Youth Mission Caravan 2009

CARAVAN 2009 to the Blackfeet Reservation, Montana
(A YouthWorks! trip)
Where did we go? :  Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Northwestern Montana
When did we go?:   Friday, July 24 – Sunday, August 2, 2009
Who went?:     Present 8-12 graders

16 teenagers, 5 days of driving, 2700 miles, painting houses, digging fence post holes, chopping wood, running a kids club for fifty 3-12 year olds…does that sound like a fun time to you?

This is exactly what the St. Andrew Presbyterian Church of Sonoma Sr. High youth group did this summer when they traveled to the Blackfoot Indian Reservation in Heart Butte, Montana.  16 teenagers and 5 adults departed for Montana via Seattle where they stopped for some fun along the way.

The group once again teamed up with YouthWorks, a non-denominational organization that specializes in youth group mission trips with over 70 sites in North America. YouthWorks moves into an economically depressed area and often stays for decades plugging into a community and filling their needs. A typical site welcomes 70-80 kids from various church youth groups per week.

A Baptist group from Minnesota and a Catholic group from Tacoma, WA joined St. Andrew for the week. The teenagers were mixed up into five different work groups so that they could make new friends from around the country. They were tasked with two workdays and two days at Kids Club - a recreational Bible study for the kids from the community. 

Although the work is important, the real goal is relationships, both within the youth groups and within the community. The kids from the community absolutely love the teenagers and the work site homeowners were so appreciative. 

“One of my favorite things about these trips is taking kids out of our Valley and showing them first hand how other people live in our own country” said Dawne Carver the youth director. “It’s a real eye opener and many kids come home with a new perspective.”

The week-long trip culminates with the youth group coming back to their home church and running the entire church service.  It’s a tearful service as the youth give their testimonies about what the week meant to them.

The group would like to thank the members of St. Andrew for all their support, including financial, time and their many prayers for a safe journey.

If you would like to be a part of St. Andrew’s youth group, the Sr. High meets every Sunday from12:30 pm to 2:00 pm for lunch, discussion and fun! Please contact Dawne Carver at 707-996-6024 or send her an email at andrewpres@sbcglobal.net.