He changed my attitude
on life and how He has pushed me to be more of a humble servant.
Ryan
Schenkel: I had a great experience on this past mission trip. I
feel that the trip expanded my horizons greatly and opened me up to many new
things. I met many new people and discovered some new things about
myself in the process. I think that I became more sociable on this
trip. I will remember the faces of those whose life we hopefully made a
little better. This mission trip was very fun and was a great learning
experience.
Jessica
Bringe: My experience on the 2006 Mission Trip was amazing.
The people we worked with were so open with their faith that they really
inspired everyone to be just as open. That is what brought everyone
closer to God and each other.
Lauren
Bringe: I have been on 3 mission trips in my life and the Virginia
Mission trip was a wonderful trip to end with. God has worked through me
in many ways on these trips. On the last couple of trips I have come
back to find that I had a new-found gift: to talk to children easily and
enjoy it too. Not only that, but I’ve also been much more patient than I
was in the past, which some people may say is a gift only God can give to
you. So, with God’s help, I have decided that I want to go to college
to become an elementary school teacher. It may sound funny to you but I
believe that if I had not gone on these mission trips, I don’t think I would
know what I would want to do for the rest of my life. So thank you to
God, our leaders and many others for helping me prepare for my future.
Jordan
Polk: I believe
God worked through me in many ways. He inspired me to be the best person I
can be. On our trip to Eastern Shore God gave me the motivation and
dedication to help others out. I will continue to try and help others
out in my every day life.
Kevin
Riggle: I loved the mission trip. I really feel that my faith in God
has grown tremendously. The best part was seeing the smiles on people’s
faces when we had finished. It really made me feel great!
Katherine
Jones: The Eastern Shore trip was my first mission trip.
This year on the trip, I not only had a great time, but I learned a lot about
myself, others, and service. Specifically, I learned that God can touch
you when you least expect it, that people you would never normally talk to
can be pretty cool, and the true meaning of work. I loved being able to help
others in need even if sometimes it wasn’t the most pleasant experience. All
the people that I got to work with were awesome and ever since the trip I
have appreciated everything I have at home more than ever.
Steven
Moerke: Things that I learned from the mission trip to Virginia are that even
if you seem to be lost or forgotten God can still find you. I felt close
to God on the trip when our group did some outside work on this very nice
lady’s house it seemed like we were doing so little but in the end it was a
lot. We probably removed about 25-30 pounds of shrubbery that needed to
be trimmed, and we cleaned the entire outside of her house by hand. I grew
spiritually at club time every night because we would all bond in many different
ways. I will most remember the time in the clubroom because it was
defiantly full of exciting people and their crazy selves.
Elise
Couillard: During the Virginia mission trip I felt God in many
ways. The kids at Kid’s Club were so loving and
our team made immediate bonds with them. I got to know a little girl
named Du’Miah and I saw God working in her. I
could tell she had some hard times at home, but God was helping her stay
strong. She made me smile and made my faith in God even stronger.
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