Some had an economic dilemma: They are paying their way through college, so hopping on a plane over spring break would mean missing a week of full-time work plus taking on the fundraising burden. Some planned to spend the week looking for work. Others were beginning their spring internships as student teachers. So we just couldn’t make the numbers come together.
We received an answer to prayers at the College Conference at Montreat. One night, after the keynote, a student told me, “You know how all these speakers at Montreat keep encouraging us to get involved in our local community? Why don’t we do that for spring break?”
So we went back to the drawing board, and ended up with a week I won’t forget. We worked at Habitat for Humanity, where our students earned the respect of the normal weekday crew, guys with their own tool belts. We worked at an animal rescue center, caring for God’s abused or cast-off creatures. Our schedule allowed us to form a flexible group of undergraduates, graduate students and working young adults. Each person volunteered during the week as much as they were able, and still managed to go to work or catch up on studies.
We made some valuable connections in the community as well. On the first Habitat day, we discovered some hidden construction talents among our crew. (I had to leave early that day due to a death in the family. I could tell the supervisor was worried I’d take the students with me!) We are excited to return to the wildlife center when new animals come in. Later on, I’ll add these agencies to our calendar of volunteer opportunities.
The entire experience wasn’t as intriguing as a visit to a foreign country, but it has raised several prickly questions for me as we go forward. I find myself picking our traditional mission trips apart as I debate these issues.
First, how many people are we leaving out when we plan a mission trip? When students and I return from our adventures abroad, how does that seem to the student who had to spend the week flipping burgers? I know a pastor who used to arrange a foreign exchange program with students from varied socioeconomic backgrounds. He said those with limited opportunities at home benefited most from the trip. Can I deny opportunities to an underprivileged student and maintain my integrity? I think not.
Second, is it OK for me to worry about the stress level of students who go on mission trips? Even teenagers need rest, and the students whom God sends our way are generally not very good at resting. Their weeks are packed with classes, club meetings, homework, part-time jobs, and yes, even volunteering at church. Every year, illnesses keep students away from class and work for up to a week after the spring break mission trip.
Third, why is it that all our mission trips are exotic? I’d love to set up a mission trip rotation so that we could offer trips of varying distances, time commitments and costs. Some in the campus ministry community worry that this kind of routine may become boring, but I see it as a way to help students with their financial planning.
Finally, I’m revisiting the idea of sponsorship. Young adults thrive on the opportunity to spend a week with different people, helping and learning and doing. Perhaps those willing to sacrifice a week’s worth of pay or rest deserve more support from the church. I think the church and the students would all benefit if we could stop thinking of young adults as consumers of religious travel services, and instead as emerging leaders honing their skills. And don’t our emerging leaders deserve support?
