Yosemite GO Week

Yosemite GO Week

By Samantha DePriest

Well we saved the best for last!! It has been such a blessing to learn about each of the 2023 GO Week trips our students and staff went on this past January. The chance for them to share their Faith and serve others while visiting and exploring God’s creation in new places making new friends. With teams visiting 3 different continents, we loved sharing about their trips to Arizona, Ecuador, Europe, South Florida, Montana, Puerto Rico, and Yosemite.

Our Yosemite GO Week team was led by High School Science teacher Mr. Taylor Bouma, High School Counselor Department Head Mrs. Kayla Whittle, and High School AP Geography Teacher/Finance teacher Mr. Brian Fourman. The team ran into some bad weather upon arrival and had to make some last minute adjustments to their trip, but they weathered out the storm and made the best of it. The team of several staff and 50 students visited Dave & Buster’s until the storm passed on, then hiked Land’s End and Golden Gate Park, explored Fisherman’s Wharf and even rode bikes across the Golden Gate Bridge. Exploring the west coast of our beautiful country was both eye opening and memorable for this wonderful group of students and staff.

Mrs. Whittle shared, “It was certainly an adventure! We are so thankful to Joshua Expeditions for ensuring our lodging and safety. We are so thankful for God's faithful hand of protection. The conditions where we were in San Francisco were a little damp/rainy with mild wind as well. The students were phenomenal, we were truly so proud of them! Mr. Fourman led a great devotional on the bus, reminding all our students that even when our expectations are busted, God is in control and His sovereign plan is bigger and better than we can comprehend. Thank you for trusting us as we navigated this challenging situation. As always, safety and care for our students remained our top priority. We love you and your children and were committed to ensuring this experience was quality!”

Mr. Bouma shared, “The weather our group ran into was more than just some "bad weather". We had to deal with what they were referring to as a "bomb cyclone", the first of its kind. Truly just the BEST news you can have when you are 2,000 miles from home travelling with 50 students! However, I think it brought about some great conversations and teaching moments. Our plans will not always go as we hoped. It's about what you are able to do with what you're given and where you are putting your trust. The students had to trust us that we were making the best decisions for their safety and we had to trust the Lord with leading us in making those decisions. 

We really got to see some incredible sights. The west coast has so much to offer with the Golden Gate Bridge to the incredible sunsets and the Pacific Ocean all right there. I think the biggest impact on the students was having to try to keep a positive attitude, while having a completely different trip than they were expecting. Expecting to go to Yosemite, one of the great natural wonders we have, and not even getting to see it was a huge let down. However, the students were still able to make memories and enjoy each other's company in the process. The entire trip felt like overcoming adversity. We had to wing everything the day of. We woke up expecting to go to the Sequoia National Forest only to find out it was closed to the public due to the storms that had just come in. The trip was full of pivoting and making the most out of the situation we were dealt. Always remembering who was in control.” 

Despite the trip not going exactly as they had planned, when we asked some of the students what their favorite parts were, they shared some of their fondest memories.

Elizabeth Derhammer- "My favorite part was walking around Land's End and seeing the sunset over the ocean and riding bikes around San Francisco."

Hollie Batchelor- "My favorite part of the trip was growing closer with people and exploring Land's End."

Chloe Reed- "I loved getting to go to Fisherman's Wharf and shop around. Interacting with all of the sea lions and listening to them bark was also really entertaining."

Mr. Bouma continued, “All in all, when you consider that everything that could go wrong, did in fact go wrong, it was a cherished time with an incredible group of students that I wouldn't trade for anything. I wish things could've gone as planned, but I know the Lord was teaching us all how to trust in Him even when everything else is falling apart. If at the end of the day, all we are able to say we have are the friends surrounding us and our faith in Jesus, I'd say we're doing more than alright.” 

