Megaphone reporter Erin O’Neill is one of the participants on the spring break mission trip to South Carolina. She filed an update on April 5.

Today was a day full of hard work, prayer food and fun. It was our first day at my worksite, Frierson Elementary. We began the day with a tour around the campus with the principal of the school. She was such a caring woman who provided background information about the school and told us all about the importance of the school within the community and why it holds a special place in her heart.

After the tour, our group of 27 students and Mrs. Charlene Witka and Mrs. Shannon Fox headed outside to clear a plot for each of the grades at Frierson. It was hard work in the hot sun, but gardening with the younger students will be well worth the exhaustion. We headed back to St. Christopher Retreat Center after waiting a long while, since one of the other buses had broken down, and arrived back at around 5 p.m. For dinner, we were served chicken nuggets and mac ‘n’ cheese with mud pie for dessert, which was a favorite for several students.

After dinner, many of us headed to the beach for some hacky-sack, volleyball and relaxation. The weather was perfect and made for an enjoyable time. Afterward, everyone headed to the chapel for reflection, and we were randomly assigned small groups. We were asked to listen to senior speakers and then discuss a question with the members of our group. The night came to a close with lots of card playing and a whole lot of laughs.

Tomorrow the weather isn’t looking great, but we are all hoping the storms won’t stop us from accomplishing what we need to do at the worksites.