1 Chronicles 16:24 – “Declare his glory among the nations,  his marvelous deeds among all peoples.”
Each year at CCS, high schoolers can choose to go on a trip called Impact Week. For Impact Week, each student can choose between a mission trip, an educational trip, or an internship. This year, the school offered many trip options, including Common Heart, Serve Orlando, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and an internship opportunity in Peru. After the trips, students reflected on their experiences and were asked a series of questions about what impacted them the most.

Common Heart
During Impact week, Grace Yim and Winner Ikana both had meaningful experiences serving at Common Heart in Monroe, NC. Grace shared that she learned and witnessed how much food is thrown away, and realized how Important organizations like Common Heart are helping families in need. She saw firsthand that the organization truly has a big heart for serving others through its mission as a food bank.

Winner explained that the most important thing he learned during the week was how many people in our own community struggle with food insecurity; Common Heart serves 110 families every day. Although he knew that hunger existed, seeing how many local families are affected made the issue feel more real and personal. Each day, the group would check in at school, travel together in a van to Common Heart, receive instructions from the staff, and rotate through stations such as sorting, packing, and organizing food donations. They would end the day by reflecting on their work and learning more about how the organization makes a difference in the area. Winner emphasized his love for the trip by saying, “The people there were welcoming, and it felt good to be part of something that directly helps others in our own community.” Overall, both agreed that the trip was very impactful and meaningful, and they both said they would love to participate in another similar trip in the future because it showed them that you do not have to travel far to make a difference.

Serve Orlando
For the past three years, Mrs. Tabor has participated in the Serve Orlando mission trip. When asked what she would say if she had to give a summary of the Orlando trip, Mrs. Tabor stated, “We had an amazing group of students on the Orlando trip! As a group, we served at Camp Ithiel, a children’s home, Rise for Hunger, and the Salvation Army. On Thursday, we spent the day at Universal Studios, which did not disappoint even though it was a bit rainy and cold!” Throughout the week, the group also shared meals and moments that made the trip special. At Camp Ithiel, where they stayed for the trip,  an elderly couple prepared all the meals for the group, which Ms. Gooch described as “such a cute concept.” When reflecting on the most important thing she learned, Ms. Gooch explained that visiting three different service locations showed her “how many volunteers it takes for these places to run efficiently.” She stated, “If one of the two people they hired didn’t show up, they would never get it done,” which highlighted just how important volunteer work is. At Rise Against Hunger, the group helped package food in one day that would have taken the industry at least a week without their help. The experience highlighted Mrs. Tabors and Ms. Gooch’s appreciation for the impact of serving others and the importance of these organizations.

Dominican Republic Baseball Trip
During Impact Week, Mr. Owen traveled with students from CCS’ JV and Varsity baseball teams to the Dominican Republic for a mission trip centered on serving local communities through sports and ministry. When asked what impacted him the most, Mr. Owen shared, “The biggest influence on us was probably the joy that the people in the Dominican had for even the smallest things in their lives.” Whether they were leading baseball clinics or serving in villages and towns, the team was influenced by the joy the kids and adults had in the villages. He explained that the people they met were truly grateful for all that God had given them and the opportunities that they were given in their lives. Another powerful moment came through sharing testimonies. Mr. Owen stated, “Our team had a lot of opportunities to share testimonies at the various clinics and got to witness eight children give their lives to Christ. It was truly amazing to see the work of God.” Throughout the week, the group served in several ways, including hosting baseball clinics, partnering with churches and surrounding ministries, and painting a house. Mr. Owen stated that these experiences sparked meaningful conversations about “gratitude for not only material things that God has provided but the saving grace of Jesus Christ as well as the impact of sharing the gospel.” The trip left a lasting impression on the entire team. When asked if he would consider returning, Mr. Owen stated, “Yes, absolutely! The baseball coaching staff has already discussed the possibility of going back in future years. This was a truly amazing experience.”

Carley Roden’s Peru Reflection

During the Peru internship, eight CCS students, including myself, and one Providence High School student spent five days on a boat living on the Amazon River. We traveled from Peculpa, Peru, to a small village off the Amazon. Our time on the boat was filled with both heartbreak and joy. The living conditions were the most challenging part of this internship, but I would go back for another week if it meant I could spend more time in the village ministering to and playing with the children. It’s hard to see how some people are forced to live, but it’s also very reassuring to see how strong they are. For those kids, living in that village was all they’ve ever known.

My faith had an interlinked connection to this trip. What surprised me the most was that the kids in the village were already believers in God. Which taught me a lot because I take God for granted, and I don’t always appreciate how amazing it is to be a Christian. And this whole trip taught me to be grateful for my life, and more importantly, be grateful for the life God gave me.
The most important thing I learned while being on this trip cannot be summed up into one thing. I learned so much in my faith in God, as well as my faith in humanity, which grew stronger. It was devastating to see how people lived in Peru while being in the villages in the Amazon. But it was also a good feeling to make those kids smile when we played games with them. Overall, I learned that no matter how bad your life is or how bad the conditions are around you, there is still hope. Those kids in Peru might have had a bad homelife but they still smiled and showed joy through their pain and suffering.
I definitely see myself doing a trip similar to this in the future. Maybe not sleeping on a boat for days, because that made the week difficult for me. But I do believe I will go on another mission trip either with friends or even by myself. I hope that one day I have enough money and time to travel the world, be with different cultures, and see how God works through everyone.

Kendall Owen’s Mexico Reflection
Over the course of my Impact week in Mexico at Big Heart Orphanage, the most important thing I experienced was seeing God’s hands and plans work throughout the trip. Although there was a lot of hard work, we were able to get plenty of it done from the morning to the afternoon and have the rest of the day to hang out with the orphans and have our school group devotionals. We were able to do a fun activity almost every day, such as going to a desert museum with the kids, walking around a market in town, and doing community outreach with those who lived outside of the orphanage, where we were able to share the gospel and bible stories as well as games that went along with them, and provide delicious food. This was my second year being able to take this opportunity, and I was definitely going back again. The group this year was truly amazing, and although I was the only senior girl, I made so many friends that I am blessed God put me on that trip.