In closing, Mr. Fourman shared, “Through all the weather adversity the team experienced, God’s hand of protection was on us. The team learned patience and understanding as we were forced to change plans multiple times. The Joshua Expeditions team leaders and those behind the scenes at the corporate offices worked tirelessly to adjust our itinerary to make sure we had the best experience possible given the circumstances. That was a blessing knowing that people were looking out for our well-being.” 

Montana GO Week

Montana GO Week

By Samantha DePriest

Our Montana GO Week team led by High School Bible Teacher Patrick Brannon spent time in Livingston, Montana. Mr. Brannon had visited Expedition Church twice in years past with mission groups from Crossroads Church, however this was the first year to take a team from Trinity Christian School. Expedition Church Pastor Daryl and his wife Veronica are originally from south Coastal Alabama where he was a Senior pastor at a church. They were surprised to learn that 9 out of 10 are disconnected from God in Livingston, Montana and moved there to plant a church.

Mr. Brannon was accompanied by 4 Trinity teachers and 41 students on the trip and shares, “It was eye opening for our students and reminded them how fortunate they are to grow up in Faith environment. When you’re not raised in a Faith based home, you tend to reject and resist Faith.” He went on to share. “40-50 teams come every year to support this church and serve the community from all over the country. Trinity’s team was the 1st team of the new year to serve at Expedition Church.”

The team visited Sacajawea Park and spent one day serving the Livingston Park County Sanitation Department. Mr. Warren, the Sanitation Director, shared that the community doesn’t have traffic service for various reasons. Instead they have a community trash site and strong winds and storms had come through recently and trash blew everywhere. Trinity High School Director of Student Development as well as Track & Field Coach Weaver shared, “Without a second thought, all of our students and leaders stepped up as a team and cleaned up the entire location in a short amount of time. Mr. Warren was overwhelmed by their help and to show his gratitude, he hosted a pizza party that night. He sent a dozen pizzas to the church for the team. He even commented that he was blown away by the way the group served joyfully and with excellence.” That evening Pastor Daryl shared devotions and how the church got started.

Expeditions are popular in Montana. He went on to explain that an expedition is a journey or excursion that you are going out to accomplish something. He wanted to soften the soil of the hearts of the people of Livingston so that God could come in and plant seeds to prepare for the work of the Lord. He shared that, “The heartbeat of the church is to say “YES” to all needs and to do whatever it takes. And simplicity creates margin so that we may do what God has called us to do. Complexity takes away that margin.” Expedition Church has 60-70 attendees on a regular basis.

Mr. Brannon shared that, “It was encouraging for the students to hear the authenticity and genuineness of Pastor Daryl’s heart because he doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk. His obedience and clear mission have reached many in the town.” The team also had the chance to tour Livingston that evening and walk on the frozen lake.

The GO Week team spent a day in Yellowstone Park “The Granddaddy of all National Parks” and visited Paradise Valley, Teddy Roosevelt’s arch, and saw many elk and buffalo. It even started snowing while they were visiting the park which added to the beauty all around them.

The final day of serving, the team helped packed food bags as the church serves as a food distribution center. They also helped host a Youth service that 15 Middle and High School students attended. They had pizza, sandwiches, games, songs, fellowship, and Mr. Brannon shared a message. Some youth parents stayed to experience the event and got to hear the gospel. Our Trinity students couldn’t believe that the students they invited to the youth service all came to it, Coach Weaver shared, “Our students stepped up with pure excitement to welcome in these students.  The Trinity students were unbelievable with their inspiring leadership, and humble attitudes, embracing the community with arms wide open.”

Mr. Brannon shared that he was in awe of how God orchestrated their time of serving in Montana and reminded our students, “Don’t take for granted the environment you are in. Don’t miss that. TCS is special, Be thankful for the opportunities. This is why we do what we do, to help you become who and what God has called you to be. And remember how you can influence those around you.” At the end of the week, Pastor Daryl got teary and said “Thank ya’ll for loving on our town. It’s incredible to see 41 ‘all-in’ teenagers serving.”

