Performing mission work in another community puts life and service to God in perspective, members of the Wesley United Methodist Church Youth Group said. It also gives them ideas for ways to help their own community when they return.
They’ll be leaving Saturday for a mission trip at Leech Lake Reservation, Minn. While there, they’ll spend a week meeting with other youth from across the country, helping with various tasks to improve the Native American reservation.
The local youth group has been to six other missions through the YouthWorks organization. They’ve been to Chicago, St. Paul, Minn., Atlanta, New Orleans, Daytona and Philadelphia. They typically do a mission every other year, but last year’s mission was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
They went to Philadelphia in 2018. Youth group member Collin Long talked about an experience there working with children. The kids were thrilled to see them every day, especially one boy in particular.
“That level of excitement was great. They loved the attention,” Long said.
The experience was so profound, it inspired the youth group to start offering community cookouts in Iola last year. They would provide a simple cookout for free in a neighborhood, and the church youth group members would take time to play with the children just as they had on their Philadelphia mission.
A previous mission, in Daytona, also inspired The Foundry, a former church building where youth can gather to hang out and play games in a safe environment.
“There’s something about leaving everything behind and getting away from everyday life, where you are just dedicated to doing God’s work and don’t have the distractions,” Lori Cooper, youth ministry director, said. “Then you bring that back here to help your community.”
Madi Carlin has attended several missions as a youth and is now going as an adult leader. Her experiences taught her how to better interact with a wide group of people from different lifestyles.
“I”ve learned something different from each one,” she said.
Thane Meadows warned his fellow youth group members, especially those who had never taken part in a mission, they should be prepared to cry at the end.
“That last day, you feel like you’ve completely changed,” he said. “You don’t want to leave.”
Chris Holloway will be taking part in the mission for the first time. He’s looking forward to seeing how he can use his leadership skills to help another community.
“All of us have something unique to offer and I feel like we can give something to them, but also it will make us better,” he said.
