Mission Trip to Neillsville, Wisconsin.

Here’s the daughter of the famed runner again. J

This Sunday through Tuesday we are taking a small team (two leaders and two students) from Living Hope Ministries to Neillsville, Wisconsin.  This will be our students’ first mission trip, and for all of us it will be our first experience of the great town of Neillsville.  Why take inner-city kids to a small town in Wisconsin?

˜  To build a stronger relationship with Living Hope Church in Neillsville.  Not only does this church happen share our name, but more importantly they share our passion for sharing the gospel and meeting the needs of others.  I met them five years ago when they came to Minneapolis to help us with a Vacation Bible School through a ministry called BUMP.  The next summer, they branched out by planning a week of sports camp and doing that for us.  The past two summers, they did an exceptional job of running a week of camp for our kids at Luther Park in northern Wisconsin.  Alan, the youth director, has demonstrated a very selfless and servant-hearted attitude toward our ministry and has helped us in countless ways.  One hope on this mission trip is that we can express our gratitude and make this a two-way giving and receiving relationship as we serve this church. 

˜  We can learn from each other.  Our students have grown up in the city, surrounded not only by towering buildings and busy streets, but also by incredible diversity and considerable poverty.  They have experiences and stories that the people of Neillsville can learn from.  I also hope the students will learn a great deal from interacting with a healthy church and people from a different background.

˜  Wilderness!  Sometimes it’s good for the soul to get out of the city and experience more of God’s creation.  We’re looking forward to sleeping in a tent, hiking, and swimming.

˜  Preparation for more summer ministry.  We will have the opportunity to join the Neillsville youth for a couple of events, one of them being their mission trip meeting.  As they prepare for their trip to Minneapolis, we hope we can answer some of their questions and encourage them in the right ways.  Our girls will also be helping with the Bible clubs they are leading, so I hope they can learn some valuable lessons from this training time.

Please pray for a fruitful 3 days, for safe travels, and that God would teach each of us on this trip.  Thanks again for helping my dad raise the funds to help cover the costs of trips like this!

Here's a picture of Alan Dunham the first year he brought his group to Minneapolis (2008- also my first summer at Living Hope).  It will be fun to spend a few days with this guy!  I'll post some photos of our group after we get back.