What are your favorite memories of Summer 2021? For the young adults on this year’s Summer Mission Team, their summer memories include climbing mountains in Alaska, being part of a peace summit in Decatur, IL, experiencing the Ferguson Community Center in St. Louis, and eating vegan for a week in Indianapolis!
As part of a mission team exchange, team members Brianna Kruse and Grace Washburn spent several weeks in the mountains of rural Alaska (USA West) ministering with The Salvation Army through social services, Vacation Bible School, leading and participating in corporate worship, and providing practical support to the local corps officers. In exchange, a team of 3 young adults from the USA Western Territory served and supported alongside some of the ongoing Salvation Army ministries here in the Midwest.
The Social Justice/City Mission Team, coordinated in collaboration with the Social Justice and Urban Missions Department, included Cadet Melissa Christiansen, Reggie Brooks, Samuel Park, and Terecita Vasquez. The team engaged in social justice initiatives and community partnerships, led Bible Studies, helped with a community shoe distribution, and more! As Cadet Melissa summarizes, “This was a summer none of us will forget. Each of us is excited to take this experience back to our own cities, neighborhoods and corps.”
The Alaska Team and the Social Justice/City Mission Team shared a few days together at the Indianapolis Fountain Square Corps and then concluded their SMT experience as delegates to the territorial Youth Leadership Development Conference, where they also participated in SMT debriefing.
Throughout the summer the teams focused on John 1:1-14, which recognizes Jesus as the “true light to everyone” and challenges us, through John’s example, to be “witnesses to the light.” Please keep these young adults in your prayers as they continue to be witnesses to the Light in their home communities.
