"The 2021 Montana mission trip was a blast from my first step onto the bus to my last step off. I made so many new friends and connected with so many new people. My favorite part of the worksites was getting to talk and make connections with the homeless people of Billings, Montana. I found it fascinating to hear their stories and everything that they have been through. Some of what they said really opened my eyes and made me realize that being homeless can have many different meanings and can happen to just about anyone.
I learned a lot from every worksite. For example, working with Family Promise showed me that a strong suit of mine is organization. Eagle Mount showed me that leading and giving directions is something that comes more naturally than I thought. They also gave me a whole new perspective of kids with disabilities that completely blew me away. Each workplace I learned more about not only myself, but also the organization and how important each one is.
My favorite part of being at the house was small groups. This was one on one time with a group of people where you would reflect at the end of each day. I got so much advice, insight, and made personal connections with each person in my group. It was a nice way to end the day. We would talk about how God was present in each one of us, how we can strengthen our faith, and what each one of us was going through personally. There were so many laughs, smiles, and inside jokes made on this trip.
I believe that I can speak for almost everyone when I say that we are all one big family. I am so glad that I went on this mission trip because I can now finally say that I have church friends. Being home after the mission trip knowing how many people I made connections with has made me want to go to youth nights, be more involved, and continue to grow my relationship with God. The feeling that you get knowing you are making a difference is truly indescribable." - Grace J.
"This mission trip was my first, and it will not be my last because of the memories I made and bonds I built. One of my favorite memories of the trip was on the second to last day. We had just eaten dinner, and we were on the bus riding to the church we were staying at. Trevor had a speaker, so we decided to play music. It was lots of fun, singing along with everyone around you. The sun was down, so it was dark, and that made it cooler. I really enjoyed that moment, and I can’t wait for many more that I make on next year’s trip." - Ray S.