Puerto Rico GO Week

Puerto Rico GO Week

By Samantha DePriest

Our Puerto Rico GO Week Team of 32 students and 1 TCS parent was led by High School Principal Kimberly Jones accompanied by Varsity Football Coach Kenny Dallas and High School Spanish teacher Nathan Blevins. This was Mrs. Jones second time leading the Puerto Rico GO Week trip and shared, “Our group served at YWAM (Youth With a Mission) and at the Center Cristiano Casa de Pacto assisting with painting, cleaning, and setting up their converted meeting space. Because of our students help, the center was ready to welcome families for services this Sunday. Praise the Lord! After serving in the community and putting in hours of work each day, our group enjoyed the sights in Old San Juan and even took a catamaran adventure complete with sand, scuba, slides, and smiles galore! We have enjoyed all aspects of our Puerto Rican adventure together!”

Trinity High School Spanish teacher Nathan Blevins shared, “I was able to go on the Puerto Rico trip with Coach Dallas, Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Stiehl (one of the senior's parent) and over 30 of our high school students. It was great to get to know some of our students on a closer level outside of the classroom, as well as get to know some students I did not know at all. We were able to work with YWAM (Youth With a Mission) which is a group that partners with local schools and churches to reach young people. The main focus of our work was helping prepare YWAM's facility for the upcoming school year, which begins in January in Puerto Rico. Our students jumped right in landscaping (mowing, weedeating, cutting down trees with chainsaws, hacking down heavy brush with machetes), prepping and painting fences, doing drywall, pressure washing and clearing out rooms. It was really neat to see our students jump in without hesitation or complaint to do some very tedious and difficult work. 

On a personal note, it was fun for me to get to use my Spanish in a non-classroom setting. I had several conversations with the YWAM leader and it was cool to see how encouraged he was by our group and how our efforts helped energized him and his team for the beginning of their busy season. 

Our group was also able to experience the local culture by walking the streets and markets of Old San Juan, exploring the area near our hotel, and enjoying the beach and a catamaran cruise. 

Overall I think it was a great experience for our group and our students gained a bigger appreciation for how blessed we are. I also think that it gave them a deeper sense of what really matters in life and how happiness is a result of a personal relationship with God!”

Florida Keys GO Week

Florida Keys GO Week

By Samantha DePriest

In last week’s article we traveled across the pond and learned about the Europe GO Week trip led by Mrs. Forde. This week we are back in the States to share about the Florida Keys GO Week trip. This GO Week trip was lead by High School Science Teacher and Varsity Swim Coach Devin James and fellow High School Science teacher Mr. Tommy Stell, as well as High School Literature teachers Mrs. Anna Maupin and Mrs. Ruth Wolleat.

   The team flew into Miami and visited Little Havana to experience the culture by tasting the delicious Cuban food and coffee, listening to the language and music, shopping local handmade goods, and visiting an Art museum. Some of the older students were even able to create their own graffiti art at the museum.

    The next few days the team spent their time exploring the Keys and were blessed with sunshine and warm temperatures. Day trips to Key Largo and Islamorada included a snorkeling tour, kayak excursion, dolphin encounter, airboat ride through the Everglades, and more.

Mr. James shared, “Our students spent time marveling at God's creation by snorkeling, swimming with the dolphins, kayaking, and more.”

Mr. James shared, “Our students also spent time at the Redlands Migrant Christian Association. They support the migrant community and our TCS students specifically helped in the childcare facilities. Students were split up in a bunch of different classrooms and helped the kids play, read, color, draw, and do puzzles. Our students did a great job with kids and we were really proud of how quickly they jumped in.” 

A little boy named Stephen, who wore a Spiderman sweatshirt, took a liking to the Trinity students and enjoyed playing games with them. When it was time for our student to leave, Stephen started crying and didn’t want them to go. It touched the hearts of all of our students that in such a short time they could make such an impact. Stephen will surely be remembered and prayed for by all of our students and staff.

