Don’t get me wrong, a spring break on the beach with a group of people I know does sound fun but what if I tried something else? That's exactly what I did when I applied to lead my first Bear Break trip this year. Pre-Trip Going in I knew nothing about the program but was excited to dive in and learn all there was to it. Starting out meeting one on one with Alex in … [Read more...] about The Trip of a Lifetime
Hello friends, I spent this last week in Dallas, Texas for an immersion trip with Bear Breaks. Before the trip, I was extremely nervous. I had no idea what to expect and I felt even more on edge and ill-prepared because I was unable to attend the pre-trip meetings. Thankfully, all that worry was for nothing because I had the best time. My group was filled with some of the … [Read more...] about Bear Breaks takes Spring Break to Dallas, TX
In two short weeks I will be on my way to Dallas, Tx with the rest of my service team. For a week we will have the opportunity to work with two amazing community organizations serving the children and families in Dallas who are facing poverty and/or homelessness. Dallas and Springfield are two extremely different cities, especially demographically. Dallas is nearly 8x … [Read more...] about Connecting Dallas to Springfield
There have been two main themes from the day that have impacted me the most, but I believe that they will be dominant throughout the week as well. One: barriers between humans does not define how you can impact them. Two: education is the single most powerful force in a person's life. The Wesley-Rankin Community Center in which we worked at is actively attempting to impact … [Read more...] about New Trip, New Beginnings, New Lessons
As excited as I am to sleep in my own bed tonight, I know part of my heart is staying in Dallas when we leave today. Because this is my second year here in Dallas with Bear Breaks, I feel a deep connection with everyone we have interacted with for the second time. I know I have only been here for less than a week at a time, but it does not take much to fall in love with this … [Read more...] about Leaving my Heart in Dallas