Instead of going to the beach or playing golf over spring break, I decided to go on a mission trip to the community of Exeter, a small town about an hour and a half southeast of Fresno. Our team consisted of 22 high school and college students and adults who attend Campus Bible Church of Fresno.

We met at our church, March 29, and packed several vehicles with supplies, food, bags and other various accessories. But as soon as we were prepared to leave, we started running into problems such as a truck that wouldn’t start and a trailer hitch that kept bottoming out. These complications put us over an hour behind schedule.

Upon arrival at the church of the Nazarene, we unpacked our bags and after eating lunch, we embarked on a prayer walk around the city of Exeter.

On the walk we observed the many murals that the city is known for, and prayed for three local businesses with their owners. Later in the day we passed out flyers in the neighborhoods to advertise the Vacation Bible School camp that would start the following day.

The camp took place from Tuesday to Friday and was put on for elementary-age kids. At the camp we taught the kids Bible stories, arts and crafts, and played games with them.

As the week started, I was nervous because one of my roles was to do a skit each day with one of my college-age
friends, Seth. This proved to be a positive experience for me, because it forced me to work outside of my comfort zone and pushed me to grow as a person.

My other job was to run the games everyday for the kids. This area is more my strong suit, and the environment where I am best at interacting with others.

While we put a lot of work into each day at VBS, our team also had plenty of down time to do other things. We used this time to have devotions, play games, and simply relax. I spent most of my time playing foosball in the basement, which was a very fun experience.

On Good Friday, we remembered Jesus’ sacrifice by watching The Passion of the Christ at Campella’s coffee house, a local Christian business. Following the viewing, we took part in worship and communion. The experience had such an impact on me, it was life-changing.

After returning to the church, our team sat in a circle in the church sanctuary and had a time of debriefing in which we shared our memories from the week and what we hoped to take away from it. Most everyone on the team utilized the tissue box, as there were few who could hold back tears.

I was impacted the most by my fellow team members during the trip. By watching them and seeing God work through their lives, I was inspired to draw closer to God myself. This trip was an unbelievable experience for me and I would recommend it for all high school and college students.