Greetings everyone,
It’s been just over a week since the Glenn Youth returned safe and sound from our mission trip in St. Simon’s, GA, and I feel as energized and fulfilled by the trip today as I did a week ago. Our youth and adults braved extreme temperatures, jam-packed days, logistical curveballs, and long bus rides throughout the week, and in the process grew closer to God and one another by serving a community in need.
On both personal and communal levels, I found this trip extremely rewarding in several distinct ways. Talking with people whom our work benefited imbued me with a greater sense of purpose for that work; being on the coast and visiting historic Sapelo Island allowed me to better appreciate the history and beauty of my home state; having theological discussions with the youth gave me a deeper understanding of my own faith; and sharing those experiences with 19 other people created a collective sense familiarity and comfort that can only be forged on these kinds of trips.
Until Wednesday afternoon, these experiences had been almost universally positive. We’d splashed around and built sandcastles at the beach, played all sorts of card and table games, run around on the athletic fields, and even run into Glenn Youth Pastor Emeritus, Blair Setnor, on the final morning. Save for the mild discomfort of working in hot weather, things went about as smoothly as I or the other adults could have reasonably expected.
But those of you who have been on youth mission trips know that the possibility of unforeseen disaster lurks around every corner, and that you can’t count your chickens until every last hatchling has been accounted for. We were all acutely reminded of this as we stood in the parking lot of a Chick-Fil-A in Pooler, GA in 97-degree heat, wondering whether a nearby auto shop would be able to fix Bus #7’s transmission issues, if we’d need Mathew Pinson to come rescue us, or if we’d all just be stuck browsing Costco forever.
The situation was decidedly less than ideal, yet I believe that years from now this ordeal will be established as a fabled chapter in the Glenn Youth lore (anyone remember the 2019 Whale Watch?). Sometimes the most meaningful parts of these trips are the ones you don’t, can’t, and wouldn’t design yourself, yet they strengthen the fabric of the group in ways your best-laid plans never could.
I’m so grateful for our team of adults on this trip, not only for helping steer us out of the bus-related mini-crisis, but for their continued enthusiasm, adaptability, and leadership throughout the week. This trip couldn’t have succeeded without Sally Sears’ relentless positivity and curiosity, Zack Neenan’s wide-ranging knowledge and free-spirited demeanor, Greer Corbett’s work ethic and determination, or Maddie Sibley’s continuous, even-keeled guidance. I and the youth are indebted to all four of them for sacrificing their time to be with us and serving as such outstanding role models.
It would be impossible to fit all of the trip’s highlights into one letter – or even one photo album – nor does my experience fully reflect that of the whole group. Therefore I'll stop here and encourage you to talk to others about their experiences and to join us next year when we do it again.
Yours truly,
Ben Ladner
