Still Looking for a Great Place to take your Youth Group to Serve this Summer?

If you’re anything like me, your probably just about done with this long, dragged out winter we’ve been having and are ready to see some green on the trees and flowers beginning to bloom. Or perhaps, you’re one of those lucky ones living in a warm climate in which case… I’m jealous. Regardless, it’s goes without saying that the physical manifestation of spring is about to be upon us. The snow is melting, the ground is rich with nutrients, the first flowers are starting to peak their heads out… it’s happening.

 

Perhaps this is a welcome shift in the seasons. But with shifts in seasons come some changes in the patterns of life as well.

 

Like summer youth programming (dun dun dun).

 

So… still looking for that perfect location to take your youth group on a mission trip this summer? Let me offer some suggestions. We know a thing or two about youth mission trips :).

 

Our hope is that when you sign up for a mission trip this summer, you’re not simply signing up for one more programatic element of the summer, or to get your service fix. Our hope is that you’ll recognize that bringing your youth group to a place that is out of the way, that is out of the ordinary and where people are different than your students (and you!) provides an incredibly setting for challenge and formation. All of our sites provide this opportunity in one way or another.  Today I want to feature a few in the western region of our country.

 

Blackfeet Nation

Blackfeet Nation is surrounded by the beauty and adventure of Glacier country in northwest Montana. It is home to just under 60% of the enrolled 16,000 Blackfeet tribal members and it is the third largest reservation in Montana. The Blackfeet Nation lies along the eastern slop of Rocky Mountains on the Canadian border and it is the eastern gateway to Glacier National Park.

 

You and your group can bring encouragement and enthusiasm to the community by serving through various work projects and by helping YouthWorks facilitate a Kids Club program that will run all summer long for children in the area. Throughout the week you will get to know and build relationships with community members. One of our community partners, the Vance family, will share about the Blackfeet Nation, its culture, heritage and story. Other evening activities include a visit to Glacier National Park, where we do Club and a community cookout.

 

Navajo Nation

In the towns of Fort Defiance and Window Rock we are heavily invested in partnerships with a couple different churches and organizations. Much of our service in the community is developed through these important relationships. While on site, your group will have the opportunity to work with a local community garden, facilitate kids programming and help with work projects. Come learn from our community friends about Navajo culture, experience the beauty of the high deserts of the Southwest, see a traditional style Hogan with a Christian influence, and do much more during your week on the Navajo Nation.

 

Several years ago, a Christian man who worked at the hospital in the town of Fort Defiance on the Navajo Reservation saw the need for a safe and fun place for local youth to hang out in the community. This led to the development of Rez Refuge, a place that is intentionally investing in the youth of Fort Defiance. During the summer we have the opportunity to partner with them to assist in running their Teen Club programming. Your group will also work with a local community garden, facilitate kids programming and help with work projects. Each year our partnerships grow stronger despite the loss of a dear community friend at the end of our 2012 summer. His voice and ministry were a great asset to our summer program, we miss him dearly and are grateful for those who have stepped in to continue his work and ministry. Learn from these community friends about Navajo culture, experience the beauty of the high deserts, see a traditional style Hogan with a Christian influence and much more during your week in Navajo.

 

Northern Cheyenne

The rugged, mountainous land of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana is home to the unique culture and heritage of the Cheyenne people. The day-to-day realities of life on the reservation present several challenges, from unemployment to poverty to inadequate housing. There is much to learn from this resilient tribe and their story.

 

Each summer we host a Kids Club program for the children in Northern Cheyenne. Your students will particpate in singing, crafts and reading to the kids. In addition we also partner with the community to do small home improvement projects, painting and other yard work projects. In the evenings your group will visit Battle of Little Bighorn and hear from a long time community friend, Lonnie, about the community and it’s history. You will fall in love with the taste of frybread tacos, experience the native heritage through the Clay Hill Singers as they sing and drum, and have a community cookout. All of these are opportunities for you to learn about the Cheyenne people, their heritage and to build relationships with the people in Northern Cheyenne.

 

Rapid City

Rapid City, South Dakota is a place of adventure and awe-inspiring beauty. The town is the gateway to the Black Hills which means it includes scenic drives, waterfalls, wildlife and the world’s highest concentration of public parks, monuments and memorials. However, as visitors seek out the local attractions, it’s easy to miss the areas of struggle and strength within this community and its heritage. Instead most people think of Mount Rushmore and consider Rapid City to be the most patriotic city in the nation.

 

One of the most interesting organizations we work with is Black Hills Works. BHW is a progressive and adaptive center for mentally and physically challenged adults in Rapid City. BHW works to help their patrons become as independent and productive as they can be. Their center provides job training, paid work, practical life classes, and a plethora of other services. Most participants who come to volunteer have their eyes opened to people and situations they have never experienced before; it is often the highlight of the trip. Groups will be able to see Mount Rushmore while on site, but they will also learn about other important aspects of Rapid City, such as the importance of the Black Hills to the Lakota. We partner with several local service agencies and work with children and the elderly. You will also participate in an evening cookout hosted by our housing site church, it is the largest cookout in our Western Region, serving over 200+ people from the Rapid City area on a weekly basis.

 

Rosebud Reservation

The Rosebud Reservation is home to the Sicangu Oyate branch of the Lakota, located in south central South Dakota. Your group will discover the rich culture and heritage of this tribe, but you’ll also find residents who are in desperate situations due to unemployment, poverty and homelessness. Traditionally Lakota history was passed from generation to generation through the art of storytelling. Elders share stories with the youth as a way to preserve the culture and ensure the continuation of tradition. The Rosebud Reservation is roughly 923,000 acres and borders the Pine Ridge Reservation on the northwest corner and Nebraska to the south. The reservation is made up of twenty communities.

 

You will have the opportunity to serve the people of the Rosebud Reservation through home improvement projects and in the experience of facilitating and programming a Kids Club for local children in the area. During the evenings your group will go on a hike in Fort Falls and learn more about archery and the culture of Rosebud through community partners. You will end the week with a community cookout and a chance to connect again with those in the community you met throughout the week.