To prepare for each trip, the church's youth group works to raise funds to cover expenses for their trip or trips. In addition, funds raised also allow for a donation to the organization that the youth are visiting. Inter-generational events, such as bingo, trivia nights, movie nights, candlelight dinners (youth serve "their guests" at their tables and usually receive big tips), "to go" dinners, and bake sales, are held and are well attended.  

St. Luke's youth and leaders headed to Heifer Ranch

The church's "Youth Mission Auction", supported by donation of goods and services from the congregation and local businesses, is one of the biggest fundraisers. Participants often bid more than the value of items and many even bid against themselves. The event often raises over $3,000 and becomes an an occasion filled with laughter and joy for both young and old.  

St. Luke's youth mission trips often involve labors of love which include painting hurricane damaged homes, skirting house trailers, building a wheelchair ramp (so that someone who had been unable to leave their house for over six months could do so), constructing bunk beds (so children living on an Indian Reservation had better places to sleep), and packing food boxes for the hungry.  

The church's youth mission trips also involve education: learning about poverty around the world and in their "own backyard" and about the Native American culture and what life is like on a Reservation.  

In addition to labor and education, the youth and their leaders share their experiences upon returning. For example, several youth connected with a little girl named Rosie who lived in the Appalachian mountains of Tennessee. Rosie's family had no running water for seven years, but was lucky to have an outhouse, according to Rosie, which was a "luxury". Rosie proudly showed off the family outhouse. All realized how fortunate they were to have in-door bathrooms. Then the Youth Team scraped and painted the family's house trailer and raised enough money to "fix the plumbing" so that Rosie and her family could once again have running water in their home.

Taking water for granted was another insight. For example, when Rosie participated in a "water fight" she was shocked. Why? Because "in her world", one never wastes water. Rosie's joy for life and "her giggles" will never be forgotten--for "being happy with so little" was a true learning experience.  

Recently, six youths (middle and high school), one college student, and three adult leaders returned on July 19  from visiting the Heifer Ranch in Arkansas. Labor involved working "the ranch" by caring for the gardens and barn animals. Education involved learning about poverty around the world and how food is produced. The result? A number of the youth are now eager to grow their own vegetables and herbs.  

One of the more memorable experiences was spending one night in The Global Village in a "Poverty Simulation".  Men and boys spent the night in an Appalachian home with an outhouse and bunk beds. They also controlled all the wood for the Village, but had no food or other supplies. They learned to barter for what they needed.

The women and girls spent the night in an urban slum, staying in a three-sided shack constructed of tin and cardboard. The floor was made of uneven bricks and mud. They shared their "home" with spiders and "other creepy, crawly creatures" and had "the pleasure" of using a squatty potty - an outhouse that was basically "just a hole in the floor." The food in The Global Village consisted of rice and a few vegetables.  

For the rest of the week at Heifer Ranch, the youth and leaders shared a lodge with an inner city Chicago church. Plans are already being made to have "a reunion" sometime in the near future.  

After each trip, the youth sponsor a "Thank You Dinner". The congregation is invited for a meal followed by a presentation of their mission experiences. Everyone present receives a book filled with pictures and memories of the trip.