Each summer the 30-40 Mid High youth and their adult sponsors from St. Paul’s Cedar Rapids travels to Des Moines metro area to experience the love and grace of God in mission work. We serve on three mission sites, all of which are in some way supported financially through the Iowa Conference of the United Methodist Church. This is important because it helps our young people to understand the many ways we can effect change and help hurting people through our connectional church. A portion of every dollar that is put into a local offering becomes an apportionment, which then is used to help real people, with real hurts and challenges, that we have the opportunity to be in relationship with. The wonderful congregation at Aldersgate UMC graciously hosts us each summer. We break our group into three mission teams each named after a biblical figure. Each team then rotates through each of the work sites, one day at each site. Every night after dinner we have worship consisting of a group sharing of where they saw the evidence of God’s love on their work sites through “Yay God’s”, then team reports where each team has to report on one cool way God was revealed through their team namesake, then music and a devotional that is linked through a trip long bible study. The growth, spiritual maturity, and revelation of God’s love for all he has created is evident in every youth, and adult participating in these mission experiences.

Though we have served in several different locations, each year we have consistently served with Pastor Barb Dinnen at Hispanic Ministries. Each year pastor Barb introduces us to families in need of some help with minor home repairs and painting. This year the family we were introduced to live in a home right next door to Trinity church. We had to call in some re-enforcements as well as the home also needed a new roof so we brought along a Senior High roofing crew. Each day the Senior High team and a different Mid High team served God and this family by doing work on the porch, scraping and painting, re-siding the back, re decking and shingling the roof, and building a garden. It was a big job, but all was accomplished through hard work, God’s grace, and volunteers from Walnut Hills UMC who came and finished the roof after our time ran out. Each member of our group grew to know and accept each other more, and also grew to know Jesus more not only as a personal Savior, but also a friend to all of humanity.