Today we went to Pins and Pockets and it was amazing because we went bowling, played arcade games, laser tag, and I made some new friends. We got to do so many fun things! Although this was technically our fun day of Missions, we still did our best to serve and leave the place better than we found it. This was our last day of missions and I think that this was a very fun week of missions! I can’t wait to do it next year!

-Kainoa York

This past week, I had the incredible opportunity to go on my very first missions trip. We spent some time cleaning up a park, making it a more beautiful and welcoming space for the community. It felt good knowing that our efforts would allow others to enjoy it even more. I also had so much fun doing arts and crafts with the kids, and it reminded me how simple moments of joy can be so meaningful. Seeing their smiles made every moment worthwhile. We also helped pack food at a food bank, knowing that our efforts would help provide meals for families in need is really heartwarming. One of the most rewarding experiences was assisting in building a house. Hammering nails was harder than I expected, but every time I grew tired or frustrated, the people around me encouraged me to keep going. Their support and positivity helped me push myself, and eventually I was hammering nails like a pro. Being able to serve God by serving others was a memorable experience. It reminded me that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a significant impact. I saw how God works through people, how he brings strength and hope to those in need, and how His presence is evident in every act of love. It deepened my faith and gave me a renewed sense of purpose. This trip also reminded me how blessed I am and how important it is to give back. This trip has shown me that when we step outside our comfort zones and offer our time and energy to others, we not only make a difference in their lives but we also grow closer to God.  

– Kristine Javier

I arrived there at 6:30 and was tasked to move wood around, mark wood, and more.  I was then assigned to build a wall. While I was doing that I noticed around me that everyone was working together. When I noticed that, I just thought that this is God’s work. So that’s what happened for the house build.

Bryce Andrew

I learned a lot helping out with Hands Of Mercy! It was a lot of fun learning how to cut the wood. The people were really nice and patient as well. We all helped out in our own ways too, by building the parts of the house at the different stations.

Levi De Silvia

I was blessed to have the opportunity to be in a position where I can encourage the next generation of learners at our vacation Bible study. I interacted with so many learners and helped them color, play games, and taught them about God. It was a true blessing to be able to see the smile on every one of the learners faces and am so excited to do this again in the upcoming years. CCHS is a blessing to everyone and I am so grateful I had this opportunity.

David Sweiss

On Day 3 for missions we did VBS with TK and kindergarten. I was part of the snack team, being able to talk one-on-one with so many different personalities. It was truly so fun talking to them and explaining the scripture we had.

Derek Burtrum

This day was such a great experience for everyone. Everyone felt involved with the kids, and it was a great opportunity to really connect with the younger learners. We had 4 different stations for the kids such as craft,snack,story/worship, and games. The learners had a blast with every station and they always would come in with a big smile on their face. I was on the story/worship team and every child was dancing and having a great time, it was very rewarding to see them connect with the CCHS learners and with their other classmates. This helped open our eyes and showed us that God can work in so many ways, even in ways that you would least expect it. 

Raylene Lindouer

My names is Jackson and I had opportunity to be with the kids at VBS. I had a great time and felt very moved during the whole process. This helped me see the other side of who I am, and to see what I’m capable of doing to serve God and the people around me. I got to play games with the kids, and we all had a very fun time together engaging in activities. I knew that God was using me to connect with the children, and I felt honored.

Jackson Beverly

Missions was a great experience today! We started off the day by arriving at school at 8 and taking a bus ride to the LA Food Bank. We got right to work once we arrived, and then spent the next few hours packaging boxes. It was fun to get to spend time with people from school and the other volunteers while doing this! By the end of the day, we had packaged around 2,000 boxes of food! This was by far my favorite local mission day, and I have experienced it throughout all of high school! The day was genuinely so fun and enjoyable and I am so glad that I was able to experience it.

Jaclyn Paul

I really enjoyed doing volunteer work at the LA Food Bank. So many good things happened while we were helping out over there. We all got put to work on different sides, and in different types of sections. There were already people there volunteering when we got there, but we got to help them and we eventually got a lot done before they left. I learned more things about volunteering than I thought and I think I have some new skills jotted down. I even got to talk to some of the other people that were there before they left. It was a treat and I would gladly do it again next year. 

Eloy Villegas

Today, we headed to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank in order to help pack up and ship food to families in need. All of the staff giving us directions and helping us along the way were so nice, and it was so much fun to be able to serve God in such a meaningful way, while working alongside these wonderful people! While visiting, I got the opportunity to work as someone who helps unpackage the goods for the people placing them in the boxes, and I later got to also be the one filling the boxes with those same goods. I’d never done something like this before, so it was new and exciting for me as I packaged food up with my fellow learners! We were all able to encourage each other, as we swapped roles and kept the boxes rolling through the conveyor belts. I had so much fun volunteering here for missions, and I’d just like to thank my friends, facilitators, the staff at LA Regional Food Bank, and mostly God for blessing me with this wonderful opportunity to serve him and help others as a part of the CCHS family. I hope I get the chance to do it again someday!

Shaye Villegas

Day 1 of CCHS Local missions was great. Most of us got together and took a bus to Butterfield Park. At the park we picked up trash, painted, filled in holes that dogs dug, and more. A man named Benito, had all of this work on his to-do list and we got it all done for him! Most of the signs, curbs, and trash cans were faded, so we took paint and repainted most of them! In the dog parks, we shoveled and  distributed dirt to get rid of the holes that the dogs have created. A few of us also took down the American flag and replaced it with a brand new one. Trash was left around the park from the weekend, so we picked that up as well. We ended the day with a nice lunch from the parent team! It was a successful day. 

Mallory Whitlock

My personal experience for day 1 of Local Missions was amazing. It started with my group going to the park. The bus ride was very fun. When we got to the park they immediately made us work. Me and a few of my friends were told to work on the water fountain and we were working. One of them, Chase CW, was very focused and helped us with it. After a few hours, we were done. When we finished I was told to work on the foul poles and repaint them. I worked on around 5 and when I was done I was treated to a great lunch from the parent team. Overall Day 1 for the local Missions Team was great.

Reid Monroe

Today, a group of 11 of us went to Ms. Lupé’s house to clean up her yard. When we first got there we split into 2 groups, a group of boys and a group of girls. The boys went to the front of her land while us girls worked in the back. For the first half hour señora Lupé was in the front helping the boys, then she came to the back to check on us girls. The first thing we asked her about was what she wanted to keep what she wanted thrown away, so she told us what to throw away then came to talk to me. She had asked me what my name was then we got to talking for a few minutes and had told me a little bit about herself. She was very sweet and reminded me of my grandmother, I had told her that and she had told me I reminded her of her granddaughter coincidentally enough. We really connected throughout the day and I told her I would be more than happy to come again to help her finish the job more. As we were about to end our job we found some old records and she let a couple of us take them home to keep. Afterwards we packed up and took a group photo with señora lupé, and she had told all of us girls that we are all very beautiful hard working girls and the boys are very handsome hard working young men and she was very thankful for us coming. Then me and her hugged and before I left, she told me she was very grateful for my help today, and she hopes that as I grow I will continue to be just as beautiful inside as I am on the outside. Overall today was a great learning experience and it really helped me realize why God had called me to go to her and help. I was super grateful for the connection we made and I hope to make more of a difference this week as I did today along with the rest of our missions team.