Senior Dylan DePriest shared “It was an amazing experience to explore South Florida. I had never been to the Keys before. One of the coolest things we learned about was while kayaking through the mangroves, there is a particular plant which has one leaf that absorbs all the toxins so that the other leaves may thrive. It reminded us about Jesus taking the punishment for our sins.

   It was such an amazing time with friends and teachers. We definitely made a lot of memories on our trip. I will never forget little Stephen at the school we served at. This GO Week trip was a highlight of my Senior year at Trinity.”

  Mrs. Anna Maupin echoed Mr. James sentiments and shared “We were astounded by God’s creation during our trip to the Florida Keys! Our favorite part of the trip was definitely getting to play with the migrant workers children!”

Europe GO Week

Europe GO Week

By Samantha DePriest

We continue on this journey of learning about the stories and memories from our GO Week teams who traveled around the world to serve others and be immersed in God’s creation. This week we sat down with GO Week leader Mrs. Quincy Forde to hear about her teams journey across the pond to visit London, Normandy, and Paris on a trip known as the “World War II trip”. Mrs. Forde has been teaching at Trinity for 14 years and teaches AP US Government and Politics, both AP and Honors US History, and AP Psychology. She also serves as our National Honor Society Advisor for the High School. There is no one better than her to lead this group.

Mrs. Forde shared, “On January 1st, 35 Trinity students, teachers, parents, grandparents, and even 3 Trinity Alumni embarked on a life-changing World War 2 trip to London, Normandy, and Paris with Education First (EF) Tours.

Highlights in London included our exploration of the Churchill Warrooms, the Imperial War museum, the Royal Air Force museum, the US Belfast, and Bletchley Park where the German encoding machine, Enigma, was decoded. We also took an evening adventure into the West End for "dinner and a show": fish and chips, and the Lion King. In Paris, we were awed by the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Les Invalides, the Palace of Versailles, and a Paris-by-night boat cruise along the Seine.

The most meaningful part of our trip, however, was visiting the beaches of Normandy. Here students read letters or poetry they had composed, and contemplated the enormous sacrifice made by the Allies on D-Day.

Cameron Todhunter - a TCS senior who is on course to join the US Air Force - represented Trinity at the American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer. Together with his grandfather, combat veteran Col. Marcel Fauk, USA, (Ret.) he laid a wreath of remembrance before a three volley salute and the playing of taps. The Star Spangled Banner never sounded more moving as we stood and surveyed the field of white crosses lying quietly beneath our fluttering flag.

The travelers agreed that our nine days in Europe were profoundly rich in learning and relationship, and well worth the investment.”   

Mrs. Forde shared that the forecast called for rain but thanks be to God, they wound up having just a couple cloudy days and mostly beautiful weather. She also spoke of what a blessing it was that they were able to make visits to several places that weren’t on the original itinerary. The addition of such supportive parents and grandparents on the trip added to the richness of the experience.

Over the course of their trip, the students developed relationships with their tour director and bus driver. Students studied and learned about World War II Christians and each shared a story about their lives in devotions with the group and the EF guides. Mrs. Forde encouraged the students, “Do what God puts in front of you now and do it well.” On the steps of their hotel, the group prayed over the tour director. What a beautiful example of walking in the Faith!

Ecuador GO Week: Cotacachi

Ecuador GO Week

By Samantha DePriest

Two of our GO Week trips traveled to Ecuador last month to serve internationally. One of our trips was to Cuenca and was featured last week in the “Inside the Pride” and also on our website under Latest Stories. The 2nd trip to was to a place called Cotacachi, Ecuador. Ecuador is located on the west coast of South America bordering Colombia on the north and Peru on the south sitting on the equator. The city of Cotacachi is home to approximately 40,000 people and is famous for its leather goods. It is known as “leather town” for the abundance of shops that sell various leather products.

