Youth Mission Trip, June 21-26, 2009

The Youth of St. Thomas spent a week of their summer vacations in Houston to take part in the Cathedral Urban Service Experience (CUSE). Thirteen students and three adults braved triple digit weather and a week of communal living to experience urban ministry in a variety of settings, both indoors and outside. They cleared an overgrown historic cemetery, worked in two feeding ministries and the Houston food pantry, sorted donated medical supplies, operated heavy landscaping machinery on the Buffalo Bayou, and more. Perhaps their most memorable encounter was with a man at a day labor site, with two young daughters in tow who explained his daily, anguished dilemma of choosing between dragging his daughter to a labor site or leaving them in the care of a stranger.

Beth Lawrence shepherded the group through the week, with alternating help from Lorrie Dysart and Aneya Elbert. Youth participants were Eliza and Jimmy Fackler, Tyler Isenhart, Chaiss Matthews, Scott Day, Maddie Street, Jacob Dysart, Alli Elbert, Cameron Josiah, Chris and Sophia Woodward, and Thanet and Julia Lawrence. I was with them only briefly toward the end of their trip, but by all accounts, these young people were willing and very able missionaries, showing respect, compassion, and a deep commitment to serving Christ in others.
- Mthr. Lisa

Mission Trip Letters

Throughout the mission trip, I was thrown into repeated states of shock. It was hard for me to understand that things I only read or heard about happened. Life isn't perfect for everyone. Seeing people, families and young kids, just like me, without homes or too poor to feed and clothe themselves… it hit me hard. I kept thinking they should not have to live like this or be treated this way.

By way of the trip, I gained a greater understanding of the people and the world around me. I'm glad I was able in some small part, to make life a little bit better or easier for someone else while at the same time having the chance to become closer with my friends in Youth Group.
- Eliza Fackler

Mission Trip Letters

I had an eye-opening experience during the mission trip to downtown Houston. Every day we would get up early and eat breakfast. Then it would be off to work. We made 900 or so sandwiches on our first day at work! For the rest of the week we would wake up earlier and earlier each day. We did everything from pulling weeds at the park to preparing and serving food to the homeless. It wasn't all work though; we went to an Astros game where some of us were changed to Royals' fans! We went to the mall and went ice skating and did a little shopping. Overall, it was a great experience.
- Jimmy Fackler

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