S of O sophomore boys paint at the Fifteenth Street Baptist Church.

School of the Ozarks sophomores travel to East St. Louis for mission trip

POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — School of the Ozarks high school sophomores embarked on their ninth annual mission trip to East St. Louis, Nov. 10 – 12.

The students spent their time volunteering at the Fifteenth Street Baptist Church. While volunteering, they assisted in preparing for some of the church’s annual community events by organizing their food pantry for a Thanksgiving food giveaway and completing the groundwork for the Christmas gift giveaway. In addition, they painted the inside of the church, replaced the flooring, and organized a warehouse of clothing for those in need.

On Saturday evening, the students had the privilege to eat at Lt. Gen. Gary Hughey’s home. Lt. Gen. Hughey graduated from high school at the School of the Ozarks in 1965 before he became a successful military leader. General Hughey invited Sgt. Ken Luttrell to come speak about his time in the Pacific Theatre during WWII. Sgt. Luttrell served in the U.S. Marine Corps during WWII and has accompanied C of O students on the CitizenTrip^®.

The students returned to Fifteenth Street Baptist Church for the worship service Sunday morning and shared in more fellowship.

S of O has a relationship with several of the members at the church, which brings them back every year. The experience brings light to the church and provides an opportunity for the students to serve in love.

“I love taking mission trips with our students,” said Dr. Brad Dolloff, dean of School of the Ozarks. “It is a blessing to see how willing our students serve, how hard they work, and how much they grow in their relationships with Christ and each other. The five pillars of College of the Ozarks and School of the Ozarks are taught each day on campus but put into practice on a trip like this.”