On a mission

MONROE — This past July, 19 young people and four adults had a life-changing experience on the mission trip for St. Paul Lutheran Church: They spent a week in Warrensburg, a small town outside of Lake George, helping those who are less fortunate than them.
They provided much needed summer child care for free for those families that cannot afford to send their children off to camp.
They helped build a stone patio walkway for an elderly couple living in a trailer and created a garden to help provide a free, consistent food source for those in need.
These teenagers gave up the many comforts of home by sleeping on the floor of churches and showering at the local YMCA, and believe it or not, they cannot wait to do it all again.
The value of giving, of helping othersThey learned the value of giving and the importance of helping others. They saw that no matter how tough you think your life is, there is always someone who has to face challenges that are even tougher than yours.
They realized that maybe they should be thankful for all that they have been given in life, rather than complain about the material things that they still have yet to acquire.
They also experienced the value of friendship and bonding with kids of all different ages, not just the ones that are in their grade, team or social network.
An even greater gratitude should be given to the four adults that accompanied these amazing youths. These gracious individuals took five days off of work, using a full week of vacation, to not only donate their time to the community of Warrensburg, but to bond with the children of church and help instill in them the values of giving back to the community. They guided the children in their daily activities and were there to help with any problem that arose, all while giving up the comforts of their own home as well.
Car washThe youth of St. Paul Lutheran Church recently selected their site for next year’s mission trip and are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to serve another community in any capacity that is required. To help finance their trip, they will be doing multiple fund-raising activities throughout the coming year.
The first of which is Saturday, Sept. 29, when we will be hosting an all-day car wash at St. Paul on Still Road in Monroe.
So, when you see the St. Paul youth jumping up and down at the corner of Still Road and 17M, in front of McDonalds, holding signs for the car wash, take twenty minutes out of your day to stop in; not only to support them financially, but more importantly to support them emotionally with your encouragement for what they are doing. Listen to them tell stories of their mission trip and see how excited they are for their next one in July 2019.
Look for local announcements in The Photo News or visit the St. Paul Lutheran Church's Facebook page to see how you can help.