By: Ellayna Morasch (12) 

Students at Helias Catholic went to serve the community in Kansas City for a mission trip. This was a three day long opportunity to serve at various organizations around the Kansas City area. 

“I felt like this opportunity can really help to open your eyes to something outside of yourself,” Clara Underwood (12), a third year mission trip attendee, said. 

The students started their mission trip Friday morning with mass and were focused on this key phrase: Lord empty me, fill me, and use me. This was a way to focus on what God was calling them to do on this trip in the different situations and tasks they would encounter. 

“I loved to see God work in ways that I would never think that he would, and the phrase empty, fill, and use me, really helped me see that,” said Sofia Doolittle (11). 

The group started the trip by serving at Uplift, a non for profit organization that serves by taking care of and having outreach for the homeless community in Kansas City. 

The students did many different things there from organizing clothes, sorting socks, filling water bottles, and filling bags of dog food. 

“Even though we did so much behind the scenes work, I like to think about all the people that we are directly helping through our work, even if it’s simple to us,” Underwood said.

The students stayed at St. Pius X high school, right in the middle of Kansas City. 

Underwood expressed, “I did feel like the community really played a huge role in this mission trip, even with such a large group it really helped bond people and helped remind us that we are better when we work as a community.”

“I really enjoyed making cards of gratitude for St. Pius and talking to people I wouldn’t normally talk to; spending time with these people brought me joy,” Doolittle said.

The next day the students worked with Lazarus Ministries that works directly with homeless individuals by serving food and helping with a “boutique” filled with clothes, hygiene supplies, and different donated items. The students helped by serving food or working in the boutique by helping a person shop. 

“I noticed the generosity of the people that were there in need of things themselves, and how grateful they were for us being there to help them,” Underwood said. 

“My favorite thing was giving out food and seeing how happy the person was after they received one meal, and then I realized, wow, God really provides. He provides me three meals a day and I should really be more grateful for that,” Iris Lu (11) said.  

The students were also able to serve at Blessings Abound, a Christian non for profit thrift store, that gives back to the community by selling and recycling donated items to provide aid for people in need. 

This is the experience that campus ministry wants to provide for the students at Helias Catholic.

“A mission to go, love, and serve our neighbor is exactly what God calls us to do,” Coach Rockers said. 

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40).