What happens when you get a bunch of high school students together focused on a single purpose…yes, total chaos at times BUT there is no place I’d rather be! These guys know how to have fun. This trip is full of students who are taking a step of faith to serve in another country with folks they barely know (at least for now)…how incredible is that! God is already working through them and you can see in the pics below, as they try and untangle themselves, this will not be an ordinary, run-of-the-mill mission trip. I can’t wait!
How do you bring 40 or 50 students and leaders together in 30 minutes or less? Well, speed dating of course! We took our team through a “speed dating” exercise to quickly introduce ourselves to each other. In 30 seconds or less we answer questions like, “what would your ideal vacation look like?” or “describe a time when you were really scared?”. You sit across from a partner and answer the question then one row of folks will stand up and rotate down one chair for the next question so you talk to a new person each time! I guess you just have to be there…wait, you can be there (kinda)! Take a quick look at the video below and feel the energy from this incredible team. We also divided the team into small groups and took some time to fold and stuff our letters in envelopes (we are ready to mail)! Fundraising has officially begun! This team is awesome.
So many students were eagerly awaiting that clock to strike 4:00PM when we FINALLY delivered mission trip team selection notifications by email on Thursday December 20, 2018. 50 students and 15 leaders are heading to Mexico in 2019 and we could not be more excited. As is our custom, the Harpers opened their home for a “Welcome to the team” party for those who could make it that evening. Oh, you’ve never been to one of those parties? Let me give you a sneak peak…these students and leaders are pretty cool.
Follow along with our team on this incredible journey that will culminate with about 60 students and leaders serving, loving, building, sweating and more in Merida Mexico. The blog will begin with updates monthly (most likely) until we land in Mexico where the updates and pictures will HOPEFULLY happen each day. We have our leaders ready to go; our next step, identify the students who will join us.
DRAFT Day is where the main trip leaders for all of our high school global trips through Browns Bridge come together to choose their students from all the applications provided (that is happening this week). We will tweak the trip rosters until we have a FINAL list ready for Notification Day. Yes, each student had to complete an application and must now wait until December 20, 2018 for the official notification. The waiting is painful but necessary! I will tell you, this process is a well-oiled machine (we have the best staff in the business to make this as painless as possible).
More to come over the next few weeks…hang in there! And in case you want a sneak peak on what these students and leaders will do in Merida, check out the below video. Trust me, you’ve never seen students work so hard.
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
