Mission Trips

St. Luke's has a long history with one particular type of Outreach ministry: mission trips.   These trips, for both our adults and our youth, typically consist of a one-week working visit to some place where the need is great. Mission team members spend several months prior to their trips raising funds to cover the cost of the materials they will use or to support the organization they will be working with. Once the team is on-site, the focus is on building relationships as much as on building structures. Team members invariably report that they have received as much as they have given as they worked with the people they met.

The following table summarizes the St. Luke's mission trips over the past 10 years. There are also blogs from some of the more recent trips, with pictures and on-the-spot reports of what the teams did.

St. Luke's Mission Trips 1999-2010
June 5-17, 1999, 3 adults

Arusha, Tanzania:

Researched establishing a three pronged covenant between St. Luke’s Durham, St. Titus Durham and Christ Church, Arusha.
Feb. 22–March 2nd, 2002, 14 adults  

Caye Caulker, Belize:

Worked on an Episcopal Relief and Development Housing project, replacing houses destroyed by Hurrican Iris.

June 6–15, 2003, 11 adults  

Central Farms, Belize:

Poured the foundation for the computer  room/library at St. Barnabas Anglican School in Central Farms. 

June, 2003, 8 youth and 2 adults

Koinonia Farm, Americus, GA:

Working on the farm (weeding and picking blueberries) while living as part of an intentional Christian community.

March 19-28, 2004, 13 adults

Willows Bank/Double Head Cabbage, Belize:

Completed foundation, poured floor and dug holes for the septic system at St. Philip’s Church in Willows Bank and worked in the classroom at St. Thomas School in Double Head Cabbage.
June, 2004, 13 youth and 5 adults

La Cañada, Honduras:

In the summer of 2004 youth from St. Luke's joined with youth from St. Philip's, Durham and some Episcopalians from the Diocese of Western NC and went to Honduras for a building mission. The team worked on the construction of a single family home in a rural region of the country. The Christian
Commission for Development, along with some Presbyterian ministers connected us with this Habitat-style home construction project. Our teens were able to work along side the teenage children of the family whose house was being constructed. Lots of soccer, fellowship and faith sharing bracketed the hot and long days bending rebar and pouring concrete.
February 18-27, 2005, 11 adults and 1 youth

San Ignacio, Belize:

Worked on construction of a second floor computer room/library at St. Andrew’s School, as well as worked in the classrooms with the students.
February 10-19, 2006, 13 adults

Mango Creek (Independence Village), Belize:

Finishing work, cleaning, and wiring on St. Michael's.

July, 2006 - 14 adults

Camp Coast Care, Long Beach, MS.:

Recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: demolition and home reconstrution, as well as equipment organization, data entry and client in-take work at the camp.

February 2-18, 2007, 2 teams – 23 adults total

San Pedro, Belize:

Worked at Holy Cross Anglican School: took a classroom from shell to functioning classroom with desks and students installed; worked on building a cantina; helped in the classrooms and taught music and gym. 

June, 2007, 17 youth and 4 adults

Mission on the Bay, Bay St. Louis, MS:

Recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: demoltion, home reconstruction and debris removal.

June, 2007, 8 adults

Camp Coast Care, Long Beach, MS.:

Recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: home construction.
February 1 – 17, 2008, 2 teams – 31 adults and 1 youth total

San Pedro, Belize:

Worked at Holy Cross Anglican School: sank pilings to support the new library/computer room; painted; repaired furniture; worked in the classrooms; taught music; held Ash Wednesday services for all the students; built floor joists and started flooring for the computer room; cleaned the dental office; built stairs; and helped host a Valentines Party.
January 30–February 14, 2009, 2 teams – 20 adults and 1 youth total

San Pedro, Belize:

Worked at Holy Cross Anglican School: Setting up the library; painting; maintenance work; setting up for and conducting health screenings; working in the classrooms;home medical visits; working at the Poly Clinic in town. 

June, 2009 - 12 youth, 4 adults

Mission on the Bay, Bay St. Louis, MS:

Recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: debris removal, reconstruction, and moving and consolidation of other camps.

January 29 – February 13, 2010 - adult mission trip

San Pedro, Belize, Holy Cross Anglican School
June 2010 – youth mission trip San Pedro, Belize, Holy Cross Anglican School

Special Report Featuring Holy Cross Anglican School

Here is a link to a special report on the work of Episcopal Relief and Development at Holy Cross Anglican School as well as at other places in Belize. The report features out own deacon, Jan Lamb, who spent the first six months of 2010 on an extended volunteer mission at the school.