South Carolina in the summer is a place with many perks. Here you get to take in the beauty of  bright colors on trees and flower bushes that have come to full bloom. Dance in the spontaneous rain showers that pour in the afternoon just in time to cool you off from worksite.You get to enjoy the deliciously cold, Pelican Snoballs with 100 different flavors to choose from. It’s nearly impossible to go wrong with any of the flavors, well besides the toothpaste one…

South Carolina has many fun places to visit and great views to see. But If I’m honest, those aren’t what I’d consider the best highlights of the summertime, even though I love a good snoball cone.

My summer highlights would have to be the groups that come in from all over the country, and the people they get to serve during a week on mission. This is priceless in my opinion. Getting to work and serve alongside a community member as we help repair their home, enjoying a good conversation, building intentional relationships, seeing students engage in evening programming as we worship and hear from God’s word. Those are the moments I go back to.

When visiting here there is so much to absorb. If you are coming on a trip here this summer, open your mind to all the things you can experience during your week here. Look not only for the things that you would normally do while on a vacation, but rather look at the opportunities to live a week fully focused on what God has for you. Focused on the people you came on the trip with and focused on the people you are interacting with in the communities. Let yourself disconnect form the normalcy of life and enjoy an experience that is new, special and unique.

Oh, and if you want to get a snoball at Pelican’s, I suggest the best flavor called Tigers Blood, a mixture of strawberry and coconut. It’s a must try!