Adam and I have always talked about giving our kids opportunities like EFY and Humanitarian EFY. Covid ended up taking a lot of opportunities away from our kids. For example, my boys will never go to FSY, Briggs has never been on a High Adventure camp out, and even though we had both boys signed up to go to EFY in Nauvoo but it was cancelled.
Briggs has triggered a few red flags for Adam and I so a couple months ago we told Briggs we were sending him on a Humanitarian trip. Briggs wasn’t very happy about the gift but he did his best to respect our wishes.
Anyway, he ended up missing the last couple of days of school and flew to Belize with this group. The first thing they did at the airport was take their phones away. The next 3 weeks were digital detox and we didn’t have any contact with him.
The group worked hard and they played hard. They began the process of building a new class room for a school.
They went snorkeling, floated down a river, visited some ruins, went zip lining, learned how to make tortillas, learned how to make chocolate, and much more.
They worked really hard digging the foundation and pouring the footings. Briggs came home exhausted. He said the work was so hard but he also said he was really thankful he went.
Briggs has come back a different person. He is working harder, wasting less time, and his testimony has grown. This was such an amazing experience for him.
I'm so glad Briggs had a good experience. I think every youth should have the opportunity to leave the U.S. and serve somewhere else. It changes the way you view your life and the world.
ReplyDeleteI love these programs. They do change the way you look at the world.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great opportunity! Sounds amazing.
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