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All the details we can think of as of now!
June 21-24th- Take a COVID test and send your results to Lisa. You can not attend the trip without taking a test.
June 24th- 5:30pm-6:15pm- Bring your trip bags packed to WGUMC. We will pack the vans this evening, do your final trip check in and have a short outdoor prayer and send off time. We will send out a packing list the first week of June but expect to bring an air mattress, sleeping bag, pillow and casual, work appropriate clothing (see clothing rules above) as well as closed toe shoes, swimsuit and towel and some personal hygiene supplies. Those bags will be packed in the vans on Friday night. Saturday morning all you need to bring is your backpack with things to do, snacks and spending money for our traveling.
Saturday, June 25th- Meet at WGUMC at 7:30am. Get your van assignment, meet leaders, say goodbye to family and hit the road!
We will be driving to Bend Oregon that evening. We will be staying at a UMC church overnight.
Sunday, June 26th - 8:00am leave Bend and begin driving to our site in Yakama Washington. We will stop on the drive and do a fun outdoor adventure activity on the way (TBD). Arrive on site at 5pm. We will be staying on the reservation at the All Nations Center in Wapato. 3020 Ashue Rd, Wapato, WA 98951. The facility has rooms for sleeping, showers, bathrooms, kitchen, an open play area, basketball hoops and volleyball net.
Monday- Thursday- We will gather together in the morning for breakfast and group time. Then we will split into work groups for different sites. We will be doing gardening, cleaning, painting and repairs. We will come back together at 3:30pm each day to do a cultural immersion experience or nature thing. We potentially will be going to a Pow Wow, a Native American worship service, participating in a drum circle, dining at a family home for salmon and fry bread, visiting a local museum and swimming in the Yakama river.
Friday, July 1st- Pack up and begin our trip home. We will stay at a hotel in Redding and have a final closing evening together.
Saturday, July 2nd- Leave the hotel at 7:00am and make our way back. Arrive at WGUMC sweaty, tired, fulfilled and happy at 12:00pmish.
Other things to know-
A. During our travel days students can have their cell phones. When we arrive on site on Sunday night we will collect them. We will return them on the road home. Why? It helps students stay focused on our time at the reservation. It helps them be free to bond with other students. It helps them to make friends and relationships with each. It helps to keep their expensive items safe. I promise, they always whine the day I collect them, miss their phones that first day and then immediately dive into card games, conversations and games without the distraction. Often when we hand the phones back students are sad to be connected again and enjoy their time without their phone. All leaders will have their own phones and can be connected with in case of emergency. Students can also borrow a leader phone if they need to call a parent. JYM staff will also be posting pictures and updated daily on Instagam and Facebook and a larger group email will go out half way through the week.
B. Illegal drubs, tobacco, alcohol or weapons are to be on this trip. If students are found with them they all be sent home at the parents expense within 24 hours.
C. We are happy to help accommodate particular food allergies and concerns as well as any physical or mental health issue that we need to. We will help dispense prescription drugs each day as well and they can be turned into the leader team on Saturday morning when we leave. If your student has a dietary concern, please email Lisa with that information so we can best plan ahead.
D. Most of the students food while on the trip will be covered by trip cost. There will be a few meals on the road they will need to bring spending money for. They will need to buy 3 lunches on the road and then need spending money for any souvenirs or items they want when traveling. We will have all breakfasts, most lunches, and all dinners covered when on the road and on the site. My suggestion is that students bring $65-$75 spending money. We ask they don't bring more than $100 cash.
E. We know how important education is prior to going into a different community than ours and we haven't had a chance to do those things of things this year in preparation for the time as much as we'd like due to late sign ups as well as COVID concerns and not knowing if we could even travel this summer. We will have two education nights coming up about the trip that we'd like to ask all students and leaders attending the trip to come to. These will also be great ways for the students to get to know each other before we travel
Tuesday Night, May 24th from 5:30pm-7:00pm with dinner included.
Sunday, June 12th at 4:30pm-6:00pm.
F. We'd love one more leader to join us for the entirety of the trip. Let me know if you're interested
G. We will need help picking up and dropping off rental vans as well as help bringing some baked goods and snacks for our travel. I want to focus on this fundrasier on May 22nd first and then after that we will be asking for some help with specific mission trip prep.
H. All our leaders will be background checked prior to departure. We currently have all veterans of other mission trips as leaders and a few alumni and I am so excited and thankful for their leadership and willing to drive, travel, work and listen to students all week long!
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