Kyra

This past Thursday I showed up at 2PC for my first mission trip. To be completely honest, I didn't know what to expect and was definitely not excited for the excruciating 3 and a half day drive to the all-exciting South Dakota. Everyone had said how fun the trip would be so I tried to stay optimistic with a smile on my face. As we drove along stopping for potty, food breaks, and sleeping in the extravagant Super 8s we slowly but surely made our way to South Dakota. We made some cool detours in St. Louis, Missouri to see the Gateway Arch and Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse in South Dakota, which otherwise I may have never seen. A little before we arrived in Wanblee to the reservation our electronics were taken, which as a teenager I was less than thrilled about, but finally we arrived at the school we were staying at and saw our Minnesotan counterparts. It took us a while to warm up to them and introduce ourselves. Right off the bat, we saw and got to play with some young children from the reservation at the school playground. After that first afternoon, I had more hope for the rest of the trip, but wasn't totally convinced ofits amazing standards to live up to. As the week went on and I grew closer to God, the Lakota, the Minnesotans, and my fellow 2PC peers I realized that it was a great trip. I looked forward to painting or playing with young kids at Kids Club each day. By the end of the week I wanted to stay much longer. It was a really spectacular experience and I hope to be blessed with another mission trip next year.