The Des Moines Christian School IMPACT trip culminated in a powerful day of service! Sticking close to Camp Abaco, the students dove into local improvement projects, lending helping hands to pick up and beautify the surrounding area. As the sun dipped low, they gathered together for a night filled with inspiring testimonies and heartwarming stories, solidifying the bonds of friendship and faith forged throughout their journey.
Where can we even begin?!? Today, we journeyed into our last full day here at Camp. We ate breakfast, and it was so good a cookbook should be created. Afterward, we split into groups to go out to the camp and complete different jobs. Some of the jobs were hammering, cleaning up the beach, clearing out trash, and even mowing the lawn. On the beach, the team was able to pick up what felt like 800 shingles.
It was hard to imagine that all of the shingles were from people’s broken homes. We thought of all the lives that were connected to all of the shingles that were mostly still showing up from Hurricane Dorian. However, the sledgehammering was probably the most difficult part of the day. The team had to knock down a six-by-eight-foot building that was made completely out of concrete. It had rebar located from the top to the bottom. Blood, sweat, and possibly tears were put into the building demolition. All of the trash collected was taken down to the dump.
Lunch was filled with good conversation and the team got a long break afterwards. People swam in the ocean, rested, and some read. The break was about four hours until we took time as a group to share our Impact Stories. We sat right outside the Gathering Hall because the weather was absolutely beautiful and the breeze was flowing. There were tears shed and testimonies shared which allowed us to grow closer as a group. Tonight everyone allowed themselves to be vulnerable and share their perspective on the trip. People talked about what impacted them and their future commitments to be love in action.
We concluded the day around the dinner table (Abaco’s finest dining made by Miss Lula and Miss Doreen). The chicken curry was so flavorful and it filled us up. It’s always a blessing to share a meal alongside our friends from Tennessee. We can’t believe how fast this week has flown, and it’s crazy to think that we are coming to an end. This trip was very fulfilling and thank you for following our journey.
—Kayla, Mari, Hannah, Caleb, and Grace
