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Photos provided by Ryan Davis

13 ENC students spent their Spring Break in Los Angeles, California, on a Fusion trip while learning about service, homelessness, and unique cultures.

Led by representatives from the Center for Student Missions, the purpose of the trip was to expose students the poverty-stricken communities, and learn how to serve them. Students from ENC participated in many different events throughout the week that introduced them to different groups in need of help.

During their time in Los Angeles the group stayed in Korea Town, first having a scavenger hunt in Hollywood to acclimate themselves to their surroundings. One of the tasks during the hunt was to do something kind for a homeless person.

Sophomore Kadie Stade’s group found a man whom they took out for pizza and prayed with afterward. Stade said that it was her favorite part of the trip.

“During our last prayer with him before we went separate ways, I opened my eyes afterward and he was sobbing happy tears of thankfulness and gratitude. I knew we had touched him in a way bigger than ourselves,” Stade said.

Other activities included working in soup kitchens and food banks. The group’s week was full of different service opportunities, such as helping young students in an after-school program and visiting a retirement center to spend time with the elderly.

Beyond serving others, the team was able to learn about the dynamics of a vibrant city like Los Angeles. They spent a few days enjoying the California sun and exploring parts of the city for themselves.

Like any missions trip, the team did not enjoy their trip without multiple challenging aspects of their service.

“It was very difficult to see places like Skid Row and see homeless people first hand, then see the most expensive parts of the city literally…the next block over,” Sophomore Kayla Dean said.

Although this trip posed some challenges, it was still life-changing for many of those that attended.

“I went on this trip to help others, but I think others ended up helping me. Not only did I come home with more reassurance that I not only serve a real God, but an awesome one at that,” Stade said.