A Sweet Thank You: Youth Mission Trip Highlights

Aug 29

All photos by Emilio Mesa Photography

Gail Baker and friends enjoying the stories told by our youth.

Our Youth Group hosted its annual Dessert Mission Trip showcase. Our annual event lets our generous donors hear about the trips they helped fund!Two trips took place this summer - a pilgrimage to the Taizé Community in France and a rehab project for Revive 225 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Participants enjoyed delicious desserts made by our amazing volunteers (coordinated by Sharon Betty and Ami Schackel), while hearing testimonies from folks who went on the trips. Josh Taylor led the group in singing "Come and Fill Our Hearts" before explaining the history of Taizé, its connection to young people, and why we wanted to go on pilgrimage there. This trip was a partnership with University Park UMC and included a couple of days in Paris! David Finley shared about all the young people he met from Germany and other countries. Shelby Benton, Victoria Elling, and Allie Renfro all shared what a day at Taizé was like with worship, Bible classes, the food, and some of the best strawberries any of us had ever tasted!

Georgia, Aubri, and Delancey sharing their story.

Austin and Victoria presenting their trip experiences.

During the second half of the program, we heard from the two different teams of volunteers who went on the mission trip to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The group worked with Revive 225, a program of First UMC Baton Rouge, to refurbish dilapidated houses in Baton Rouge. The groups, led by Austin Smith and Parker Betty, helped to rip out plumbing, replace ceilings and flooring, and redo a bathroom. There were a lot of power tools involved! Austin, Harper Watson and Jack Turner shared their experiences of working on the crew and what the days looked like on the trip. Aubri McDonald and Delancey Milam talked about their opportunity to build relationships with the homeowner whose home they were working on. Doug Renner was able to provide the sponsor perspective for this meaningful trip.

Jack talking about his experience in Baton Rouge.

The FUMC Youth thanks everyone who donated to make last summer’s trips a reality. We hope you will support the youth in 2024-2025 and join us for next year’s dessert showcase!