By Lucy Heilig

On Friday, April 28, First Presbyterian Church of Salisbury will be holding its annual fun run and 5K hosted by the church’s Teens With A Mission (TWAM) group. TWAM consists of roughly 20 teens and adults who will travel to San Antonio Del Mar, Mexico June 16-23. Proceeds from the race will help to offset the cost of the trip.

While on this trip, students will assist in building two houses for two different families. Giving their time and resources to these families is impactful for not only the families, but for the students as well. Additionally, these students will grow in their faith and form unbreakable bonds with each other during the week-long journey.

Last year I was fortunate to travel with TWAM for my first mission trip. Before we left, I was extremely excited but very nervous to be in a foreign country for a week. Once we arrived, my nerves were settled by our amazing youth leaders and I was reassured that I would “have the time of my life.” While it was hard to imagine and believe them, especially while building a house, I went into the experience with an open mind. After the first build day, my mind was completely changed. I truly did “have the time of my life!” I formed relationships with other teens who I was not close with, and built relationships with the Mexican families we were serving. These relationships and moments are some of the fondest memories of my life thus far. When it was time to return home, I was devastated to leave my new friends behind. Despite my sadness, I was already looking forward to coming back the following year and vowed to maintain these friendships, both near and far from home. My relationship with my church family grew as well and my faith was renewed. I can truly say I was forever changed by that trip. I am thrilled to be able to return to San Antonio Del Mar this June!

These experiences for myself and our group are possible due to the incredible generosity of our church and the community who supports us with donations and participation in the race. This year’s race will be held Friday, April 28, and is open to families and runners. For more information, go to www.salisburyfirstpres.org. Over the past years, many state records have been broken at the race, and organizers are hoping to continue the tradition.