missions
Mission Trip Registration:
Early Registration due: APRIL 6th. All later registrations will pay travel cost difference between $15-$200
Standing Rock/Red Lake
Grades: 9-12th
July 26th- July 10th
Trip: $740
Spending: $100
Student Spots: 11
Adult Spots: 1 Adult (F)
Two weeks required unless spots go unfilled.
Red Lake
Grades: 8th-12th
July 3rd-July 10th
Trip: $540
Spending: $50
Student Spots: 5-10
Adult Spots: 3-4
5 in additions to the current 12 at SR are available- with 14 others possible.
Osage
Grades 6th-8th
July 31st-Aug 6th
Trip: $330
Spending: $35
Student Spots: 12-13
Adult Spots: 2
Cost Explanations
Costs have been partially paid by the church missions budget/fund. Airline tickets are variable for SR/RL and any savings will be passed down as a discount. If all 12 SR attend Red Lake both trips will receive a $55 discount.
Summer Missions
It is our hope at HCEFree and in Encounter that we would be Missionally minded. Jesus speaks frequently in the Gospels about how we should serve those in need and love unconditionally. Often when we spend time loving others as Christ, we also grow in our faith and then desire to tell others of God's love, His Son's sacrifice for us, and His gift of our advocate, the Holy Spirit.
The Reservations: Standing Rock, Red Lake and Osage.
The students will have the opportunity to serve at three unique Indian Reservations this summer. The last week of June (June 27-July 2) we will be serving at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota. The reservations are places in desperate need of the light of Christ. The per capita income is $3,241 with an unemployment rate of 70%. Regardless of our political stand , we are called to bless the poor, comfort the hurting and give hope in Christ.
The Red Lake Indian Reservation's economic activity has plummeted over the past 20 years. We will serve here the first week of July(3rd-9t). In March of 2005, nine people were killed in a school shooting. This brought a lot of help initially, but the suffering still remains.
The Osage Reservation is not at the same poverty level as Standing Rock and Red Lake, but is still a community in need of Christ. This tip is for the Jr. High students and scheduled for the first week of August (1-7th).
These trips will give the students a chance to serve outside of Texas and see a different culture within the States. WHile some people struggle with the principle of reservations, they provide a sense of community that is lost when one moves away. They have a closely knit families and often feel guiltily when leaving-even if it is for a job, schooling, or other career endeavors. It is my hope that the students will also learn from the people we serve while speaking of our hope!
The Mission and the Plans
The Organization: Our student mission trips will be accomplished in conjunction with a well-established organization called Youthworks, which provides the organization, the mission site, and know-how.
The Work: On each reservation we will be serving in two main capacities-physical labor on house and kids' club program. (It's VBS, but Youthworks doesn't like to call it that).
The Travel Plans: The Standing Rock and Red Lake Reservations will be flying into Minneapolis, MN and renting vans for travel to ND. We will stay at a church in Minnesota before arriving at Standing Rock. Following the SR Trip we will do a little sight seeing Friday before meeting up with the RL group that Fly's in on Saturday. We will stay the night at the St. Mary's Mission on Saturday night in Red Lake, MN and will join the mission site on Sunday. The entire group will travel back together to Minneapolis and visit the Mall of Amverica. We will fly out on the morning of Saturday, the 10th.
If you would like more information about the trips, check out www.youthworks.com or Contact kelly@hcefree.org.