Another Vantage Point of the Harrah Mission Trip

"I went on this weekend mission trip near Yakima, WA as a leader," Tells my 20 year old daughter Stephanie, "I had been before, but this year I was given more responsibility as a project team leader. Harrah is a weekend I look forward to every year along with a hundred high school students, in fact, once we started promoting this service trip, the spots were filled with eager students faster than any summer or winter camp in our church's history! These teenagers were eager to leave behind their Youtube, texting and Facebook to sleep on the cold ground and work their hands to blisters for a community of people they've never met. I know a 16 year old boy who even took up a yard working job a month prior just to get the money to go on this trip and serve.

While there, I took 15 students with me to a couple's house to do some yard work and clean up their property. This older couple had medical issues, and were unable to maintain their house where their beautiful, eight year old daughter also lived. They had no windows, no running water and no heat. There is no garbage service to take away their waste, so years and years of trash were thrown out the door and windows, growing into piles, carpeting their lawn. When we arrived we couldn't even walk to their front door without having to hop over a wet couch, push aside a broken TV and hear the crunch of glass bottles underfoot. My students worked hard, filling up trash bag after trash bag, only to move those into a trailer, to again move those into a pile at the landfill. But in only two days, we were able to not only tidy up, but fix their house with a wood stove, three windows and for the first time, bring running water into their house. I was so proud of my students who didn't just put their head down and work, but took time to get to know the couple, and to talk to them and learn about their lives and their daughter.

As a leader on this trip, I thank you, you the community we've established here in Vancouver for your support in making this trip, this life changing experience happen. Whether it be your prayers or generous donations of shoes and clothes (we had over 400 pairs of boots donated!) we, along with the people at McKinley Mission, Harrah and Yakima Washing are very grateful. God Bless."

Harrah, Washington

As we take time out to thank God, family and friends for our many blessings, I find myself overflowing with thanks for those of you who took the time to clean, collect, and drop off bags and bags of clothing for the people of the Yakama Indian Reservation.  We had our vehicles filled to the brim several times as we drove to the church and filled a living room and then a U-Haul trailor with your donations.  My two daughters, Emily and Stephanie, were a part of the youth teams who spent three days and nights cleaning, repairing, and remodeling homes and buildings; and teaching, listening and holding kids.  This post is from Emily...

"This was my second year going on a mission trip to Harrah, WA with my church, Summit View.  Last year, I was assigned to a kid's club.  A small group of us hosted a hangout for the local kids.  Many of them didn't speak English.  About twenty-five showed up, and it was amazing to be able to show love to these kids.  Many weren't used to it.  So this year, when I was assigned to janitorial duties, I was really in for something different.  We spent our hours washing hundreds of windows, cleaning bathrooms and cars and sweeping at a large homeless mission/rehab center in Yakama.  At first, I was a little discouraged, because I was thinking of all of the smiling kids of last year, and how you could see their gratitude on their faces.  While working here, it seemed that we were not as wanted by the people living there.  But as the weekend went on, I got to have some really good converstaions with more and more people.  I began to realize that even if I didn't enjoy the jobs I was assigned to this year as much as last year, I wasn't there to do what I enjoyed.  I was there to serve, in whatever way needed.  And once I came to this conclusion, I was able to serve with a more open, loving heart."                            Emily B.