Best-Laid Plans
Every youth trip starts with a grand plan: take a bunch of kids someplace different to serve, learn from the community, and grow together and in their faith. In the end, you have Instagram-worthy photos and the highlight reel of the trip. What is missing is the reality of the trip—the little bumps that make the journey worthwhile.
BEST-LAID PLANS
You can organize a trip down to the last detail: when to depart the church, how long the drive will take, who has food allergies, what to bring for snacks, where to stop for meals and fuel, which forms to collect (there are a lot), how to organize them, and how to coordinate with the organization. You plan for your best-laid plans to go off without a hitch. However, reality is that there are always bumps in the road.
This summer’s youth trip was scheduled to leave the church at 10:00 AM and arrive at our destination at 4:00 PM, but that did not happen. We arranged to stop for dinner along the way—nope. While the “bumps” weren't my plan, maybe they were God’s. Because of the delay, I saw the kids (and volunteers and parents) rally and make the best of it. They attended church together, ate lunch together, and stayed patient and understanding through it all. For what felt like hours, they hung out at the church, played games, and told jokes. By the end of the day, we made it to South Dakota, ate dinner, met a few new people, and participated in our first night of worship. Back on track!
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY
Our group was divided into two parts. The boys visited an all-boys organization in South Dakota, where they spent their time working with local youth. During their stay, they got to know the community, made new friends, played ALL the games, went on bike rides, and organized a small fair for the local kids. Every day they came back with a new experience and story about someone they met. Some might say the boys' time at the camp felt more like hanging out than actual service, but it gave them the chance to meet people from the community and learn from them — sometimes service doesn't look the way you expect it to.
The girls, on the other hand, had a drastically different experience. They (and I as their chaperone) spent our time at a local camp, where we cleaned bathrooms — a first for a few of the girls, and one they swore would also be their last. We picked up trash, cleaned the dining hall, and eventually helped out in the kitchen. While most of these tasks weren't anyone's typical definition of a good time, we still found moments to laugh, sing, and get to know one another. If you asked the girls what their favorite part of the experience was, they'd say it was helping in the kitchen—they learned how to cook for over 150 people and wash dishes in a professional kitchen. The experience wasn't necessarily what the girls would have chosen, but they worked incredibly hard to make the most of it.
STRANGERS BECOME FRIENDS
One of my favorite things about doing these trips is watching the kids make new friends and learn from others. The first night, we participated in worship. The groups from four churches there mostly kept to themselves, sticking with people they already knew rather than mixing with the other groups. That first night, the group sang very little, and very few hands were raised to participate. This certainly was not the Instagram-worthy expectation I had! The last night was a completely different scene. All of the FPC kids were united with the other churches, arms around each other, singing at the top of their lungs. After a week of working, breaking bread, serving, and worshiping together, these kids found a common thread in each other—a shared love for Jesus and a commitment to living a life that honors him. They came to learn more about themselves and their community, but they discovered something deeper: a bond rooted in faith.
During the last evening, as we were in our final small group, one of the kids asked if we could come back next year, and the other kids agreed. Honestly, I was a little shocked by their eagerness to return. This trip was one of the most challenging trips I’ve ever led. It did not start well, and there were some bumps along the way. But now, when I look back on the trip, I get it. These kids bonded as a group, made new friends, laughed together, struggled together, and grew in their faith together. Why wouldn’t they want to go back and experience that all over again?
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