Rocky Mountain Mission Trip, Last day in Colorado and overall recap

This photo captures the emotions of week for the group who traveled to Colorado.  It was a wonderful week filled with the accomplishments of new relationships and friendships built, work completed for the YMCA of the Rockies and most importantly, a spiritual growth for all who attended. 

Every mission trip is different.  Different personalities, different facilities to stay in, different projects.  This project was more different than the rest.  We had beds to sleep in, food prepared for us and wonderful activities planned to fill in the gaps.  And while that sounds heavenly, it presents a new challenge to all of us as one of our primary objectives is to provide opportunities for relationships between the youth to grow.  Left to themselves, they would hang out with with their friends from home and many would not make new friends.  As I said in an earlier blog, working together opens the door for those relationships to build.  Somehow sacrificing with rough sleeping conditions and eating accommodations deepen those bonds.  But despite the "comfort",  bonds grew and seeds to friendships were planted.

Friday was a free day for everyone.  The primary activities for the day were the high ropes course and hiking.  I went with a group who hiked up 9 Mile Mountain.  It was a wonderful, sunny morning.  We hiked through flowers, trees, rivers... it was a spectacular way to start the day.  Jim Olson led our group up the trail.  Jim is one of the primary mission trip organizers.  He is from Macomb and serves the role of assigning tasks for the day and developing the schedule.  It's a thankless job as many would rather be "somewhere else" than where they are assigned.  Jim has a gift for making sure everyone is happy doing their jobs, even if there aren't.  :)

Jim is also a master trail blazer!  He loves to lead us, whether it is to one of the projects we are finishing or up a mountain.  I love spending time with him, his son Eric and his daughter Rachel.  They reflect our overall mission of creating opportunities for our youth to grow closer to God.  It's in their eyes and in their spirit. 

This photo is Jim and Rachel Olson at the top of 9 Mile Mountain. 

I spent Friday afternoon with my 4 amigos, Philip, Sam, Wes and Cordell.  We had decided to pass on the high ropes course, largely because Sam has a leg injury from baseball, I didn't want to risk injuring my back, and Cordell just didn't feel comfortable with the whole concept.  Most of our students and adults took on the challenge of high ropes and had a great experience.  It truly tested many and reminded many of our favorite scripture, Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  There was a leap of faith and a wonderful team building ladder.  High ropes courses are wonderful for helping people overcome their fears together.  And this was a great addition to our trip.

Another group took the "hard hike" up Stone Mountain and scaled it's 5 peaks.  Each of them reported it as being a magical trek through nature.  Jim McClary led this event, and many of us joked Jim would want to "set a new record for speed to the top."  He reported to me later he had "set the record."  Jim is a wonderful pastor, who has helped me and many others grow in our faith and in our relationships with God.  But, he is someone who likes to win!  And I had this vision his trail blazing would be at a bit faster pace than our trip up the mountain.

Friday evening was reserved for the "take away" worship.  Spending the week working and growing in faith is always rewarding, but sometimes it's hard for everyone to transition into what to do next.  I've been to many sales conventions with inspirational speakers who plant seeds on "how to be better in life."  Then I get home and forget a lot of what I learned, or don't know how to take the first or next step.  I'm sure many have had the same experience.  This happens with mission trips as well.  It's my hope we build strong relationships between the youth, so that when they get back and stumble, they have someone to call or someone to lean on so they can continue to grow in their faith and use the tools we have provided.

Derrick Johnson led the final worship setting.  We were in an area on the complex carved out for fireside worship.  Log seating, with a fire pit in front looking our over a background of the sun setting on the Rocky Mountains.  Not a bad back drop if I say so myself.  Now it's pretty hard to pull a fast one on our mission trip leaders, Scott, Jim and Jim, but Derrick did just that.  His message was about compassion, and the importance of having compassion for your friends, your family and even for people you don't know as you walk through life.  And before he got too far along in the message, he asked Jim, Jim and Scott to come to the front of the gathering and asked the other 48 of us to take out the lyrics he had prepared.  The group, led by Rachel, Katie, Ben and few others sang "Thank You", a wonderful tribute to these men who work so hard to bring us all closer to the Lord.  Here is just a snippet of the lyrics that capture the spirit.

You used to teach my Sunday School
When I was only eight
And every week you would say a prayer
Before the class would start
And one day when you said that prayer
I asked Jesus in my heart

Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am a life that was changed
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am so glad you gave

It was a wonderful tribute to 3 amazing men.  And there wasn't a dry eye in the group.

Derrick invited 5 of our youth to come up and discuss examples of compassion in their lives.  Vince spoke about a time when a new student from overseas came to his school.  As this young man came from a different culture, the others in the school ignored him or made fun of him.  Vince befriended him instead and they became life long friends.  A great reminder that "different" can open new doors and lead to lasting friendships.   Lexa and Jill talked about friends supporting each other when they lost loved ones.  Cordel talked about the 3 amigos coming and playing cards with him while he was taking his twice daily treatments for cystic fibrosis, Wes talked about his father supporting him after Wes was diagnosed with leukemia at age 3.  It was a moving experience to hear each of these young men and women talk about how even the most simple jester had a lasting impact on their lives. 

And tears were flowing as Derrick talked about how a simple invitation to play a kids game by the "besties" had changed his life forever.  That story resulted in a waterfall of tears that didn't subside until early the next morning.  It was a great reminder how each of us can make a difference in the lives of others every day, just by walking with our head up, a smile in place and an attitude centered on those around us instead of ourselves. 

Early Saturday morning, 4:30 AM to be exact, we packed the vans and headed east.  20 hours of highway, and a chance for each of us to "debrief" on our experiences.  The hugs and tears at our final stop together demonstrated best relationships were truly built.  As adult leaders we pray we are able to plant seeds that will be fertilized and grow throughout the lives of the youths, and in the lives of the other adults as well.  I pray that happened and I'm confident many lives were changed as a result of 6 days in the Rockies.