In a recap of 2025 Student mission trips, Derrick Milner highlighted two impactful experiences: a middle school trip to Venice, Florida, and two high school trips to Guatemala.

Derrick described the two-and-a-half-week mission to Venice, Florida, where middle schoolers put on a Vacation Bible School (VBS) for a Hungarian church. He admitted to initial anxiety due to uncertainty about attendance, with only one child, Josh, showing up on the first day. However, this allowed the students to deeply minister to him, exemplifying the "power of one" that had been discussed prior to the trip. The following days saw increased attendance, with five children, primarily middle and high schoolers, attending. This unexpected demographic allowed the students to minister to peers their own age, fostering deep relationships, even leading to one scholarship recipient attending camp. Students shared their takeaways, with Kaden emphasizing God's constant presence, Summer noting God's ability to move even with small numbers, Lily finding peace in the message "God is in control, not you," Caitlin recognizing the power of testimonies, and Anna highlighting the ability to change lives regardless of attendance.

Derrick then discussed the two high school trips to Guatemala, praising them as his favorite mission experiences. Working with the "Revive" organization and its founder, Omar, the teams focused on providing sustainability, clean water, and food to impoverished communities. Students conducted home visits, offering water filters and sharing their faith. Milner was particularly moved by the hospitality of the Guatemalan people, who, despite having little, generously offered food and drinks.

A significant achievement of the trip was building farm boxes, chicken coops, and mushroom huts which, for one family, provided enough resources to sustain them for 15 years, allowing them to grow their own food and sell the surplus. Students like Josh shared how the trip was "mindset changing," seeing people’s happiness despite their circumstances. Matt realized if they could do so much in an "extreme situation" like Guatemala, they could do more in their daily lives. Abby expressed gratitude for what they have and the value of connecting with the local community, while Noah learned about the ups and downs of God's work, but also about God's constant presence.

Derrick emphasized that these mission trips are not just about serving in distant lands, but about shifting perspective and recognizing the same responsibility to serve at home. He shared an impactful anecdote about students distributing leftover food to those in need in Guatemala, underscoring that acts of service and sharing the gospel should not be confined to mission trips. He challenged the audience to be as passionate about sharing their faith with friends and family in Dunwoody as they are with strangers abroad, stressing that there are over 6,000 middle and high school students in their city who need to hear the message of Jesus. He concluded by encouraging everyone to live out their faith more passionately and to continue the conversations about the mission trips, inviting those interested to speak with the students who participated.