Local Mission Team Makes A Difference

James McAnarney

A group of local teenagers will soon head to South Dakota to spend a week serving others during the annual community youth mission trip.

Youth Director James McAnarney said this will be his 19th mission trip. Over the past several years, the program has grown beyond the church and now welcomes students from throughout the community.

This year's trip runs July 18-25 at the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota. Students in grades 7 through 12 will spend the week helping with community projects and assisting local organizations.

"We just show up and work," McAnarney said.

The group partners with an organization called Next Step, which coordinates projects before volunteers arrive. Past trips have included building wheelchair ramps and decks, landscaping, and helping organizations that serve people experiencing homelessness.

McAnarney, who taught and coached in Marshfield for 28 years before retiring, has also served in youth ministry for about two decades. He said the annual mission trip gives students a chance to help others while learning valuable life lessons through service.

The church has already completed its fundraising efforts for this year's trip. Planning is already underway for next summer, when the group hopes to travel to Colorado Springs for another week of volunteer work.

Macie Nissen

For Macie Nissen, the annual mission trip is more than just a week away from home. It's something that has shaped her life from the time she was a teenager.

Nissen, now a group leader, first joined the trip the summer after graduating from high school. She traveled to Colorado with her father and members of Coach Mack's youth group, an experience she said changed her perspective.

"It was just an awesome time," Nissen said. "We got to serve people, build relationships, and really see the impact we were making."

That first trip inspired her to keep coming back. Today, she helps lead a growing group of students. This year's trip includes more than 30 participants and several adult leaders.

One memory has stayed with her over the years.

While volunteers were sorting donated items during one mission trip, she watched her father and another leader stop what they were doing to pray with a man they had just met.

"It reminded me that you never know what someone else is going through," Nissen said. "Even the smallest act of kindness can make a difference."

As the group prepares for another summer of service, Nissen thanked the Marshfield community for helping make the trip possible through donations and encouragement.

She also asked for continued prayers for the students, leaders, and the people they will meet along the way.

"We're grateful for the support," she said. "It means a lot to all of us."