ST. BARNABAS MISSION TRIP Harrisburg, PA, JULY 15 - JULY 20, 2018
Bryan Botsch
Gerry Welch
Maddy Dombrowski
Sarah Heutz
Josh Ipe
Jason Louison
Darren Rodman
Purpose of the Mission Trip
We Arrived Sunday, July 15
Orientation
We received orientation Sunday night and were divided into teams:
Reeses
Gerry
Jason
Josh
Darren
(plus others from different churches)
Krackles
Bryan
Maddy
Sarah
(plus 13 others from 2 different churches)
(Plus 3 other teams)
Worship
Evening Activities
Fun Moments,
New Friends
New Friends...
Personal Perspectives
Bryan
Again I really enjoyed serving with adult leaders and youth from other churches. When serving at the food bank, I imagined what it would be like if no hunger existed in the world.
One of the comments made by Mr. Bill, one of the residents of Allison Hill and leaders of the improvement efforts affected me (paraphrasing): “We don’t throw money at a need--we participate in the solution and make it happen.”
Personal Perspectives
Gerry
It was wonderful to see the kids participating in service. What touched me personally was how dedicated the Wildheart mission is to restoring Allison Hill to its original beauty. They have removed 500,000 pounds of trash. I helped release a cobblestone path from what had looked like a grassy field. These efforts make the community members proud and want to care for their community. The community members were happy that we are there so they took care of us with water.
Personal Perspectives
Maddy
What impacted me the most was all the amazing people I met in this short period of time. It was surprising and crazy to me how welcoming and kind everyone I met was. I created relationships with so many people in so short amount of time, and was sad to say goodbye. I got to learn about many others’ lives and experiences while working with them. I shared laughs, stories, and made many memories with people I had just met. It was comforting to know that there are so many great people in the world who share the same passions and beliefs as me.
Personal Perspectives
Sarah
The thing that impacted me the most was the team I worked with. We helped out at the food bank and garden and the relationships we formed are so special. By the end of the trip I can say we became a Krackle family. We shared laughs, smiles, and hugs. Becoming friends with people in less than a day is something so special and this impacted my time on the mission and my overall attitude.
Personal Perspectives
Jason
To serve a community where conditions were so harsh, and where people had little to no hope, it was very eye opening to me, one reason being that I have never had an experience like this before (Urban Neighborhood). From picking up trash to meeting the people in the community this wholes trip was an experience that I won’t soon forget.
Personal Perspectives
Josh
This past week, I went on my first ever mission trip. Before, I saw this as an opportunity to serve other people who are less fortunate. My perspective changed after the first night. This was a chance to serve God and get closer to Him. Jesus has said that whoever serves the least of His people serves Him. And in each day I saw God working through ordinary people so we could serve Him. Whether it be nice people giving us water when we ran out or a few minutes of clouds when we were working in the sun all day, we felt God’s presence. This trip taught me that God is closer than you think.
Personal Perspectives
Darren
What happened on this trip was amazing. Very life-changing. I met all new people to keep in touch with. I had a lot of fun on this trip. It’s definitely a memorable trip to never forget.
Last But Not Least
Chocolate World!
Thanks!
Thank you,
St. Barnabas!