Dear Friends in Christ,

In the mountains of southwestern Virginia, five high schoolers from Grace are spending their week together with twenty more youth from the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia for a week of building skills, creating community, and deepening their faith. I’m writing this letter as they all take well-deserved showers after completing their projects ahead of schedule! This year the Grace youth built a 5×10’ deck, with two staircases, railings, and hung the gutter on an existing roof. In addition to building a deck, they also have built a beautiful community of faith. I love mission trip because we get to see God’s love enacted in the world around us. We get to serve and be served by others. I asked the kids to share some of their thoughts on mission trip, so keep reading for their own words:

Cole: I think the mission trip is fun because it really gets you connected with kids from other parts of Virginia and it helps you socialize and get to know more people. It helps me connect with god because of all the activities that we’ve done together has shown me the true meaning of what God is all about.

Owen: The mission trip allowed me to connect with people I never thought I’d meet and become more close with my faith. I’ve enjoyed this trip because it really helped me view other people’s situations with less judgement.

Ryan: I think that the work we are doing is very impactful and brings us closer to God. Praying with others has really connected us all together on a spiritual level.

Natalie: I have had a lot of fun building the deck, especially getting to use power tools. Everyone here has been really nice, and it’s really a good opportunity to grow in your faith because there’s a lot of time for reflection.

Celia: I LOVE meeting all these people from different churches. They tell me all about where they’re from, and I’m learning so much I didn’t expect. Working on the job site makes me realize we can do a lot more than we thought, especially when we are all working together.

Blessings,

Mother Emma and the Grace youth