United in Christ

A line of students moves back and forth from a large truck and a newly constructed home, swapping inside jokes as they work. For the past week, the group of 9th-12th grade students have helped with the construction of the home that they are now filling with furniture. Laughing and working alongside them is Cade, a student who has grown up at HP Pres and has been deeply impacted by the connections made throughout the mission trip to the Dominican Republic in July of 2024. He shares, “We worked really hard that week and I thought it was so cool to see all that hard work led to smiles on their faces when we showed the family their new home.”

While in the DR, the student mission team helped with construction projects, connected with people in the community, and played a role in ongoing ministry alongside our global mission partners. Student mission trips offer 9th-12th graders the opportunity to experience the Gospel through the lens of the global church. Cade shares, “We’re all united in Christ. It’s neat to see how communities so far from home worship the same God. It’s really inspiring.” 

Working alongside his fellow students and our partners at Mission Emanuel helped forge lasting connections between Cade and his friends. He shares, “I really learned to value the community I have. We got to talk a lot at the worksites, and I made strong relationships with other people on the trip. It’s made me feel comfortable to rely on them since then.” 

Now, going into the summer before his senior year, Cade will be returning to the DR a second time. We invite you to join us in praying for him and the other students who are participating in summer mission trips to the DR on July 13–19 and Ecuador on July 18–25.