Mexico

By Olivia Reyes

The Mexico mission team was able to learn and experience lots of new things while working to serve their God with Back-to-Back ministries. Dr. E recalled some of the jobs the team did during the trip, such as building bookshelves, cutting hedges, and digging trenches.

Although the team worked hard, they also set aside time to pour into the lives of the children at the orphanage. Playing soccer at night with the kids from the Hope program was one of the activities that stood out to Dr. E. One of his favorite memories from the trip was visiting the Mexican church and seeing the enthusiasm of the members as they worshiped. He mentioned that on a spiritual level the trip gave him “a glimpse of how young people can be used in kingdom work.”

Lena Poitevint said that a part of the trip that stuck out to her was the time they spent with the kids at a trampoline park in the Monterey mall. She explained that she learned lots of new things while on the trip including how to use a machete for cutting weeds. Lena noted that seeing the child inside each one of her classmates as they played with the kids from the orphanage made her more aware of how she needs to love her classmates.

Anchorage

By Hank Schwingle

The Anchorage doesn’t sound like the most fun trip in the world, considering it felt like you were in a prison camp surrounded by just mud, bricks, and friends – only 5 of which were dudes. Oh, and we couldn’t have our phones either. Going to boot camp to serve the Lord isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but once you get past your preconceptions, you really do get to see something that many people won’t experience unless they’re there. One thing that I learned at the Anchorage was how to communicate more with people and know when and what to say. The emphasis on prayer was also very impactful to witness at the Christian camp, and I saw it affect and move other people around me in their work. This helped me understand that whether your job is big or small, you can make an impact for the Lord in whatever He calls you to be. Whether you move far away to evangelize or serve even here in South Carolina, you can still make an impact in drawing people to the Lord in what you say and do. My encouragement for you is when you think about serving the Lord, pray more and know that even if you end up doing something small, like staying in Greenville, planting a church with only 10 members, or working at McDonald’s for the rest of your life, remember that God has a purpose for you, and He is making all things new.

Utah

By Wesley Wolfe

There are a few things that make this trip unique from the others in my opinion. First, we we’re the guinea pigs for the trip, so some things were a little rough, like not knowing exactly what’s coming next, or work not being evenly distributed throughout the team. But what really matters is the impact the trip made on the people we encountered and what it made on us. As a team we were able to help out the local Christian churches and the pastors’ families. Painting walls and cleaning chairs at churches, helping out at a local pastor’s conference, and clearing trash from the home of a pastor’s relative are just a few of the many things we did while in Utah. In between helping out the local Christian community, we were given lessons on apologetics and witnessing skills to help strengthen our faith. Overall the trip was an eye-opening experience to many of us, some even wanting to move to Utah in the future, and I would highly suggest this trip for people who want to push their witnessing or servanthood skills.

Greenville

By Annsley Kirkwood

Kate Griffith is a senior student who went on the Greenville mission trip this year and was willing to share her experience. One of her favorite places they went to was Pendleton Place, a place that houses kids without parents and offers programs for families experiencing homelessness and poverty. At Pendleton Place the seniors were asked to help clean the deck and rake the numerous leaves that had piled up. She also enjoyed going to Lead Collective which is a foundation that helps kids on their way to juvenile detention and teaches them useful skills; she says that she was encouraged by the staff there who were very passionate about helping the kids. Another part she enjoyed was going to the elementary school and just interacting with the kids who were very kind. On Monday morning she also had fun doing a ropes course with the seniors despite the rainy and cold weather. She also says that the mission trip was a great opportunity to learn about the other people in her class that she didn’t know well. One thing that stood out to Kate was that at each place the staff was always very passionate about serving others and that the staff at these places formed personal relationships with the people they helped which allowed them to share the gospel. Kate says that the trip taught her how God strengthens people and how He truly is everywhere which is a thought she can take comfort in.