Tuesday, March 18, 2014

The End? Not quite!

Well we've all returned home and successfully completed the first day back to classes, but I know that all of us are wishing we could be back with the kids at Wesley Rankin right now. Throughout the entire experience, I believe we all changed and all were influenced in some way by the kiddos. The first day of camp was tough. We all came home to C2K exhausted. The kids challenged us, and I'm glad they did. The night before we made a list of expectations of the day, and many of us were shocked that we hadn't thought of several things. The second day we started getting a glimpse of who these great people were and what their personalities were like. We bonded with them through science experiments, crafts, and games in the gym. By the third day, 3:30 rolled around too quickly, and we were giving our goodbye hugs and wishing the kids the best. We spent our last day of service working with C2K helping doing several repairs to the property as a thank you to the great hospitality they had shown us. And now we are all back in Springfield, working through the last several weeks of school, but I'm guessing several people are thinking this was the end of our trip.

But it doesn't stop here.

As many of us anticipated that we were going to change a child's life, the opposite was true. We talked with the head coordinator of Wesley Rankin, Shellie, before we left, and we will be writing letters to Wesley Rankin, and hopefully receiving some in return. Our group will be having an upcoming "reunion" of playing games from the trip and creating a scrapbook we can send to the community center and keep for ourselves. And, what I found even more extraordinary is how some of us are planning to go back this summer. The community center always needs volunteers, and C2K houses the summer volunteers. And being able to stay at C2K where they have the best home-cooked food that will give your mom's cooking a run for it's money, provide an overly comfy mattress, and give you the keys to the city (well not really, but it's still a really beautiful campus) - you can't really get better than that. Not even Panama City Beach could beat this trip. It's not just our group that wants to go back either. I know from people I've talked to, or who've seen pictures, or heard about some of the activities we did with the kids, they are interested in coming down with us. This was a most definite bigger experience than the one I had last year, and I relished every moment of the trip to Dallas last year where we worked with a different organization.

So now for the participants? Blogs may not always call attention to the specific contributions of people, but they really should, and maybe by doing so show how amazing of a group we had while in Dallas.

Amanda: Oh man, we wouldn't have had any pictures or adventures if it wasn't for her. To driving The Black Stallion minivan all over Dallas, to keeping the most positive and go-with-flow attitude, she really was the glue that held our trip together and helped us bond. She also did an amazing job at making us think outside of the box during reflection and challenged us while doing activities with the kids.
Mandy Squires: She was the one who found the amazing location of C2K, she also drove (not quite as cool as The Black Stallion) but another minivan all around Dallas, and created amazing reflection activities for all of us so we could really tie into why we were there and why it mattered.
Mandy Spurlock: (yeah, we had three Amanda's on the trip). She had some truly amazing ideas for activities. One of the days activities was to create a chia pet and pot for it, and the way the older kids lit up and took on a science aspect of plants, was incredible. It was a side of them we didn't see until this activity, and it was because of her planning that we were able to get a glimpse of it.
Shawna: She was the go-lucky and smiling one. I don't think I ever saw her without a smile on the entire trip. Additionally, she was great at improvising and making up games for the kids like 'Pass the Can' where she improvised with using an empty box.
Abi: Without Abi, our trip may have been boring in the evenings. From explaining how different temperatures have different smells to finding the "moon" (which was actually a building), she was the comic-relief we all needed after a hard day. She went out of her way to help the entire trip always asking if she could pitch in some way.
Kristen: I have never seen so many kids want someone to be their best friend like they did with her. She has a genuine caring personality that all the kiddos sense, and she connected to all the kids in her own way. Whether it was teaching about dental health, finger painting, or playing one-on-one basketball with a really talented 5th grader, she engaged with the children so easily and readily.
Adam: This guy, he should be a teacher. Two of his activities were giant hits. He created a class-sized obstacle course that the kids adored, and then on another day created exploding chalk and the mentos and coke experiment which wowed all the kids. He was great at answering any questions, and it was evident he really challenged the way some of the kids thought.
Dalton: I have never seen so many piggyback rides given in one hour. Dalton was amazing at interacting with the children on a personal level and making them feel welcomed and important. He also had several nifty experiments such as self-inflating balloons and making goop -- and what kid doesn't like goop?
Ellis: Oh Ellis, he was a comedian all right. He was the realistic part of the group that challenged the way we thought about certain things, and he was a great team player. Additionally, if you ever play the game Headbands, make sure to include him on your team.