(Pictured left to right) Ken Jones, Nathan Jones, Logan Barnes, Porter Haire, Tai Pete, Ethan McDowell, Hasten Patel, Sam Smith, Shawn Braxton, Oliver Smart, Mr. Reed Shackelford, and Jack Thompson,

Ecuador GO Week Team led by Assistant Director of Student Development in the High School and High School Spanish teacher Mr. Reed Shackelford, who students lovingly refer to as “Shack”. Mr. Shackelford shares “We served alongside fellow believers from different parts of Ecuador. We served on a farm in the mountains helping with construction needs, harvesting fruit, and teaching kids how to play baseball. We also helped a local church build new walls, stain walls, and helped preserve the current place where they worship.

We had many meaningful conversations with believers about who the Lord is and how the same Lord that changes and works in our lives is the same Lord who is changing lives and working in lives in Ecuador. One of the most impactful things that we experienced was that we are all worshiping the same God no matter the language.

“This trip was one of the most impactful trips that I have had the opportunity to be a part of. We served with Teen Street in Cotacachi and the surrounding areas. The original plan that we had for the week was changed a week before we left, but the Lord's plans were bigger than our plans.

We had the opportunity to serve with a youth group at a farm that is owned by the church that we were serving with. The farm is named "Finca Proveedor" which means Provider Farm in English. The farm grows coffee, lemons, peppers, and many other vegetables. The profits from the farm help support the people who work on the farm as well as meet needs of the people in their community. We also had the opportunity to pick many of the crops as well as help with maintenance on the farm. We were serving and working alongside a youth group in the community.

Even though there was an obvious language barrier between our students and their students, it was so amazing to see our students serve diligently and build relationships with fellow believers even though they spoke a different language.

The rest of the week, we worked at a church that was established during the height of the pandemic. Through the Lord's faithfulness, this church has grown incredibly. We were able to help meet a need for the church. The church had a roof, but that was it. Throughout the week we were able to refinish the existing wood structure and help put up new walls. Our guys worked so hard and learned a lot of new skills. On Sunday, we worshiped with this church during their service.

Senior Shawn Braxton shared this take away, "Even though we were worshipping in a different language, it was amazing to realize that we were worshiping the same God."  

Memorable experiences like these give our students opportunities to put into practice all that they are learning both in school and in their homes. These are some of the main reasons our families tell us they choose Trinity Christian for their children’s education. The spiritual foundation and mentorship by our teachers and staff help give our students a place to launch that is unlike any other.

Ecuador GO Week: Cuenca

Ecuador GO Week

By Samantha DePriest

Two of our GO Week trips traveled to Ecuador earlier this month to serve internationally. One of our trips was to Cuenca, Ecuador. Ecuador is located on the west coast of South America bordering Colombia on the north and Peru on the south sitting on the equator. Ecuador has a beautiful coastline on the west and the Andes mountains to the east. The city of Cuenca is known as one of the safest cities in the country and one of the gems from the Spanish colonial period.

Trinity Sophomore Micah Cobb leading devotions (with an interpreter) to students during soccer camp.

This trip was led by our Head of School Dr. Mark Anthony & TCS Director of Donor Services Mark Northcutt. Our Director of Soccer and Varsity/JV Boys Soccer Coach, Mike Townson, and Kayla Freund, Health/Athletic Performance, Girls' Lacrosse & Flag Football Head Coach, and Boys' & Girls' MS & HS XC Assistant Coach also helped lead the team with an amazing team of Trinity parents and students.

TCS Head of School, Dr. Anthony, shares “I am so proud of all of our students. They broke into groups and helped lead devotions and share scripture with over 100 kids each day. They even held a glow party. Trinity students Micah Cobb, David Compte, Abigail Pope, and Lily Wozniak led devotions for over 100 kids each each night.”

