Last month, we had the opportunity to take our High School boys on a mission trip to serve at a Christian Camp (YDI) in Highland County, VA. While many of the boys had been on UMA trips before, this trip was a different experience because rather than being served, they were the ones that were serving. While at YDI we did a variety of things to help with the upkeep of the camp including chopping lots of firewood, gutting two bathrooms so they could be re-tiled, and other tasks around the lodge. We also went to the home of an elderly gentleman who had recently passed away and helped clean up the yard and exterior of the home in order to bless his surviving family. As leaders, it was very exciting for us to see how quickly the kids took ownership and embraced their role of serving. When not working we had some spare time to play four-sqaure and spend a few hours fishing in the George Washington National Forest where the boys caught some fish which they brought back and cooked for supper. We had devotionals each evening and at the end of the trip the boys expressed that they had a desire to do another mission trip in the future. Since returning home, we’ve been able to “de-brief” and talk more about serving others and the cost of following Christ during our Wednesday night group meetings.