So while we may not be in Dallas right now, our trip hasn't seen its conclusion quite yet.


Thank you for reading,

Katie Jones - Trip Leader

Monday, March 17, 2014

I Can't Believe it's Over...


I can’t believe our time in Dallas is over. It really feels like this trip flew by! I am so proud of our group and everything that we were able to accomplish in just a few days. We may not have been able to change the lives of these children, but I think we certainly made an impact. I know they definitely made an impact on all of us. Hopefully we will be able to keep in touch with them, either through writing letters or through social media. It was so difficult to say goodbye to these kids on the last day, so I really hope that we will be able to talk to them again soon.

            Again I just want to say how proud I am of the amazing group of students that I got to work with this week. As trip leaders, Katie and I did our best to pick out a group of individuals who would fit well with this trip and have something to bring to the table. Personally, I don’t think we could have done a better job. We had several difficulties trying to get the camp running smoothly, but everyone took it like a trooper. They were so flexible and willing to do whatever they had to do to make the camp the best it could be. I am so proud of all of them and I am so lucky that I got to work with such a fantastic group of people. Overall, this week was amazing and I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to participate in this Bear Breaks trip!

            Thanks for reading!

                        Mandy Squires, Trip Leader

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Pictures!

Tuesday Adventures

Wednesday Adventures
-Amanda Gabbard (advisor)

Adam Sparks

It was bittersweet having our last day of the camp with kids, but there really was a lot to learn and take back from this experience. Throughout the past couple of days, we were able to bond with the kids that we were working with. While there were times where our mom and dad voices had to come out, overall I would say that the experience was worthwhile. I can honestly say that coming into this trip, I was nervous having to deal with so many kids at once. Even with all my doubts, I feel that these kids taught me something while I was trying to teach them something. These kids have taught me that everyone deserves a chance for the best in life. Some of these kids are brought up having parents in gangs, prison, or separated yet they seem to still move on with their days. One is the biggest things that stood out to me during our group reflection of the day was a story told that some of the kids feel that they have no chance of getting out of the situations that they are in. I personally feel that everyone deserves a way out and they can acheive anything that they set their minds to. It was really upsetting to hear that those kids felt that way and it made me feel more thankful for the things that I have been given in my life. 

One of the biggest highlights that I had this week was being able to bond with kids. There was one child that would go on and on today about the toy robot constructed out of Legos and all of the upgrades the robot had undergone. There was another session where I helped one of the kindergarteners construct a police house. Those kids really have welcomed us as individuals and allowed us to put on this camp for them and all of us have loved the experience. 

(Favorite picture of the day)

Kristen Meyer

The final day at Wesley-Rankin Community Center Spring Break camp was extremely bittersweet. So sweet to know we spent quality time with a wonderful group of students for these past three days. So sweet to know we have made memories that will last a lifetime in the short time we have spent with the children of West Dallas. At the same time, this last day was bitter in the fact that we cannot truly know the impact we have made on these children's lives. I know in my heart that we have planted seeds of optimism and success in these children's mind  and even the smallest seeds can grow into the largest beautiful things on earth. The fact that this is the last day is also bittersweet in knowing that at the three day point we have only skimmed the surface of the lives of these children that  we so deeply want to make an impact. Also, at three days you really begin to get a good sense of a child's personality but you cannot understand where it comes from and what a child has experienced this far in their life. I wish more than anything that I could stay longer and interact with these children every day. Honestly, I would return to West Dallas and to Wesley-Rankin in a heart beat. I spoke to the director (who is an amazing woman) about their summer program and about returning to volunteer in the summer. This camp has made more of an impact on my life than I can explain. I also cannot explain the gratitude I feel towards MSU and Bear Breaks for giving me such an amazing opportunity as this one. This trip has empowered me to do as much service as I possibly can in Springfield. Although I cannot invest as much time as I would like in West Dallas, I can at least invest the next two years to the children in need of Springfield, MO.  God Bless!


Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Day 2-Mandy Spurlock

Today camp at Wesley Rankin was such a different experience for me than yesterday. The changes were definitely positive. The kids were familiar with us just as we were with them. I felt more confident around them the more I discovered their personalities. One girl that I interacted with yesterday ran up to hug me today when she saw me. It meant a lot to see that my impact just from one day had stuck. I loved interacting with the kids, getting to play with them and see them laugh. I felt that things went much smoother today since it was day 2 and we had more of a rhythm figured out with the kids. It was still tough to hear about some of the hard family lives and cultural norms, but it was positive to see such strong sibling ties. I can definitely feel my heart growing bigger and bigger for these kids. I'm not looking forward to the end of the third day when the camp will come to a close and we will be forced to say goodbye.


Day 2-Shawna Elsey

Today's camp ran much more smoothly than yesterday and you can tell the kids are starting to want to participate. They want to be around us and build relationships with us. Just giving each a little individual attention makes a big difference. They were much more cooperative today than yesterday. Not to mention, they are adorable (especially the kindergartners). I really hope this camp just makes them realize that other people care. Also it gives them time to spend with their friends and eat 2 meals. Trips like this are what really make you realize how blessed you are and how easy your life as been. Next time I'm worried about something, I should remember that.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Day one-advisor post :)

Day one was like any other first day, we didn't know what to expect and most of what we planned changed a little along the way, but overall it went well. Meeting the kids today was an adventure, all very entergetic with very different personalities. Most of us experienced some eye opening moments that were unexpected, but it was worth it seeing the smiles on the faces of the kids. I mean we are here for them right? 

Day one was practice for day two, we learned from our mistakes and changed some things around for tomorrow. You have to be flexible when dealing with kids and I believe all participants of the Dallas trip have learned that quickly! 

Tomorrow is full of exploding chalk paint, a LOT of gym running around getting energy out time, and some quality interactions with some very interesting kids! 


-Amanda Gabbard 

Day 1-Abi Zupon

I'm not going to lie, I was unsure of how this trip would go and what would really happen on my immersion trip to Dallas. I've gone on mission trips all through out high school so I had experience in social diversity but this is definitely a new but positive experience. This is called an immersion trip and the goal is to immerse in the culture that we are put into, we have only been here for a little over 24 hours but I feel myself doing just that. 

Dallas Texas has a lot of Hispanics and there are a lot of Latinos in the area we are in. On almost every street corner there is a different taco restaurant, and Spanish is the dominant language that I have heard spoken here. 

We are running a camp with elementary school kids and 100% of the kids are Latinos which was a little intimidating because I wasn't quiet sure of how they would respond to us coming in. 


What I've experienced on this first day running the spring break camp is that the kids, as well as this community has a close knit family feeling. Even in the kids, they want to tell everyone who their cousin or brother or sister is. If my brother and I at the elementary school age would had been at the same camp he would have ignored me, so it's cool to see the love of family going on in little kids. 


This community has a low rate of high school graduates, there are low income families and some are financially unstable, that being said today I was suprised at how many kids wanted to pick up a book and read. It was encouraging to see that because not too far down the road in Missouri I see kids playing on iPads or owning their own cell phone and not wanting to physically run around outside. 


I'm going to be honest and say that I was unsure of the culture down here and really had no expectations. I am planning on minoring in Spanish and taking some Spanish credits right now at school and it is exciting to be able to use just the little that I know. Coming here and being able to interact with the culture has insured me that this is infact a major part of my life. I have loved learning about evey culture and seeing the diversity that has gone on. One of these days I want to go overseas and use my Spanish somehow but it is encouraging to know that I can do just that here in my own country.

I am beyond excited to learn more about the city this week. I am so glad to be here and I love my school and so thankful for a wonderful opportunity to do this. Thank you Missouri State for allowing me to follow my passion

Day 1-Dalton Breeding

Today was certainly an interesting day... We really did not know what to expect when we walked through the doors of Wesley-Rankin this morning. I was stationed in the gym, and quickly realized one thing: any and all plans needed to be thrown out the window in favor of flexibility and the interests of the kids. We were scheduled for an hour of freeze tag, however one game was not enough to keep them occupied for the full time. We ended up playing soccer, catch, basketball, and a number of variations of tag. 

I certainly experienced some significant culture shock throughout the day. Many of the kids are used to being disciplined by their fathers, so they did not respond to female authority figures well. We were all surprised at the number of gang-related references that we heard throughout the day, even from kids as young as five. 

