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Expectations of College Spring Break
If a random person had walked by the fishbowl (an irregular subset of a building composed primarily of windows) on Messiah College on Saturday the 16th of March, they would have seen, ten students from the school outside standing in a circle eating bagels and cream cheese. If that random person had asked those ten students what they were doing on spring break, they most likely would have answered that they were going on a service trip with Christian Endeavor. Where? In West Virginia, in a town Beards Fork, that is invisible on a map. Why? Because as Christians we know that faith without action is dead. But to the question what do you expect? That random person would have only heard the wind blowing that morning. A man opened the front door and waved, the students waved back through the tinted windows. The man’s name was Sam, the group was then brought round the back of the old school, led through a bolted gate and brought into the old school. They were then introduced to Tim their discussion leader and Isaac, their worship leader. It wasn’t until later that the group met Mark, the man who would be telling them what to do throughout their experience. The students were shown their sleeping quarters, aka old classrooms. The girl’s bathroom was adjacent to their bathroom with a door that took a full ten minutes to close, and the guy’s bathroom was located down the hall…sadly for them. This was the start of an unknowing adventure. Neither the students nor the leaders knew what exactly they were getting into as this was a first for Christian Endeavor. This particular group of students would be working throughout the old school, cleaning up things that would have taken the members of the church which now occupied it, weeks to do. They would also be traveling a winding road full of curves and hills, to SALS, a labor school which built and fixed houses, to work on a dorm house that had been started months prior to their coming. Throughout the week this group of students became more than just a group of awkward students, but a group working together for the Lord, building friendships and striving to become better people. During the week this group became more than separate people, but a community of believers. Each night they discussed the importance of leadership and its role along with servant hood, each night they looked at how they saw God throughout the day. They played games together and stayed up late almost every night just talking and laughing together and forming friendships, there will be memories of a particular chubby bunny game and a particular late night drive to McDonalds to grab ice-cream. Each night they sang worship to the Lord and sang His praises, each person’s personality added to the group dynamics. For many it was the first time they had ever held a hammer, and yet they still picked them up and used them to the best of their ability. Each day there was growth in many aspects. Friendships sprouted between students and leaders. Each person was able to build their character whether it be through hammering a nail, putting up a truss, using a sledge hammer, cleaning out a dingy basement, building walls or discussing what it meant to be a leader and a servant at the same time. Though this service team left that Saturday morning an awkward bunch, unknowing and not expecting anything, they returned Friday afternoon as still awkward, but as friend’s with a past, not just acquaintances. What was a group with so little expectations became a group with a great experience! This is owed to Christ Jesus for the work He did through the service team and through Christian Endeavor. -Tricia Demmers, Messiah College freshman |
Six hours later on that same Saturday those same students pulled up in West Virginia to what was once known as Montgomery Middle School. This very unassuming school was now turned into a church and it would be home to these students during their week stay. On this particular Saturday, it was raining.
Other groups were there that week and they noticed the difference in the people of Messiah College and the leaders from Christian Endeavor. They had what became known throughout the week by each one as the servant’s heart.
