New Around the Mission

Snowfall Leads to Service Weekend

March 17, 2010

How would you like to shovel snow for eight hours on your day off?

Teens shovel 5' of snow

Clearing snow can be a nuisance as the winter drags on, but for a group of teens in Modesto, California, the accumulation of snow meant opportunity for a weekend retreat.
High school students from Wellspring Anglican Church in Modesto gave up a weekend to remove five feet of snow from the extensive deck of a Christian campground in the mountains an hour away.

“This campground doesn’t usually have volunteers in the winter because it is tricky to get there when the weather is bad. Last year the accumulation caused the deck to collapse. We thought this would be a great opportunity to take the focus off of ourselves by serving the campground and enjoy time away to talk about things relevant in the life of a teenager,” shares Kristi Hansen, Director of Youth and Children’s Ministries.

After a full day of shoveling snow and creating pathways to make navigating easier, Kristi noted that the teens’ “joy and thankfulness throughout the day blew me away”. The group spent time in devotions and celebrated their work accomplishment the following day - and enjoyed playing in the white, powdery stuff at a snow park further up the mountain.

Posted By: Cynthia P. Brust
Categories: Faith in Action