During spring break, a group of Gardner-Webb students went to Pecos, New Mexico, as part of a mission trip. The students left early Thursday morning, March 9, and returned to campus on March 16.https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/gwu-today/1436/thumbnail.jp

Knotts, Ashton

English

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Gardner-Webb University Digital Commons @ Gardner-Webb University GWU-Today Spring 3-27-2017 Guest Blog: Spring Break Trip to New Mexico Ashton Knotts Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/gwu-today Recommended Citation Knotts, Ashton, "Guest Blog: Spring Break Trip to New Mexico" (2017). GWU-Today. 434. https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/gwu-today/434 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ Gardner-Webb University. It has been accepted for inclusion in GWU-Today by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Gardner-Webb University. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@gardner-webb.edu. 7/14/23, 10:12 AM Guest Blog: Spring Break Trip to New Mexico – GWU-Todayhttps://gwu-today.com/?p=3276 1/3Guest Blog: Spring Break Trip to New MexicoGuest Blog by Ashton KnottsDuring spring break, a group of Gardner-Webb students went to Pecos, New Mexico, as part of a mission trip. Thestudents left early Thursday morning, March 9, and returned to campus on March 16.Among the travelers was freshman Ashton Knotts, who documented her experience in New Mexico on her blog,Knitting and Sass. Below are some of the highlights from her piece. To view the whole story, click here.DAY ONELeaving at 5 a.m. from the parking lot behind my college’s gym is where this day begins.We load into two vans –while Mr. Eric Davis entertains us all with his “New Mexican accent” that he so boldly practiced for thirty minutesbefore we all had to say that was enough for 5 a.m. shenanigans. At Charlotte International Airport, we catch a7:35 a.m.  ight to Atlanta, later to connect us to Albuquerque.7/14/23, 10:12 AM Guest Blog: Spring Break Trip to New Mexico – GWU-Todayhttps://gwu-today.com/?p=3276 2/3Albuquerque – one of the most magni cent mountainous areasI have ever seen. It was breath-taking to watch snow-cappedpeaks come into view, to see little houses from so high above. Ikept wondering if maybe this is how God sees us sometimes orif he prefers to be closer, I’m not entirely sure. We rented a van,and man, did we squeeze into that thing. Luggage waseverywhere and we barely  t; but we made it work.After eating [our] second lunch, we headed to our hotel, wherewe [met] in the lobby for a debrie ng before heading to supper with our host family – the Strock family.Our host family is so wonderful! They have  ve beautiful children whom they’ve home-schooled. I’m lookingforward to getting to know each individual person and sharing our mutual love for the Lord. We’re here in NewMexico to help them reestablish their church by painting, doing light construction, and organizing things such as les.DAY THREEToday, we [helped] scrape paint o  buildings that we were going to repaint later. Some of the things that touchedme and my friends today included getting to chat with the kids, the awareness of their surroundings, the waythey are so aware of God and the sacredness of their home, and how much they trust God – fully relying on himto provide EVERYTHING they will ever need. Their faith is astounding and seeing the Strock kiddos grow in theirfaith even over these two full days we’ve been here.[Later, we went on a hike] to the Pecos Valley National Forrest tothe see the original Indian Pueblo. It was so cool! I went down ina “kiva” which is a ceremonial underground sacri cial place.Bible study/devo tonight was led by Morgan and Carol. Theyfocused on the inadequacies we sometimes feel when God callsus to do things for him. Tomorrow we’re supposed to go withthe Strock family to their church (Glen is the pastor) and maybeeven lead [the] worship one time!DAY FIVEToday, we stripped the rest of the back building we’re working on and began priming it for the gorgeous sea foamcolour we began painting it! I’m so encouraged by the progress we’re making. Everything is coming together reallywell and the Strocks are so lovely to us. The love that I’ve experienced is gigantic and so over-whelming.The Strocks really have shown me what pure love looks like to strangers. I didn’t even know them beforeThursday, yet they were praying for me and hoping to get to know me well enough so that we can stay in contactwith them in the future. It’s beautiful knowing people love me like that (aside form family) – enough to pray forme before they actually know me.7/14/23, 10:12 AM Guest Blog: Spring Break Trip to New Mexico – GWU-Todayhttps://gwu-today.com/?p=3276 3/3DAY SEVENTonight was glorious. We gathered at the Strock home once again for work and fellowship. After we  nishedpainting the house and church o ce/Mr. Strock’s o ce, we began cleaning up outside where we’d kepteverything throughout the week. Some of the guys hung pretty, industrial lights on the back porch, and weturned them on when the sun went down! Wow! It was such a beautiful night!After dinner, all of us went into the living room to do a littleworship and Bible devotion. Chloe led us in singing by playingthe piano, while Morgan, Christy, Angela, and I sang – Carolinesigned the songs as we sang them. One of the things I noticedwas the di erent ways of worship that went on in the room.Caroline was signing, we were singing, and others simplyhummed with their eyes closed. It was so empowering towitness. After worship, we sat down to a “popcorn prayer.” Eachperson, as they felt so led, prayed out loud about anything theyneeded to talk to God about. While I didn’t o er up a prayer ofmy own, it was so beautiful to listen to others’ prayers about life,love, and everything under the sun.It was a glorious night to be in Pecos, New Mexico.DAY EIGHT – the Last NightWe woke up ready to conquer the day! We met the Strocks after breakfast and headed to Taos, New Mexico.Arriving in Taos, we met Benny and Edna – the couple who runs the First Indian Baptist Church at Taos. They wereso lovely to get to know!After lunch, we had to say goodbye to the Strocks. Let me tell ya, this was so di cult. Names won’t be said, butplenty of us let loose on the tears. The Strock girls cried and we cried, it just wasn’t the best atmosphere to keeptears at bay. It wasn’t goodbye, but it was a “see you later” kind of ordeal. Leaving Taos, we headed to the airportin Albuquerque.Being back in my own state has its perks, but I really miss being in New Mexico. I also miss the lack of humidity inNew Mexico. I had so much fun getting to know the Strock family, and I so badly want to be back again.

Guest Blog: Spring Break Trip to New Mexico

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Guest Blog: Spring Break Trip to New Mexico

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