Gleanings for the Hungry

Summer Missions Trip

Our youth group makes an annual missions trip to Gleanings for the Hungry, located in Sultana near Dinuba in the central valley. Each week, a new crew of about 100 teens and chaperons show up at this fruit-drying facility operated by Youth With A Mission. Again, our church will be taking a group of teens and chaperons this summer. The work is hot (valley temps sometimes reach 110 degrees), tedious, and incredibly fast-paced. On the first day, most are shocked at how incredibly hard the work is… but we get passed that.

Here’s why:

  • We know that the fruit we dry will help save lives in orphanages, disaster areas, third world nations and wherever people are hungry.
  • The work performed by our teens truly is a life-changing experience for them. They learn what it is to sacrifice for people who will never be able to personally thank them.

In addition to learning some very practical life lessons such as learning to work (people, especially teens, really don’t know how to put in an 8 hour day, until they are taught) and developing some mental toughness to get them through tedious hours of labor, the teens and chaperones learn the incredible joy of serving. Even though we have daily chapel services that include prayer, worship and Bible study, the main spiritual activity at Gleanings for the Hungry is preparing fruit to be dried. To get an information packet and an application, click here and then print or save the pdf file titled Gleanings Information Packet.pdf. (It’s a large file, please be patient while it is downloading.)

Comments from Pastor Dave Taylor

This is a YWAM facility that processes and dries fruit and vegetables to feed orphans, refugees, disaster victims and the poor and hungry in third-world nations. I told the youth that the work would be hot, sticky, dirty, highly repetitious, and incredibly monotonous… But

  • I DIDN’T tell them how gross it is to pick up a rotten peach, and feel it dissolve through your fingers…
  • I DIDN’T tell them that the pace is set by the machinery on a process line, and it won’t slow down… you have to learn to keep up…
  • I DIDN’T tell them how such mundane, mindless labor could be so stressful when you are at the edge of human ability to keep the pace…

I didn’t tell them HOW hard the work would actually be… I didn’t know… You should know that, in spite of the work, year after year, there is no complaining. But the greatest surprise is that most of these kids want to pay money for the privilege of doing this again next year… Apparently, they bought in to the teaching of Jesus…

Matthew 25:35-40 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, {36} I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ {37} “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? {38} When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? {39} When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ {40} “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

At Gleanings for the Hungry, we enjoyed some good speakers, but that wasn’t really the focus… the main spiritual activity was processing fruit… which happens to be worship of a different kind.

The following is the Gleanings for the Hungry promotional video.  Please watch it in its’ entirety.  You will be glad you did!

I couldn’t help but post some videos from some of our youth group summer missions trips to Gleanings for the Hungry.  In this video, you will see our teens voluntering to do the kind of work that others won’t do for pay.  Serving a week at Gleanings is certainly a character and spiritual formation experience.  Don’t deprive your teen our yourself this experience (parents can come as chaperones).  Enjoy this video:

This is a video of our 2007 missions trip to Gleanings for the Hungry. Most days were 8 hour days except Wednesday… which is always a half-day of work and and a half day of free time.

This is a video of our 2008 missions trip to Gleanings for the Hungry.

This is a video of our 2010 missions trip to Gleanings for the Hungry. Can’t seem to find the video of our 2009 missions trip.