Each age group presented different challenges, but the oldest groups were certainly the most rambunctious, but they all had seemingly endless energy. The kindergarteners in particular were comparable to the energizer bunny: they just kept going. All in all, today was a successful first day. While we are all exhausted already, we are preparing for another exciting day to tomorrow! 

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Tyler Street United Methodist/C2K welcomes us with open arms

We have only been in Dallas for six hours and we already feel welcome with our housing site (Tyler Street United Methodist) and the service site (Wesley Rankin Community Center). It just shows how much each of these organizations care about this community and it makes us want to serve them that much more! We are really excited for what tomorrow holds! 

-Amanda Gabbard (advisor)


The Fun Has Just Begun

Hey everyone it's Kristen Meyer. Even with the little time we have spent in Dallas thus far, I know great things are in store. One thing we talked about tonight in reflection was the difference between helping, fixing, and serving. Serving is by far the most rewarding and has the largest impact. I know none of us on this trip are looking the fix the children that are here, and helping doesn't have a lasting impact. However, I know without a shadow of a doubt, that in serving the underprivileged children of Dallas, Texas, they will teach us more than we could ever teach them. I look forward to what the future holds for this week. Please keep us in your thoughts and/or prayers. God bless! 

Ellis Cole

This is Ellis Cole with the Dallas BearBreaks trip. I wanted to join this particular trip because of the emphasis on childhood poverty. We are extremely fortunate to be able to lead lives that allow us to go to university. Unfortunately, some children do not currently have the same opportunities. There are some great organizations right here in Dallas that seek to serve those challenged by childhood poverty. One of these organizations is the Wesley Rankin Community Center which we will be helping to host a spring break camp for the kids. I'm super stoked about it and can't wait until tomorrow morning!

Thursday, February 20, 2014


We're so Excited!




Good afternoon everyone!

            We are so excited to be heading out on our Spring Break trip in only 17 days! We are all preparing to leave and looking forward to all of the exciting experiences that we will have, but I think that there is one specific thing that we are all looking forward to the most: the opportunity to work with children. This was the reason that we all decided to go on the trip to Dallas in the first place. Over the last few weeks we have all been discussing and planning different activities to do with the kids, getting more and more excited all the while. Don’t get me wrong, though, the planning has certainly been fun in itself. It’s so nice to finally have a legitimate reason to be on Pinterest! However, nothing can compare to when we finally get to Dallas and we’re able to do all of these awesome activities that we’ve been planning. We’re all just waiting for that chance to make a child smile, to help them see the value in themselves, and to show them that there is so much they can do with their lives. I know that this is why we all wanted to go on this trip. We see the opportunity to make a difference in these children’s lives and we are so excited to get started!

            Only 17 more days,

                        Mandy, Trip Leader

A Snapshot of our Trip...

            For one week during March of 2014, ten students from Missouri State University plan on heading to Dallas, TX to spend their Spring Break working with underprivileged children. These ten students were brought together to go on this trip through an organization called Bear Breaks. They were chosen for this trip based on their passion for volunteer and helping others, as well as their specific desire to work with and improve the lives of children. While in Dallas, they will be working to put on a camp for a group of kids at Wesley-Rankin community center in West Dallas. The camp will last for three days, with each day focusing on a specific issue to help these children grow into productive and successful adults. The three themes are the importance of school, healthy living and fitness, and self-worth/goals. Each day we will plan several activities for the children to do based on that days theme.

            The reason that we are so excited to be working with Wesley-Ranking Community Center is that they are located in an area where we feel that we can do the most good. To help show this, I have borrowed a few statistics about West Dallas from Wesley-Rankin’s website:

  • “$34,000 was the average household income. (This compares to $64,000 for the City of Dallas.)”
  • “18 percent of households were headed by a single mother with children. (In the City of Dallas, 8 percent of households were headed by a single mother with children.)”
  • “For persons age 25 years and older: 35.3% dropped out of school by the 8th grade, 65.6% did not complete high school or a GED, 34.3% have a high school diploma or GED, 2.3% have a bachelor’s degree.”

For more information on Wesley-Rankin Community Center, here is a link to their website:

            http://wesleyrankin.org/wp/