Light streaked across my vision as I focused my sleepy eyes on the ceiling of the Las Vegas Junior Academy Gym. Slowly, my thoughts woke up alongside my vision. It was the second day of traveling to San Antonio on our Mission Trip, and we were going to venture out to Holbrook Indian School, but on our way, we took a detour to the Grand Canyon! Excitement flows through my mind as I remember this exciting detour, for I had only been to the Grand Canyon once before…

We had many things to do before we could head off towards this giant chasm. While I did my devotions, thoughts of God’s great glory and love came through my mind. Even though this crack in this earth was caused by sin, it left a beautiful panorama of different colored rocks, sharp cliffs, small shrubs, and little crevices that we could enjoy to see, as well as all the little critters that inhabited the area. I was excited.

Packing went by quickly. We then had a short briefing of the day and testimonies were shared. One of our students gave a wonderful worship on how to surrender to God, and it was a big blessing. Next up was an amazing breakfast of oatmeal with countless topping options. Then it was time to hit the road.

As we traveled farther and farther into the desert, we made it to Lake Mead, which marks the border between Nevada and Arizona. Shouts of excitement were released on the bus for we had made it to Arizona, bringing us closer to the Grand Canyon, and ultimately, San Antonio. We stopped around 45 minutes away from the Grand Canyon, and had a delicious lunch of sub sandwiches. As soon as we were done, we hopped back into the bus and made our way to the Canyon.

As we arrived at the Grand Canyon, we filed out and took a few group pictures in front of the Grand Canyon National Park sign. Heading off onto the trail, all the cameras came out to capture the beauty of this seemingly magical place. The color differences in the rocks on the cliffs, the small shrubs and trees that peeked up from cracks between rocks, and the Colorado River that flowed down at the bottom was a grand sight to take in. It reminded me of God’s glory and how He creates beautiful things for our enjoyment. I heard an exclamation saying it looked so perfect that it was as if we had jumped into a picture. I couldn’t agree more.

Everybody journeyed along the canyon for a while, taking many pictures and creating lasting memories. Far too soon, it was time to leave the canyon and head towards Holbrook Indian School, where we are staying for the night.

As we continue our journey to San Antonio, please pray for our safety, for the seeds planted in people’s hearts, our future ministry, and the Lewis family (the leaders of Pathways to Health).
– Garrett Cooper, Sophomore