Area mission group selects Wilmington as next destination

The Minneota Area Mission group recently decided on its next destination to help others in need.
There will be 27 students from high school sophomores to college freshmen, along with some adult chaperones, that will embark on the trip June 20-25 to Wilmington, NC.
"While in Wilmington, our service will focus on disaster relief work," said Terri Myhre, the mission trip coordinator. "We will be doing home repair projects, serving those experiencing homelessness, and helping to bring hope and restoration to a city greatly impacted by Hurricane Florence. This will be the most 'hands-on' trip the group has done, which is going to be perfect for our group."
The Minneota Area Mission last traveled to Niagara Falls in 2019. They also went to Daytona Beach, FL in 2015 and San Diego, CA in 2017.
The group generally fundraises for its mission trips that they take every two years.
Some of this year's fundraising efforts were limited due to the pandemic.
"Luckily, we have a little cushion from the last mission trip to start us off, and we did have a couple of fundraisers in 2019," said Myhre. "The kids are asked to commit $100 for the trip, and then we attempt to fundraise the remaining amount."
Wilmington was one of several destination spots the group could choose from. Among the others were Portland, OR; Chicago, IL; Milwaukee, WI; Indianapolis, IN; and Louisville, KY.
"We work with Youthworks, which is an organization that offers Christ-centered mission trips," Myhre explained. "I've been in contact with them over the last few months, and they were able to give us a list of sites that could accommodate our size group."
Once a list of possible destinations is provided, the mission trip group check the prices of airfare to see which places fit into their budget.
"I put together a short description of the type of work we will do at each site, and then the kids do the voting," said Myhre. "It was extremely close between Portland and Wilmington, but I called Youthworks and found out that they have closed the Portland sites for the summer (due to the racial unrest)." The Minneota Area Mission will be hosting a GLOW outdoor Christmas program fundraiser on Sunday, Dec. 20 at Hope Lutheran Church. Everyone is invited. There will be hot dogs, chips, hot chocolate and apple cider.
The Hope Lutheran Endowment Fund has offered a 4:1 match on any funds raised.
The group will also be selling gourmet coffee in January and will host the Annual Spaghetti Supper in February.
"We have been blessed with tremendous support from the Ivanhoe and Minneota communities, and I have faith that we will reach our fundraising goals," said Myhre. "Thank you to everyone for your support and financial generosity."