Mike Townson, TCS Director of Soccer and Head Varsity Soccer Coach, shared the excitement of hosting soccer camps for almost 1,000 students in Ecuador. Coach Mike shares, “Multiple camps and hundreds of kids experiencing Jesus and soccer each day! Our TCS Staff, students, and parents were amazing! I especially cannot brag on our students enough.”

Uniforms United, local non-profit in Peachtree City, sent suitcases full of soccer uniforms, balls, and cleats with our GO Week Ecuador team.

Trinity partnered with local non-profit Uniforms United to bring new or gently used soccer uniforms, balls, and cleats for the children in Ecuador. This is not the first time Trinity Christian School has partnered with Uniforms United. Co-founder Karen Hacker shares, “Uniforms United has had amazing support from TCS for the last 9 years. We cannot thank the school leadership, students, and families enough for the impact they have made. Uniforms United has donated new and gently use sports equipment to children in need in 11 countries across the globe. In 2020, GO Week missionaries personally brought donations to children in the Dominican Republic. What an amazing gift for all of us involved! This year we sent a large donation of mostly MOBA soccer uniforms to Ecuador. The mission team has told us that ‘the underserved, impoverished children thought the donations were spectacular and the town was covered in MOBA yellow!’ Thank you TCS!”

Ecuador GO Week Team

Trinity Sophomore Lily Wozniak (pictured on right, with interpreter on left) leading devotions.

The group also explored the beautiful country side and enjoyed zip lining through the Andes Mountains on their last day in Ecuador. They tried all new sorts of foods and experienced the beautiful sights of Cuenca.

Our GO Week team shares not only were the hearts of the people of Cuenca, but our students hearts were impacted as well. Witnessing God moving in the lives of our youth, this is what GO Week is all about!

Trinity Sophomore David Compte (pictured on right, interpreter on left) leading devotions.

Arizona GO Week

Arizona GO Week

By Samantha DePriest

One of the most important objectives of GO Week is that our students will return to our campus different than they left. We pray that their time traveling to new places and serving others is impactful. Our hope is that hearts are softened to the needs of others around the world and eyes are opened to the beauty of God’s magnificent creation. Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing stories from each of the GO Week trips to both inspire and encourage our school community to reach beyond our walls and share God’s love.

Tent City

Image by: Shannon Bragg

Trinity’s Arizona GO Week team lead was Shannon Bragg. Mrs. Bragg also serves as our 11th & 12th grade Skills Development Teacher and Student Council Advisor.  Mrs. Bragg shared, “Our team partnered with a church called Church on the Streets (https://cotsphoenix.org) and heard testimony’s from men who used to be in prison but were rescued thanks to this church. These men now attend weekly Bible studies and witness to those currently on the streets. These men do missions on the streets and are on fire for God. It was amazing to sit in a Bible study with them and witness alongside them. The opportunity to serve alongside this ministry showed our students the power of God. Students witnessed the way some people lived and how relationships could bridge the homeless with God’s word. Students passed out sandwiches and Bible tracks to those living on the streets”.

pictured left to right; Kara Joy Bragg, Cacie Cutright, and Mary Kathryn White handing out sandwiches in tent city.

High School Nurse Kacey White shares, “Visiting ‘tent city’ with our students was eye opening for us all. The people living on the streets were living very hard lives. It gave us the opportunity to pray with them and also share later during devotionals with our students how the decisions some of these folks made earlier in life with regards to drugs and alcohol led to situations like this. We talked about choices and consequences that can come from one single choice. Most importantly, we were able to talk about their need for Jesus and how impactful our time was there to encourage and share God’s love.”

Bible Tracks that our student handed out.

Image by: Shannon Bragg

The Arizona team was also able to explore God’s creation while out amazing destinations out west including Bell Rock and Sedona. They were even blessed to experience snow in Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. The team also spent time at Lowell Observatory learning about astronomy. One of our students shared how in awe she was how God created each and every star and created her.

