Sometimes, things work out in unusual ways. 
Like mission trips. 
My regular readers know about my passion for mission trips to Central America and the doctors and pastors I have worked with since 2003. 
So does my grandson Cole, our “World Outdoors” columnist. 
We had planned a trip to Nicaragua August 4-11 but had to cancel because of the political instability there. 
I reached out to other churches, but we were too late to sign up for their trips.
I was getting frustrated when I remembered Next Step Ministries out of Wisconsin. 
In June, I wrote about Next Step sending 102 young people to work with Mt. Horeb.
I checked their website to see what trips that they had available. A couple of quick calls later we were signed up to work with them in Clendenin, WV. 
We’d be helping restore homes, churches, and a community center and ballfield that were flooded two summers ago.
When we arrived on Sunday and checked in, I was smacked in the face by culture shock. 
There were over 70 millennials, 18-20 team leaders and volunteers that we would be working with. My first reaction was “what have I gotten myself into?” 
There were Catholics from New Jersey, Nazarines from Pennsylvania, two groups of Methodists from Illinois and one lone Baptist. 
Any concerns I had, though, were squashed at supper that night.
I couldn’t have asked for a better group of dedicated, hardworking believers to work with. A good portion of them were there last summer and returned to finish projects.
Cole and I were put with a team from First UMC from Lombard, IL. (near Chicago).
Next week, I’ll tell you about the work we did. 
Check out Cole’s column on B1 about the trip up to West Virginia.