Mission: Possible.

It is out of the question for most teenagers to give up one minute of their breaks from school. Many religious students, however, prove to be the exception by going on mission trips to make a meaningful difference in the world that is more rewarding to them than any vacation.

Students see what a great experience it is for their friends, and end up following in their footsteps.

“I heard it was a lot of fun from older kids,” said sophomore Derek Smith, who is going to Philadelphia, Mississippi over spring break to spread his faith to children living on an Indian Reservation.

While it can be exciting to travel somewhere new, there are sacrifices that these students have to make. It is a difficult adjustment for anyone to be away from home and with unfamiliar people. Despite being out of their comfort zone, they are rewarded with a sense of fulfillment.

“It’s a great way to go out there and do something meaningful,” said Smith. “It gives you a good feeling at the end of the week to help others.”

Most mission trips include leading a Vacation Bible School that includes teaching lessons about the Bible and organizing interactive games. These activities are meant to spread the Christian faith to needy children in other parts of the country, as well as the world.

“I want to impact the kids, to show them Christ and love, and to show them they are special,” said junior Jennifer Zimmerman, who is traveling to Guatemala with her church over spring break. While she is excited to help others, her personal goal is to learn to be thankful for what she has.

Someone with a lot of experience with mission trips is junior Morgan Akers. Last year, she and her family traveled to Thailand to help refugees who had fled Myanmar. It was an eye-opening experience, both for Akers and the people she met.

“They were living in the mud, in huts. These were kids that had never left the side of a mountain before,” said Akers, who brought books to the camp and made bracelets with the kids she met, giving the children their first taste of the outside world. “They would kill to be us.”

This summer she will be going to Kentucky on a church-sponsored trip that is part Vacation Bible School and part hiking trip, on which they will learn about leadership. They will also build a house for a family on the ten-day journey.

“I want to bring them hope, so they can realize that they can have dreams too,” said Akers. “They don’t have to limit themselves.”

Students who come back from mission trips often gain a new perspective on life, that come from only experiencing a new life that is far less materialistic. Akers admits that her experiences on mission trips have changed her own values and made her strive to be a better person.

“The people you go out to serve, they end up serving you,” said Akers.