Senior High Youth Mission Trip July 10-16

Five young members of First Congregational Church (along with adults Christina Schoenwetter and Jeff Rabe) headed up to Minnesota for a week long Sr High Mission Trip. Here are thoughts from their trip:

Our week in Minneapolis was a great experience. For two of the days we did yard work and cleaning for people who lived in a neighborhood that had been badly hit by tornadoes. It was really moving to talk to them, and see the hope that they carried, despite the challenges they faced. We also worked at a food pantry, working to package pasta, cereal and tortillas. It felt really good to box up the food and be able to see what we had accomplished.– Sophie Rzchowski

I would say the highlight of our week would be the two days we helped people clean around their homes and yards. The kindness and gratitude these people showed us was unreal. I never believed that people who had had their homes destroyed by tornadoes and who were facing such hard times could be so cheery. A man named Greg, who was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, even told us we were angels, just for cleaning out his basement. It really showed what an impact we made.– Austen Wygocki

What I found meaningful was talking to homeowners after finishing work around their houses. Just the fact that these people were so full of kindness and courage – especially after the tornado damage and the stresses and fears they had – prompted me to examine my own attitudes and faith to make me a better person.– Anna Rzchowski

We had an awesome week!  he first couple of days, when we helped elderly people in their homes, I could really feel the difference we were making. The next project at Second Harvest was hard, repetitive work, but lots of fun. I’ve always wanted to know how they seal bags!   It was daunting to see that even though we worked for two full days, we hadn’t even touched on the work that has to be done yet.– Sarah Baumann

For our mission trip this year, we spent our week in Minneapolis working for Neighborhood Involvement Project and Second Harvest Heartland. At NIP, we helped people with things they needed done, such as cleaning out a basement or garage. It was a great experience because even thought it seemed like we didn’t do very much, the people we helped were really appreciative and friendly. At Second Harvest we packaged over two tons of noodles, cereal, and tortillas. This week, I had a really amazing time helping out and can’t wait until next year to help even more people.– Emma Beachy