US Adventist Academy Students Serve on Mission Trip to the Navajo

After mission opportunities fell through in the last school year, students at Maplewood Academy, a Seventh-day Adventist boarding school in Hutchinson, Minnesota, United States, were eager to offer their hands and feet for God’s work this year. But where?

Despite many exotic, tropical options, the staff felt strongly that we should go where we were most needed. A unanimous vote revealed the answer: La Vida Mission in New Mexico.

La Vida Mission is a self-funded outreach ministry that provides health, healing, and happiness to the Navajo community. Every person we met there, be it staff or those they serve, was gracious and grateful.

I watched my kids’ eyes light up with the giving Spirit as they dug out gnarled thistle bushes, felled dead trees, courageously sanitized areas contaminated with virus-ridden mouse waste, and cleared out entire giant greenhouses in preparation for LaVida’s new permaculture initiative they’re hoping to get off the ground.

Each La Vida staff member, some of whom were graduates from La Vida’s high school learning program themselves, had an incredible story of how they got to La Vida and why they choose La Vida as their means of showing God’s love and serving His people. 

It was evident the love they emanated affected all of us. The three students I was working with one day to create, dig out, and level two pathways up to a picnic area finally understood why we were there. “This is the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life, but it’s the best work I’ve ever done in my life,” one exclaimed between laborious efforts with his shovel.

Piper Hembre, a junior at Maplewood, was already experiencing the nostalgia and impact of a similar path. Her mother came to La Vida Mission on her own spring break back when she was a junior at Maplewood, and now, here was Piper, building on the work her mom had started years before.

“This mission trip is something I am going to remember forever. It was definitely one of my favorite weeks I’ve ever lived,” Hembre said. “I saw God pretty much everywhere, which was another good thing that made the whole week so, so good. I saw Him in the hearts of the people, in the stars, in our worships, in the work and willingness of our students. I would love to go again in the future and see what all has changed and stayed the same.”

The Revelations of the Trip

This mission trip revealed things to each of us. My revelation goes something like this: If the future of the gospel rides on these kids, and wonderful people like those at La Vida Mission, we are in good hands.

At the end of the project, students shared what was, according to them, the most inspirational part of the trip.

“The most inspirational part about the mission trip was the people,” Carl Pellazar said. “The staff at La Vida Mission are very dedicated to helping their students get closer to God and seeing them share their testimonies with us was very powerful.”

“The best part of the mission trip for me was getting to see how the La Vida school is based entirely on donations and seeing how wonderful the people there are,” Nevaya Cape shared. “They and the school were so inspiring and made me want to help them where I can even more than I already wanted to.”

Jasmine Garcia agreed, adding that she learned a lot about gratitude. “Although the people of La Vida Mission are poor and have gone through many trials, they still praise God for all the blessings they have. They are happy and grateful for what they have. This trip taught me a very important lesson in thankfulness.”

For Nyadheal Dak, “one of the most inspirational parts on this mission trip was the faith of the staff at La Vida. They fully depended on God and had a strong faith that He would provide for them.”

Abby Cook, on the other hand, shared that the favorite part of her mission trip was at the very end. “When we were in the Denver airport for a 10-hour layover, God showed us someone who needed some encouragement. I believe God changed our flight so we could meet this guy!” she said.

The original version of this story was posted by the Mid-America Union Conference Outlook. Jesse Tasche is the assistant girl’s dean at Maplewood Academy.