Editorial: Can Work Be Fun

Can work be fun? Yes, it can. This month, I got to experience a trip where work was fun?


In January, I, along with Kerry Boehret and Jon Hall, got the amazing opportunity to go on a relief missions trip at Lakeshore, Mississippi, where we worked for the whole week, furthering God’s kingdom and loving others. It was a week of pure work, but it was the best week of my life. Why? I was surrounded by Christians, working toward a common goal. It was a foretaste of Heaven.

When our high school trip to Boston got cancelled a few months ago, we were very disappointed. It is hard to give up the annual trip, especially since it has happened for 9 years. Instead we got a trip to Camp Ladore, in Waymart, PA, where we offered our help to the camp. They put us to good use.

The high school trip reminded me a whole lot of the Lakeshore trip. We were working in the rain, but we didn’t care. We pushed someone’s car out of the mud and got dirty, but that didn’t make a difference to us. We were having such a good time working for a common goal and not much else mattered to us.

That night, we had a game time where many people who were tired still had enough energy to play. During devotions, our high school became even more unified as we sang joyously and listened intently as Mr. K. led the devotional. I don’t think anyone wanted to go to sleep.

But we needed sleep. I woke up the next morning to the first sunny day in April! It was beautiful! After another great devotional time led by Mr. Riggall, and a good breakfast, we all got back to work.

If I thought the first day went well, it didn’t compare at all to the second day. I got to be on the “boat crew” where several of us demolished the deck of a pontoon boat. Others cleaned cabins; the camp director said that he hadn’t seen these cabins this clean since working there. We worked strenuously until lunch and finished the job. After lunch, we put away all the snow fences for them.

By the end of the day, most of us were tired and sun-burnt. But we didn’t care, because all of us knew that we had done work for God’s kingdom, and we had an incredible time doing so.

~SB (Student Editor)

My High School Trip

What would you do if you thought you could die in the next thirty minutes? What song would be the last one you would want to listen to, who would be the last person you would want to see, which movie would you want to be your last? My adventure began about twenty minutes before the end of the high school trip.

    

 During the bus ride home I had a terrible headache, so I decided to try to get some sleep. When I awoke, my head was spinning and my vision was blurred and my wonderful and cheerful friend, Ali Gemmell, was crying her eyes out in pain. I felt useless. I wanted to help, but didn’t know how I could. I was in a state of confusion and sat back against my seat. I asked Mrs. Tripp for an Ibuprofen which I received from Jonathan Hall.

     

I sat back, and the majority of my story, from here on, will be according to the observations of others. After sitting back against the chair I blacked out and fell on the floor. After about a minute, I awoke staring into the eyes of Brandon Bellinghausen and Jon Hall. I was confused and scared. I recognized Brandon and Jon’s faces, but couldn’t connect names to them. I couldn’t focus on one person at a time. I was shaking and I was unable respond to questions. The first person that I could connect the face and voice to the name was my best friend Scott Boehret. I was rushed to the emergency room and stayed there till 2:00 a.m. My body had calmed down after about an hour in the state described above.

    

 Last Wednesday, April 27, I went to the hospital yet again for a three-hour glucose tolerance test where I had to fast all morning, go to the hospital, and drink a bottle of sickeningly sweet juice. I would then have to have my blood taken every hour for a total of four times. My blood sugar is all right, but I do have to watch my eating and eat more consistently. I am scheduled to be tested for heart problems in May. Therefore, I would appreciate your prayers, and I thank those who have prayed for me. Particularly, I would like to thank Kerry and Scott Boehret, Sarah and Brandon Bellinghausen, Jon Hall, Mrs. Tripp, Kelly Schwiker, Mr. K, Mr. Riggall, Miss Boston, Ali Gemmell, and my family, for their prayers and help in one way or another.

Thoughts from the Photographer

This year’s high school trip was another successful one. The entire high school went on a two-day trip to Camp Ladore in Waymart, PA. This was a Salvation Army camp that we cleaned and helped by doing a bunch of odd jobs. The third day was a trip to the Bronx Zoo. The high school went on a seven-hour trip to the Zoo that had fish and giraffes and everything in between.

