Regional

Lumberton

Lumberton was a regional trip led by Ben Bash. Students serving at Lumberton did various activities to serve the community such as putting siding into houses, installing insulation, building foundations, etc. Sophomore Joe Powell said, “At first I thought that I would make an impact on only those around me. While I did accomplish this, I left feeling amazing about myself and the good work I had done.” He also described the trip as, “a life changing experience.” Powell’s favorite part of the trip was being in the company of his friends, specifically at night. Students also participated in activities including laser tag, the movie theater, an escape room and bowling. The group at Lumberton was successful in their efforts as their work was inspected by a professional and approved.

Chattanooga

This year, Melissa Solomon led her third year of the Chattanooga, Tennessee trip. With the help of Alex Fox and Terry Gilmore, the all-girl-group headed to bear the cold while serving alongside Widows Harvest Ministry. This group was primarily made up of freshmen with a few sophomores and juniors. The ministry focuses on helping widows in the Chattanooga area that are below or near the poverty line. Freshman, Evie McCrory, reflected back on her first J-term experience stating that it was an overall incredible time of service and community. She had originally signed up for the trip due to the friends that would be joining her and the mindset of the ministry. McCrory stated that she hadn’t realized “how much we would with the widows and build relationships with them. We had lunch with them and actually talked with them as humans.” She continued on, “they really didn’t have much, not even families, so for that week, we got to be their families.” McCrory enjoyed the fun day alongside her friends where they got to enjoy the Chattanooga Aquarium, petting stingrays and experience an Imax movie, while also touring Lee University! Overall, the girl group in Chattanooga not only changed lives but formed life-long friendships and memories.

Asheville

Asheville was another regional trip. Led by Dan Gwilt, Suzanne McBroom and Karen Harrell, students served throughout the community during the week. This was sophomore Jahir Jimenez’s first J-Term trip, and he said the experience was great. When asked about his favorite part of the trip, he stated, “when we went to a food bank and we started packaging rice.” Jimenez enjoyed serving others and spending time with friends. His group successfully packed 550 boxes and ultimately fed over 700 families in the Asheville area. Even though students were only in Asheville for a few days, they still had a profound impact on the community.

Charlotte Serve

Charlotte Serve was one of four regional trips. Led by multiple Carmel teachers, students served at multiple different places throughout the week. Sophomore  Trent Shepherd was part of the group serving at Beds for Kids. Beds for Kids is an organization that builds beds and ships them to those who are in need. Shepherd said, “I really enjoyed serving at Beds for Kids, because I know that my work is going to a good cause.” He also said that knowing his work would make a difference made the process move faster. Students also worked at the Charlotte Rescue Mission and Common Heart. Students at The Charlotte Rescue mission prepared and served food to people in need. Common heart is a food pantry which has been growing rapidly as of late. According to Shepherd, the best part of the trip was visiting the Charlotte Museum of Illusions.

National

Orlando

One of the regional trips for this year was to Orlando, Florida led by Mrs. Abbott alongside Karen Tabor, Michael Quint and Dr. Chris Fryar. Students served numerous ministries throughout Orlando and helped families who were struggling with poverty. Senior Jade Eaton believed that the service work was impactful and even said that she “gained a bit of perspective about poverty in the United States.” Eaton added that her favorite part of the trip was going to Universal Studios because she enjoyed being able to bond with friends and have fun. Overall, the Orlando J-Term trip was the perfect mix of service and fun.

NYC

The CCS arts department featured a trip centered around visual and performing arts. The group of students, lead by Christina McCorkle, Alli Sanderson and Brandy Caton, adventured out to New York City for acting classes, Broadway musicals and museum trips. Prior to the trip, chaperones released a form asking students what activities they wanted to participate in. The options were split into two categories: visual arts and theatrical classes. The visual arts students visited the metropolitan, rode the subway and walked through the snowy Central Park. The theater students were given opportunities to go to dance and audition classes led by professionals. Together the group experienced dance and singing classes led by a Broadway actor. The students were also able to see four different Broadway productions while in the city: “Wicked,” “Six, ”“How to Dance in Ohio” and “Back to the Future.” Sophomore, Lizzie Fannon, shares that she was a part of the visual arts group and her highlight was “visiting the visual arts museums throughout the city. I loved the sculptures, painting and creativity that was displayed throughout the places.”

Collegiate Swim Experience (Florida)

The Collegiate Swim Experience is a new trip this year led by Kate Johnson and assisted by Meredith Mente. Students visited various colleges including The University of Tampa, Florida State University and the University of Florida. At these colleges, the swim team was able to see the swimming facilities and even practice in them. For some fun activities, students visited the beach at St. Augustine and went to Universal. Braden Miller, sophomore, stated, “my favorite part of the trip was our beach day at St. Augustine.” Before going on the trip, Miller said that he was looking forward to seeing what the colleges had to offer while having fun at the same time. After the trip, Miller said that his expectations were met, and that he was able to form stronger bonds with swim teammates.

