2013 Service Trip Day 1

The 5th Annual Service Trip for InterVarsity at SUNY Fredonia begins in about 5 hours. People are beginning to arrive back in town, through the snow and frigid temperatures. I've been in town since we returned from the Urbana student missions conference in St. Louis on January 2nd and I'm glad I don't have to travel today. A total of 30 students will be joining this year, sometimes juggling work, sports teams, or RA training, but the majority will be full time participating in the trip. We have new members who haven't even started their first semester yet all the way through seasoned veterans. This year is my second year not coordinating the trip, however I am happy to be the staff worker supervising the trip. While I know that some things still need planned for the trip to run smoothly, I believe that the students in charge will be able to get everything to work. More importantly, I know that God has big things planned for this trip... it's almost a foolproof way to impact the campus and community. Four hours a day of service, three meals a day with each other, games, worship, prayer, and testimonies all while sharing many experiences in an attitude of servanthood for Christ. Small problems are less important than learning how to work as the body of Christ and going out into the neighboring community to help in whatever way we can. I'll try to add updates as the week progresses and stories from throughout the day. For anyone who has been on the trip before, I hope you can use this to remind yourself of what God taught you during your trip(s). And for anyone involved in planning the first trip, thank you for your dedication and hard work which helped this idea become reality and now is one of the highlights of the school year. Please pray for safety on the trip, God to work in many hearts both of participants and those we work with in the community, and to help develop leaders who love God and are seeking to serve Him.