Military School Mission Trip: Tucson, AZ 3-15-14

While most school kids take it easy during spring break, 14 young cadets from St. John’s Military School, in Salina, Kan., have embarked on a cross-country spiritual Christian mission to make life just a little better for those less fortunate than they are. The military school mission trip was made possible by a donor.

“My intentions for the trip are to expose them to the ways that different people live their lives in different parts of the country, and to let them interact with people less fortunate than themselves to learn what it’s like to live that kind of lifestyle,” said St. John’s Chaplain Father Randy McIntosh, and Episcopal priest. “In addition, there is a focus on their personal and spiritual growth for their own well being.”

The military school cadets, from 7th grade to juniors in high school, are traveling to Tucson, Ariz. via St. John’s bus. While in Tucson, they have five days of recreational and mission-related activities planned.

The cadets will visit the homes of various church families of Tucson’s Greater South Park Church of Christ, mentor school children in art, and help the kids with physical education classes. They will also spend a couple of days working in food kitchens, preparing meals, packing lunches, and serving meals for the less fortunate. Their last day in Tucson will be spent cleaning up one of the city’s parks.

The St. John’s team will also visit Mission San Xavier de Bac, which serves the needs of people on the Native American Tohono O’odham reservation. A National Historic Landmark, San Xavier was founded as a Catholic mission in 1692. Construction of the current church was completed in 1979.

Father McIntosh also plans some meditative prayer walks and a stop at the Grand Canyon for the military school cadets on their return bus trip. Joining the trip as supervisors are Doug Dutton, St. John’s Chief Financial Officer, and Military Advisor SFC Patrick Tipton.

Father McIntosh is grateful for the unexpected and anonymous gift that made the military school mission trip possible for the 14 St. John’s boarding school boys. “It was unexpected, very much appreciated, and is going to make the trip a joyful one for everybody,” he said. The trip was organized under the auspices of www.prayingpelicanmissions.org.

St. John’s is an Episcopal faith based military school for boys. To learn more about St. John’s religious military school life, visit St. John’s Religion.