Before he ascended to heaven following his appearances to the disciples, Jesus left his followers with a few final words. In Acts 1: 7-8  Jesus says: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

When it comes to building God’s kingdom, traveling to the ends of the earth is a demanding and crucial facet, but there is work to be done everywhere: including McKinney. While the majority of the Upper School were serving outside of our community, a group of Juniors and Seniors chose to stay local to do His work.

These students, led by Dr. DeBord and Coach Goforth, worked Monday-Friday at a few different mission sites. The majority of the week was spent packing meals for less-fortunate families, both local and abroad. On Monday, students packed canned and boxed goods for families in North Texas at Grace Bridge in Plano. Tuesday was spent at Feed My Starving Children in Richardson, where students packed enough food to fill hundreds of Haitians alongside other missionary groups.

The group took a long bus ride to Mission Arlington on Wednesday and Thursday, where they spent hours preparing Vacation Bible School boxes for apartment complexes across the Metroplex. Senior Hannah Grubbs said that “It was a great experience going to Mission Arlington. I especially enjoyed preparing the boxes for the local apartment VBS program they provide and my prayer is that it impacts the children in a way that urges them to receive the good news!”

The group set up camp in the Student Life Center on Friday to help Kids Against Hunger, where they packed hundreds more meals to be shipped across the globe.

The work that the Local Missions group does year after year may be simple, but it’s just as impactful as the work done by students in Guatemala, Arkansas, or anywhere else. This mission taught the group to make the most of every situation in order to carry out God’s will, and that mission work isn’t about glamour or excitement but humbling yourself for the greater good.