Throughout their time out West, the group ran into bad weather but Mrs Bragg shared joyfully that “God was always a few steps ahead. We had planned to go hiking and it was raining, then the rain stopped. Thank you Lord. We were at the Grand Canyon and it was quite foggy when we arrived, then the fog lifted so we were able to see into the magnificent canyon. Similar weather conditions in Sedona happened and cleared up during our time there. Our students loved exploring that area of our beautiful country and even tried new foods. They ate Cactus fries at one of the local restaurants and said they tasted like fried pickles.”

Grand Canyon in the snow

Image by: Shannon Bragg

Trinity Alumni Kara Joy Bragg (previously featured in “Inside the Pride” and on our TCSLions.org website stories section) joined the GO Week team as a chaperone. Kara Joy led daily devotions which helped foster and build relationships with our students on the trip. What a blessing it was to have her on the team. Her leadership allowed her to share her Faith in such a positive way and connect as a young adult close in age.

Trinity sophomore Mary Kathryn White shares, “Our trip to Arizona for GO week was so much fun!! Being able to go out and serve along with enjoying God’s creation was so eye opening! Ending each night with a devotional from Kara Joy was truly a great reminder of our calling to live for Christ!”

We are so grateful for opportunities like these for our students to apply what they are learning inside of our classrooms outside of school, Our staff enjoys getting to pour into our students throughout GO Week as well. We look forward to sharing more about this years GO Week trips over the coming weeks ahead.

TCS GO Week 2023

TCS GO WEEK 2023

By Samantha DePriest

  Each January, Trinity Christian School provides wonderful opportunities for all of our high school students through something we call “GO Week”. It gives them a chance to share their Faith and serve others while visiting and exploring God’s creation in new places and making new friends. This past week, we had teams on 3 continents with Joshua Expeditions. Please click the link below to learn more about Joshua Expeditions:

Joshua Expeditions

A few weeks before the trip, our school community gathered together in a “Night of Prayer” to lift up our students, parents, and staff members in prayers as well as the lives they will touch during their time on mission. They prayed that the Gospel would be spread, that people would feel God’s love, hearts would be transformed, for safe travels, bravery to share the Gospel and help others, and for the opportunity to go and make an impact.

This year there were 9 teams who traveled both stateside and internationally for GO Week including Arizona, Costa Rica, 2 teams in Ecuador, Europe, Florida Keys, Montana, Puerto Rico, and Yosemite.

Arizona Go Week Team led by Shannon Bragg

Arizona GO Week Team lead Shannon Bragg shares, “Our team partnered with a church called Church on the Streets and had the opportunity to pass out sandwiches and tracts to the homeless in downtown Phoenix. It was such an eye opening experience for us. We also heard testimony’s from men who used to be either in prison or on the streets, but were rescued thanks to this church. They now attend weekly Bible studies and then witness to those currently on the streets. It was cool to sit in a Bible study with them and witness alongside them on the streets. It really showed our students the power of God.” The Arizona team also was able to take in God’s creation as they hiked Bell Rock Mountain in Sedona and experienced the Grand Canyon in the snow.

Costa Rica GO Week Team led by TCS Bible teachers, KC Lorow & Chris Paschal.

Our Costa Rica GO Week team joined two families to build two houses, one for each family. One family is a family of five, the Familiar Marcio Orozco. The other is a family of four, Familia Mora Garcia. The team also got a chance to grocery shop for them and celebrate their new homes. Prayers were answered when Gospel conversations arose for students, there was fellowship around the Word, and awareness of the ways the Lord is moving.

Ecuador GO Week Team led by TCS Head of School Dr. Anthony & TCS Director of Donor Services Mark Northcutt 

TCS Head of School, Dr. Anthony, shares “I am so proud of all of our students. They broke into groups and helped lead devotions and share scripture with over 100 kids each day. They even held a glow party.” Mike Townson, Director of Soccer and Head Varsity Soccer Coach at TCS, shared the excitement of hosting soccer camps for almost 1,000 students in Ecuador. Coach Mike shares, “Multiple camps and hundreds of kids experiencing Jesus and soccer today! Our TCS Staff, students, and parents are amazing…I can’t brag on our students enough.” The group explored the beautiful country side and enjoyed zip lining through the Andres Mountains on their last day in Ecuador.

