8 Tips For A Successful Mission Trip From an 11th Grade Veteran

Before last year’s Mission Trip I was just a youngster, bright eyed and bushy-tailed – unaware of what this experience would entail. After spending 10 incredible days with a group of eighty people, I can now consider myself a weathered veteran, slightly more ready for whatever this coming summer may bring. I have had older siblings and friends who have gone on the trip, and I now find it my distinct honor to pass down any knowledge I have gleaned unto the fresh attendees for next year. These are…

1. Become flexible with your sleeping routine. Get used to having a red exit sign as your night light, your neighbor’s hair as your blankie and your adult leader’s voice as your new alarm clock. Your sleeping bag is your new home, so when you enter that cocoon make sure that in the morning you can emerge as a butterfly.
2. Make sure your pillowcase is unique. Your pillow is an important staple on this trip, not only while sleeping in your bed or on the bus, but for extra cushioning when fabric squares just don’t do the trick. This is an item that you do not want to lose, so make sure it stands out. I personally recommend getting a pillowcase with a picture of yourself, but each to one’s own.
3. Consider showers a military procedure. They need to be fast, efficient and have as few injuries as possible.
4. Do not underestimate the power of a stick of gum. Sharing is the easiest way to get to know someone. Is there a graduate that you are slightly intimidated of? Whip out a pack of Orbits and get ready to make a new best friend.
5. Start training now for piggy back rides. Whether they are 3 or 13, it seems like every kid loves getting a piggy back ride. They simply radiate joy as they jump on your back. This is a fun yet very challenging mode of transportation. I was amazed at the sheer endurance of many people this week, and became familiar with the tune, “Hey, maybe we could walk now!”
6. Get ready to change, and fast. Not only will you hopefully change your clothes, you will also change as a person. Each person has a different experience on the trip, and each person will come home a little different than when they left. Be open to these changes, and be willing to accept the changes of the people around you.
7. Go with the flow. That might mean eating the same thing at lunch for the third day in a row, or it might mean taking a few-hours detour on the bus. Either way, traveling in community means putting the needs of the group before your own.
8. Appreciate it. The mission trip is a very unique experience for all of us, one that many kids our age will never get. Have fun while you are there – make memories and learn lessons that you can bring back home.

Claire Hogan is a Junior at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis. Last summer she went on a mission trip to YouthWorks’ site in Northern Cheyenne and is excited to be heading to Birmingham this summer. When she’s not on YouthWorks trips, Claire is busy with theater, basketball and … well… other mission trips – like her Haiti mission trip in January.