If you had been in the Filsbury Neighborhood of Vero Beach, Fla., on the mornings of April 19 and 20, you would have seen a group of grinning young people, carrying black garbage bags and picking up trash, or wielding rakes and shovels. Clearly, they were on a mission. And not just any mission, but one of service.
The 38 young people who made up this group were Walla Walla Valley Academy's (WWVA) senior class, who were in Florida for their class trip. Working in cooperation with Christian Outreach International and Habitat for Humanity, the class performed tasks such as yard work for the elderly or handicapped, painting houses, moving furniture, sorting shingles, and cleaning up the grounds of a rehab center.
As usual, there is a story behind the story. Early in their junior year, the class of 2007 voted that their senior class trip be a mission trip. They began fundraising and making plans. Liz Rosas, WWVA senior and vice president of the class, sums it up: "It was difficult to get all the funds we needed, and sometimes we got discouraged, but it was worth it." Rosas continues, "It was rewarding to know that we were doing something good for people, and maybe touching their lives." Her classmates echoed her sentiment unanimously. As Heidi Reich, WWVA senior, commented, "Through this experience, I discovered that I love helping people."
Working with Christian Outreach International and Habitat for Humanity, WWVA's seniors chose a class trip of service to the neighborhoods of Vero Beach, Fla.
