Youthful Pioneers On Mission to Change Themselves And Their Destinations
Youthful Pioneers On Mission to Change Themselves and Their Destinations
By Beth Fultz, Director of Christian Education
Over Memorial Day Weekend, I had the opportunity to return to the Kansas City area gathering more information on the Youth Mission Trip for our return July 19 – 26. My original goal for the trip was to venture to Omaha, Nebraska, for the wedding of Angela Rose, a youth member from my last church assignment in Plano, over nine years ago. Thankfully, Dolores Morgan, Business Manager at St. Stephen, was free to be my travel companion as we took five days to journey the routes of Olathe, Kansas, Kansas City, Kansas; Omaha, Nebraska, and Oklahoma City – home of my younger brother. On our journey we took in scenic beauty of the American Plains, observed historical routes, played the license plate game (only 13 shy of 50 states), stopped at hometown bookstores, and met with personnel at all four church sites for the Youth Mission Trip.
Arriving in Olathe at First Presbyterian Church, I realized again that this church lay on the historic Santa Fe, Oregon and California Trails. The Oregon and California Trails began when pioneers sought new opportunities and new homes. They headed out of St. Louis on river boats to Independence, Missouri, where they boarded wagon trains and headed west. Most of the seekers were shopkeepers and farmers hit hard by the economic times of 1837. Their journey lasted over 2,000 miles and 90% of those who ventured, gained.
The Santa Fe Trail was a two-way commercial route for settlers in the Mexican territory to retrieve supplies. A frontiersman, William Bucknell, took off to trade with the Indians and wound up in Santa Fe. The purpose of this 750 mile trade route was profit not homesteading.Read More »Youthful Pioneers On Mission to Change Themselves And Their Destinations