The Lantern

Boston Mission Trip

Tuesday, November 02, 2010 By Madison Langdon

While most of us sat around, watched TV and tanned, students of First English Lutheran church were making a difference as they traveled to Boston for eleven days this summer to complete a youth mission trip. Amanda Woodward, a junior, said the reason for going to Boston was simple, to help others. Students had the experience to work in a soup kitchen, play with kids, visit the elderly homes and do miscellaneous jobs such as painting decks or schoolrooms. Instead of staying in hotels, like most of us do on vacations, the students slept in an un-air-conditioned church in Lynn, Massachusetts; a small city, right outside of Boston. Amanda’s most significant memory was the last day she was at Kid’s Club; a free organization throughout the summer for kids in the Lynn/Boston area to come to a church, eat lunch and have a ton of fun! Amanda was playing basketball with a little boy named Fabio, and it was time for him to say goodbye to everyone for the summer, including Amanda. Throughout the week he had been asking her for her “silly band” of an anchor and she promised to give it to him on the last day of Kids club. When she gave him the silly band, in return he said, “Here, I want you to have this butterfly so you never forget me!” Megan Carlson also had a blast working with the kids at Kid Club. She loved how they opened up to her, even though they didn’t know her. In the days while the students, weren’t working they got to go to the Quincy Market, which is a shopping strip with stores that went on as far as you could see. Megan, loved going to the Freedom Trail. It showed all the history of Boston has to offer. She also loved the beach, to which we could relate. While the students got to enjoy and entertain themselves with doing good deeds, they also found entertainment in watching Ginger Bauer dance to “Bust a Move” on a long ride. So while most of us won at Call of Duty or worked on our tans, there was definitely something we were missing out on. Amanda and Megan both recommend participating in a mission trip. It’s a great way to bond and get closer to people. Plus…you just might get a silly band out of it.