by Patrick Nixon, Pittsburg First Christian Church
Mission Week Director
The first week of June, 19 youth and 8 adults traveled to Denver for KCYF Mission Week and slept in the basement of a church.
“I never knew one week could change my life in such a way,” said Sydney DeArvil, Salina Belmont Boulevard CC. “Working at Tennyson was one of the most humbling experiences I’ve ever had and I’m so grateful for it.”
Participants were divided up into two task groups. One group worked at Tennyson Center, which is a home for children and teens. Most of the children are there through court order because the parents are not able to take care of them.
“This place taught me to consider people’s past before judging them for their actions,” said DeArvil. “I have also learned how to put a positive spin on almost everything and it has made the way I look at things so much better.”
“This trip was very important because we had the opportunity to show the kids real kindness and love,” echoed Lindsay Brown, Salina Belmont Boulevard CC. “We tried to bring joy to every child that we were able to interact with. I’m so grateful for this life changing opportunity to spread God’s Love.”
The other group worked on various hands-on tasks around the Denver area. They worked at Central Church, where we stayed, at Tennyson Center, and at their church camp in Colorado Springs.
In the evening we enjoyed the mountains and some recreational activities around Denver.
We should be proud of our kids. They worked hard and represented their churches well. We often hear bad things about youth, but this trip showed that the future of the church will be in good hands.