of help. They also have foster house locations for the Tucson youth. Our group served at one of these foster houses, helping to clean up the area and doing yard work for the organization.
The other ministry we served was the Gospel Rescue Mission (GRM), which is a rehabilitation center. The GRM opens their doors to people who are struggling with addictions and helps them through a program that leads them to sobriety. In addition to this rehab program, GRM also offers alternative training programs that teach their residents how to work in different jobs, maintain those jobs and even obtain housing.
At the GRM, we served the residents of the program breakfast. The significance of this was to show them that we care about all of them and that they truly matter. It would have been easy to just go about serving everyone and then sit down and take a break, but that wasn’t the point of what we were doing. We took time with each person that we served to ask how they were doing, share a piece of encouragement or even just say good morning and God bless. This little step goes such a long way in showing the residents that they are loved by others and that they are not defined by their circumstances. More importantly, it shows them that they are loved by God and that he wants each and every one of them to turn to him, regardless of what they have been through or done.
Over my two trips with ICO Tucson, I have not only been able to see the beautiful desert state of Arizona, but I have been able to give up my time alongside amazing teams that are on fire for Jesus and want to serve others. These trips are spiritually fulfilling and have helped me deepen my relationship with Christ more than I can even explain. While they may be physically exhausting, ICO trips are so spiritually restful. That rest comes from serving others and serving ourselves by devoting an entire week to learning about and sharing the love of Jesus.
If you are not a senior this year, I would highly encourage you to investigate the ICO opportunities that Grove City College has to offer. While I am particularly partial to ICO Tucson, there are many other amazing teams that do wonderful work as well. See all the different options on the college’s Christian Formation website or just show up to the ministry fair next fall — nearly all the ICO groups have a table where you can sign up if you are interested. The thought of giving up your spring break may be hard to think about, but I believe it is a wonderful act of selflessness to give up your time to serve others, and every Grove City College student should get to experience the spiritual formation that happens as a result of serving the Lord.