Ecuador GO Week Team (different trip) led by High School teacher Reed Shackelford

Ecuador GO Week Team led by Assistant Director of Student Development Reed Shackelford had a full week of serving and made quite an impact. Reed shares “We served alongside fellow believers from different parts of Ecuador. We served on a farm in the mountains helping with construction needs, harvesting fruit, and teaching kids how to play baseball. We helped a local church build new walls, stained walls, and helped preserve the current place where they worship. We had many meaningful conversations with believers about who the Lord is and how the same Lord that changes and works in our lives is the same Lord who is changing lives and working in lives in Ecuador. One of the most impactful things that we have seen is that we are worshiping the same God no matter the language.” 

Europe (WWII) GO Week Team led by High School History teacher Quincy Forde

Trinity History teacher Quincy Forde is still leading our Europe (WWII) GO Week team on a journey on the other side of the pond. The team has visited London, the Imperial War Museum, Tower Bridge, Normandy, and even laid a wreath at the American cemetery. They are still overseas on their trip and exploring the sights in Paris and Versailles today. We can’t wait to learn more about their adventures when they return to the states and pray for their safe travels back on Monday evening.

Florida Keys GO Week team led by High School Science teacher Devin James

Florida Keys GO Week team was lead by High School Science Teacher and Varsity Swim Coach Devin James shared, “Our students spent time marveling at God's creation by snorkeling, swimming with the dolphins, kayaking, and more. They also spent time at the Redlands Migrant Christian Association. They support the migrant community and our TCS students specifically helped in the childcare facilities. Students were split up in a bunch of different classrooms and helped the kids play, read, color, draw, and do puzzles. Our students did a great job with kids and we were really proud of how quickly they jumped in.” 

Montana GO Week Team led by High School Bible teacher Patrick Brannon 

Our Montana GO Week Team was led by High School Bible teacher Patrick Brannon. The team visited downtown Livingston, Montana and Sacajawea Park. They also spent time exploring “Paradise Blvd” to Yellowstone National Park with magnificent views of God’s creation. They visited the main trash site for the town, as the community does not have trash service for various reasons, and cleaned up the entire location. They also cleaned up a church for youth night, set up an assembly line to pack food for the local community for the Backpack program, and created invite cards for youth night. JP Weaver, Trinity High School Director of Student Development on the trip, shared the impact was deeply felt by both the students and pastor in that community as well as within our group of Trinity GO Week students.

Puerto Rico GO Week Team led by High School Principal Kimberly Jones.

Our Puerto Rico GO Week Team was led by High School Principal Kimberly Jones. Kimmy shares, “Our group served at YWAM and at the Center Cristiano Casa de Pacto assisting with painting, cleaning, and setting up their converted meeting space. Because of our students help, the center was ready to welcome families for services this Sunday. Praise the Lord! After serving in the community and putting in hours of work each day, our group enjoyed the sights in Old San Juan and even took a catamaran adventure complete with sand, scuba, slides, and smiles galore! We have enjoyed all aspects of our Puerto Rican adventure together!”

Yosemite GO Week team led by High School teacher Taylor Bouma

Our Yosemite GO Week team was led by High School teacher Taylor Bouma. The team ran into some bad weather upon arrival and had to make some last minute adjustments to their trip, but weathered out the storm and made the best of it. The team visited Dave & Buster’s until the storm passed on, and then hiked Land’s End and Golden Gate Park, explored Fisherman’s Wharf and rode bikes across the Golden Gate Bridge. Exploring the west coast of our beautiful country was both eye opening and memorable for this wonderful group of students and staff.