Pictured here is Garrett on his first short weekend mission trip in 2015 (age 10) in Iowa. He went with Wood Marshall-Youth pastor First Baptist Church, Amber Adams and others teens to Iowa where they evangelized at a local car show and helped out with a Vacation Bible School.
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Garrett Dungy, 12, a seventh grader next school year, will be spending part of his summer vacation with Teen Missions International, where he hopes to change the lives of others less fortunate through his service.
He is going on mission trip to serve the Lord and also increase his own spiritual growth. He is thankful for support from his home church, First Baptist Church of Gallatin.
Garrett attended a men’s weekend retreat in Iowa called Iron Sharpens Iron, and he has been on one mission trip. He went with Wood Marshall, the youth pastor at First Baptist Church, Amber Adams, and others teens. They evangelized in Iowa at a local car show and helped out with a vacation Bible school.
Garrett met Wood Marshall’s mother, Kimmie Marshall, at Grand Oaks church camp. She talked with him about missions and proved to be his inspiration for the Honduras trip. She will also be one of the leaders on the Teens Mission trip, so he will be going with a familiar face.
Of the $2,500 needed to fund the trip with Teen Missions International, most came from his church family. He has done everything he can think of to earn the rest of the funds.
“I am still raising funds for supplies for the trip, doing small jobs, painting and mowing yards,” said Garrett. “So if you have something for me to do, please get with me through the store.”
Garrett’s parents are Jeremy and Rikki Dungy who own Dungy’s Supermarket in Gallatin.
Garrett chose to go to Honduras because he was moved by the extreme poverty of the country. Honduras is the second poorest country in the western hemisphere with nearly 21% of the population living on less than one dollar per day. The children are often the ones who suffer most in such a society.
Pictured is Garretts work boots and a map of Honduras. These are they only pair of shoes he is allowed to wear the entire six weeks of his trip. All teens that go on work missions with Teen Missions International wear leather work boots.
“I’ll be working with little kids, sharing the gospel through singing and puppetry and performing on stage,” Garrett said.
He will go with the preteen team, between 10-13 years of age. There are 16 preteens in the group from all over the United States, along with several team leaders.
He will be part of a ‘chain gang’ repairing a road to the Teen Missions Honduras base. The base is a camp where the local people receive food and water and learn about Jesus.
Before he goes to Honduras, Garrett will first attend a boot camp at Merrit Island, Fla. He will prepare for the trip through two weeks of intensive training. He will get up before sunrise at 5 a.m. Throughout the day he will attend a variety of activities that include Bible study, an obstacle course, evangelism, classes on drama, singing, puppetry, and construction.
“I’ll learn to take a bucket bath and wash my clothes in a bucket and how to keep water out of my tent,” he said.
He will be gone from June 20 to July 28. He will spend three weeks in Honduras and one week to debrief before returning home. He realizes he is traveling outside his comfort zone.
“There will be ice and showers and air conditioning when we get back,” Garrett said.
He also understands the purpose and meaning of the trip: “I’ll be doing good work, becoming a stronger temple for God, and it will be really fun.”