SkA"i"~ Vk"i~+ In the Nation's Capital Students on Harding's campus were well-known for putting personal comforts aside, putting on their work clothes and using breaks from school as time to spread out across the country and beyond. Spring break mission trips in 20 II brought hope to hundreds in places such as Sacramento, Calif.; Vancouver, Canada; and Nicaragua. One group of 14 students ventured to the nation's capital to work with a local congregation and change the lives of underprivileged children in the heart of the U.S. The group, led by seniors Molly McCoy and Ben Caudill, helped with the Laurel Church of Christ in Bethesda, Md. Their host family was very supportive of their efforts, helping them clean and organize part of the Ronald McDonald house, which provided housing for children undergoing medical treatments. The main focus of the trip was working with underprivileged children, and activities included hosting a Bible bowl and filling backpacks with toiletries and school supplies for homeless children. They also threw a St. Patrick's Day party to brighten the day of children in need around the area. "I liked making backpacks for the homeless kids," sophomore Emily Spencer said. ':Just knowing that now they would have something to do over spring break when they wouldn't have had anything to do otherwise was rewarding." The group also participated in door knocking in local neighborhoods, passing out flyers and raising awareness of the Laurel Church of Christ. However; door knocking proved to be one of the more difficult parts of the trip. "Washington, D.C. has laws against soliciting, which means you can't even go and hand people a flyer," Spencer said. "Sometimes it was frustrating because we would have whole lists and were only f b Spring Break Campaigns able to talk to two people we visited." However; the trip was filled with many new opportunities and life lessons from which the members were able to learn. "The trip more or less opened my eyes to seeing every opportunity in the day as one that can bring glory to God," Caudill said. "It doesn't necessarily take door knocking or a St. Patrick's Day party to share God's message." Overall, the experience was a way for the group to grow closer together while serving others. "The main thing I learned is that sometimes you go on a trip and try to have an impact on people, but at the end of the day you are the one who is impacted the most," Caudill said. "The church was so strong and supportive of us the whole week, and the little kids at the shelter were so welcoming and open to us that they easily impacted us far more than we did them." Jessica Boyd
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