Youth Summer Mission Trip

Mark Graves, Summer Intern from Duke Divinity School

During the week of June 20-26, eleven members of our EYC, along with the Rev. Tammy Lee, Dana Campbell, and me, joined Lutheran and Episcopal youth groups from Washington, Texas, California, and Minnesota at the Wind River Indian Reservation in western Wyoming. We spent the week painting houses and doing day camps, called "Kids' Club," for local children. The organization under which we were organized, Youth Works, presented some challenges of its own and provided a great forum for us to explore our Episcopal and Anglican identities in the face of the wider Christian landscape. We were wowed by the Rocky Mountain landscape, and enriched by the Shoshone and Arapaho culture and individuals with whom we interacted. We encountered experiences and living conditions that for many of us were eye-opening.

Ask us about the trip! We'd be eager and excited to tell you about it. Here are a few of our reflections.

Julia Taylor: "I think the Kids' Club program has a huge impact on the kids. They really get attached to the teenagers...it's wonderful to be able to create a bond between one of us and the kids because I think they really don't have a lot of very positive relationships in their lives. Even though it is such a short time to spend with the kids each day, I think they really enjoy and appreciate us being here."

Kate Williams: "[One] thing that surprised me working with the kids was how open they were and how much they accepted complete strangers. They just told...about their lives without being embarrassed or nervous. I think that...everyone could learn something from this thinking. But I hate that these kids don't have people to depend on, on a regular daily basis. You'll never believe how much I want to stay here and help these kids just be kids and have it so they don't have to become small adults."

TJ Lovejoy-Henkel: "We discussed all the challenges we were forced to overcome, and how. It was really interesting to hear about other peoples' challenges to see how they compared to mine."

Sam Hunt: "This trip has been absolutely loaded with new and fascinating stuff. Amazing views, great weather, different cultures, innocent kids; it has all changed my perspective on many aspects of life. I've never really felt like I have made this kind of difference."

Marian-Kathryn Cranford: "This trip has truly changed the way I view people, including myself. I will be challenged from now on to look at people for more than their outward appearance and to live life to its absolute fullest. This trip has been a life-changing experience - truly!"

Lauren Peterson: "By experiencing the other ways some of the other groups practiced Christianity and praised God I learned a lot about aspects of my faith that I had never considered before...I have learned so much from this trip, both about the Native American culture and faith. For a first mission trip, it was an incredible experience and a true learning experience that has made a profound impact on me."

Emily Pratt: "It was a great experience and I feel like I've grown as a person as well as had the opportunity to help others...After a while I realized that even though some of the people on our mission trip were different, we were all there to serve God and others. This trip helped me to be more accepting of people."

Harrison Fahrer: "This week has been cool in so many ways; it helped me remember who I really am and gave me completely new things to worry about, look forward to, and experience...Like our plane rides, the week had its rough spots and smooth sailings and we did not realize how fast we had been moving until it was over."

John Hoffman: "It's hard to see the living conditions that these people have to go through. It's amazing to see how thankful most everyone is for what we are doing here: when they let us know it is the best feeling in the world."

Rachel Wilson: "...even though [some of the other youth] were totally different from me, we were all there for the same purpose: to touch other peoples' lives out of selflessness and love. So what could I say about this mission? It was a bumpy ride and an emotional journey as well as a physical one, but if I had the choice, I would definitely do it all over again."

Elizabeth Lienesch: "On no other mission trip have I been challenged to look inside myself and think about my religion as much as I have this past week. This week...became a chance for me to look within myself...The mission trip has provided me with an important chance to serve others in Christ, to experience another culture, and to examine my own religious beliefs."