URBAN MISSION TRIPS - An incredible four days was spent at Miracle Camp in Lawton, MI, when the Experience Mission interns were united for CPR, First Aid, Wilderness and general EM philosophy training. All the training was in preparation for the mission trips we will lead in Atlanta this summer.

Our team down south consists of our amazing trip coordinator, Lyndee Flint; Matt Crouch and Krista Jensen, who will be coordinating multiple outreach events, and myself, in charge of construction coordination. Our first task as a team during this weekend was to obtain a montage of people singing Yankee Doodle. We accomplished this by driving 20 minutes to the nearest town and bombarding people, mostly in the local bars, with our strange request. We were met with great success and a variety of willing singers, from bikers to an elderly couple on the sidewalk.

The next few days were spent interactively filling our heads with knowledge of wilderness medicine and EM sessions where we dove deeper into the heart of our mission to build relationships with each other and especially with our partners and communities.

Training was completed with an intense scavenger competition between each of the EM teams leading us on a wild chase through Kalamazoo and Portage, MI, before instructing us to build a boat with supplies bought with the money provided to us. After building the boat, we had to float across on it to a location about a hundred yards from the launching place and back. The night ended with our boat in five different pieces, but our team united from frustration, perseverance and an inner sense of accomplishment and triumph.

We are ready for Atlanta!!!

To serve with Experience Mission on a urban mission trips or a specific mission trip for all ages, visit our website at www.ExperienceMission.org. To check out additional media about Atlanta, visit our news website at www.ExperienceMissionNews.com. Register now for a future mission trip with Experience Mission.