California STEM

The California STEM trip was new this year, led by Marlin Mogusu and Sheila Nelson, the group of students headed for San Francisco. Students visited various museums and locations throughout San Francisco to learn about science and technology, such as the Cable Car Museum, Exploratorium, California Academy of Sciences and Apple Park, which is the headquarters of Apple. Students also had the opportunity to walk on the Golden Gate Bridge, visit Alcatraz, spend time in Fisherman’s Wharf, tour the Jelly Belly factory and see other tourist attractions. Although this was an educational trip, students still gave back to the community by serving at a food bank and helping pack boxes of food for families in need throughout the San Francisco area.

International

Dominican Republic

This J-Term, the annual DR trip, was separated between two ministries that departed their ways in the Santo Domingo airport:

DR Freedom:

The Freedom International group, led by Joel McMillion, Gwen Bennett, Marilis Santos and Heath McKay, went to the bilingual school which buses children from the surrounding villages. While on campus, the group participated in two main activities: teaching English in classrooms and construction. The classroom option provided students the opportunity to build relationships with the Dominican children through numerous Uno games and verb exercises. Outside activities such as freeze tag, jump rope and kicking the soccer ball allowed for the group to pour into the younger children and apply English into practical, fun games. Construction work ranged from painting new parts of the building in addition to pressure washing rooms to mowing the 25 acre property. Once the campus was cleared from the school day, students and chaperones were able to walk the campus, enjoy sunsets from the roof, rollerskate, play pickleball and fellowship with one another. Laila Solimon sums up her experience by stating, “My favorite part was being able to connect with my classmates in an environment where our only focus was to serve others and worship God. It was an amazing experience for God through my classmates and the people who were able to serve.”

DR By Grace Alone:

The By Grace Alone group, led by Terry Menendez, Dr. Nathan Gilson and Julie Hollar, had the opportunity to stay in the city of Santo Domingo at a mission compound, World Grace Mission. Each day the students served at the local school, Escuela de Fernado de la Cruz. They had the opportunity to break into ESL groups to help teach the students in the school English concepts. After the school day was complete, the group helped with the after school program at the school. Students built relationships with students by playing mini baseball games, making bracelets, coloring pictures and crafts. Charlotte Russell shares that her main takeaway was “being with the children each day and building relationships each day through numerous activities.”
Alongside the service, the group was able to experience different opportunities within the community. They visited an Orphanage and were able to play with the children who were at the shelter. The group ended their trip with a hike led by a local guide. Nik Morrone stated that “although many complained because the journey was rough, the view made up for it. It was so beautiful to see the nature of the DR.”

Costa Rica

The Costa Rica trip consisted of numerous activities that allowed students to learn more about the culture and the people who live in the surrounding cities. Students, led by Clay Kessler, Erin Kayton and Deborah Reimers, were able to visit multiple different sites in order to capture the essence of the land. The group began their week attending a Spanish speaking church, Iglesia Bautista Emmanuel. There they interacted with the student youth ministry and played numerous games with the children. The school they partnered with was Liberty Christian academy. There students made balloon animals, participated in various soccer games and were able to be with the kids during their PE classes and recess time. Apart from the service, the group experienced the culture through a trip to the beach, zip lining, visiting hot springs and hiking down to a river. Chaperone, Erin Kayton, shares that “We were able to go to a central market to buy different souvenirs. We were even given the opportunity to ride their public transportation which was super cool!”

Guatemala

This year, a group of students led by Chad Meers, Lisa Denney, Ailene Vayas and David Fox headed to Guatemala partnering with Catalyst ministries to build homes and lead neighborhood VBS for the people of Guatemala. Meers, who had previously lived in Guatemala for five years, had worked prior with Catalyst creating an instant connection and personalized experience.The group of students, ranging from sophomores to seniors, experiences a life-changing week, as they witness the Lord work in and through them. One such student, Connelly Yaggi, remarked that her overall experience was “life changing and offered her a new perspective.” She enjoyed the VBS and interacting with the Guatemalan people, as well making new friends from various grades. Yaggi stated, “you won’t leave that country the same as you started” as she reflected on what was so impactful about her experience. She said that even if you don’t know Spanish, “you find other ways to communicate with people that transcends language barriers.”

Peru

Carmel had the chance to return to Peru, led by Will Robertson, Marsha Berry and Sophie Muir-Taylor, the group of seniors headed to Calvary Church in Huacho, Peru. The team served alongside Pastor Craig Tippie and helped him build stewardship for his church. The students were encouraged in their boldness, as they were sent out into the streets and markets of Peru, going around to the people to join in conversations and evangelize for the Gospel. Grace Kelly, a student who attended the trip, states, “it was really good. (I) Got to dive into the culture… I liked the relational connections that I made with people, and the fact that I’m still talking to people that I met.” Not only were the relationships formed with the people of Peru, but the students had the chance to perform live street dramas that depicted various aspects of Jesus’ character and pursuit. Through Calvary Church in Huacho, Carmel students had the chance to connect with amazing locals and spread seeds that will continue to grow for years to come. The students also had the chance to explore the vastly different desert landscape that Peru provided as they spent a day at the ocean and another touring ancient ruins!