~RG

My High School Trip

Wow. That would be the word that I would use to describe my high school trip experience. We went to help out at a camp, called Camp Ladore. When I first heard about it, my first thoughts were, "Oh boy, this isn’t going to be fun." But before the trip started, I was determined to view this trip in a positive light. After all, the trip would become what I made of it!

    

 So early in the morning I woke up and came to school. We left the school shortly. My car ride included various story times and lots of laughter with my fellow sophomore girl classmates. That was the start of a great trip. When we arrived, we were introduced to the camp by Sarah, a lady with a British accent. Cool, right? Then we split up into cleaning groups: most guys, who would clean up more outdoor things and most girls, who cleaned the cabins.

     

My specific group was very enthusiastic about our job, to say the least. Alyssa Winters and I volunteered to clean the site nobody wanted to…..THE BATHROOM!  So we had to clean the sinks and toilets and everything else the bathrooms had to offer. Believe it or not, we had such a great time, I would gladly go back and do it again! We sang songs the whole time varying from "High School Musical" to random hymns. And we did this job for two days. On the second day, we changed location from one cabin to another.

    

 Then something unexpected happened. While I was cleaning, James Wolfe and Josh Hall dropped by giving us a few lollipops and gum that they “discovered.” Yanira Paulino and I, being very exhausted and not thinking clearly, ate the gum and lollipops never asking where they were found. Momentarily, we were told that the candy was found under one of the beds, and the last time those cabins were used was last summer! At that moment, I felt sick. But nothing became of it, so I just let it slide.

    

 We finally left the camp and stopped at Wendy’s on the way home. That was a very ordinary stop, until many students decided to run around the Wendy’s and perform a Chinese fire drill! It was awesome! We arrived home safely afterwards, thankfully.

    

 The next day we went to the Bronx zoo! On the long bus ride, many students were singing various songs and playing certain hand slapping games to pass the time.  At the zoo itself, we had many adventures including a Dora 4D movie, a carousel of bugs, Brandon Bellinghausen communicating with a lemur, Josh Hall being chased by a peacock, and Kelly Schwiker touching a goat! It was a one of a kind experience that can never be replaced.

    

 But on the way home, ten minutes from the school, tragedy struck! Ali Gemmell was sick, and Caleb Irvin passed out! It was a very emotional and nervous time for everyone! When we got to the school, Caleb was rushed to the emergency room while many people stayed behind at the school and prayed for him and Ali. Thankfully, they are both doing a lot better, so our prayers were answered! Thank the Lord! Overall our high school trip wasn’t what we expected, but was a very crazy adventure!

~NC

High School Trip

The High School Trip has been when the high school takes a trip to a major city. Unfortunately, due to financial problems, the trip to Boston had to be canceled. But I think I speak for everyone when I say that the trip to Camp Ladore was better than a major city trip. Camp Ladore is a Salvation Army camp. While the high school was there from April 13^th to the 14^th, they mostly cleaned cabins. Some students got to push a car out of mud and others got to “destroy” a boat. Everyone had a lot of fun and the people in charge were very grateful for all of our hard work.

    

 Friday, April 15^th, was the trip to the Bronx Zoo. The Bronx Zoo has a lot of animals to see and admire; such as flamingos, owls, eagles, reptiles, lions, tigers and many more. The trip was a blast and everyone is looking forward to next year’s trip to Philadelphia.

~MG

Zoo Trip

On Friday, the high school students went to the Bronx Zoo. We took an auto bus to New York. When we got there we split up into groups and looked at the animals. We ate lunch around 12 o’clock. After we ate, we walked around some more. There were a very wide variety of animals. We got to pet and feed some of the animals also. We left the zoo around 5 o’clock. On the way home, we stopped at McDonald’s to get something to eat. We arrived back at the school around 9 o’clock, and everyone went home.

~MK

High School Trip

This year ICS’s high school, instead of going to Boston, went to Waymart, PA, and Bronx, New York. For the first two days they did some hard-core work at a Salvation Army camp in Waymart. However, for the final day they ventured to New York to learn and explore in the BRONX ZOO. They enjoyed friends and fellowship.

The Banner staff hopes and prays that the high school prayed and enjoyed their time being a testimony for God.

~TF