First Lutheran High Schoolers Serve and Reflect in Nashville

Our high schoolers and adults are on their way home today from Nashville, but not without a recap of one of their last days on the Nebraska Synod service trip. On Thursday, they spent their day at Loaves and Fishes, a food ministry in Nashville dedicated to providing hot meals and food boxes to those in need. The group worked together on a variety of tasks, including washing dishes, painting, and organizing food supplies.

Cora, one of the participants, shared her perspective on the day:

“On this day, we all went to a place called Loaves and Fishes together. This organization takes older food people don’t want or food people donate to them and makes meals for those needing one. To help and serve, we painted a storage container white so later they could paint a mural. We also helped sort foods like bread, organized shelves by date, prepped food, rolled silverware, and washed dishes. I believe as a congregation this was a great day in terms of service work as well as a great final reminder why we serve and how important it is to ourselves and our communities.”

After their service project, the group visited West End United Methodist Church for a time of worship. The evening included a shared meal, prayer stations, and communion. It was a moment of reflection and connection, as the group came together to discuss where, how, and when they saw Jesus during their journey.

Cole reflected on the experience, saying:

“For our service sites, we went to Loaves and Fishes. Loaves and Fishes is a charity organization that gives food out and serves hot meals. At the service site, we painted a shipping container so they could paint a mural. Others washed dishes and sorted their pantry. A way I saw God this day was at worship later that day.”

The day served as a reminder of the importance of serving others and the ways in which faith can be seen and felt through acts of kindness and community.