Hi! I’m Jonah Amundsen. A graduated senior on a high school mission trip. If you’ve checked out the high school trip blogs at any point in the last three years, our paths have crossed before.

I love going on mission trips and serving people in any way I can. In my adventures, I’ve been to our nation’s capital, the beautiful country of Jamaica, the Motor City, Detriot, and now I’m writing to you here from the Mile High City of Denver. To me, a mission trip is a slew of different experiences smushed into one emotion filled week: on a mission trip you learn about different people and cultures, you hear people’s stories, you make amazing new friends that will last a lifetime, you give your whole self to helping and serving the people in whatever way you can. The prevalence of these attributes differs greatly from trip to trip as you can imagine. For example, the ELCA Youth Gathering was much more focused on faith building while our work in Jamaica was packed with opportunities to serve.

No matter what the focus of the trip, my favorite part (and reason for going) is the service. I love being able to help other people and make their lives hopefully even a tiny bit better. To me, serving people is like donating blood- they are both simple ways I can give anf make a difference. If I can give a few hours of my time, sweat, and hard work to pack boxes of food for people who need them, then I believe I have made a difference for the better in the world. If I have to step slightly out of my comfort zone to play Bingo with seniors at a retirement home for just a few hours, the genuine smile I get from them is their way of showing that I made a difference in the world on that day.  

All in all, these four trips I’ve had the privilege of being a part of, have shaped my life in ways I had never expected or even imagined. For as long as  live, I will never forget the unreal places I’ve been, the spectacular people I’ve met, the lifelong friends I’ve made, and the wonderful service I’ve completed.

“For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do.” Hebrews 6:10