To me, the theme “Voices that Challenge” refers to voices and people that tell us that we can’t, for whatever reason; age, where you live, disabilities, race, religion, whatever. As teenagers, I feel like we always get told that we can’t. “You can’t do that because it’s childish” or “you aren’t old enough for that.” Being a teenager is an awkward age, we’re stuck in between being a kid and being an adult. There’s pressure to grow up, but we aren’t allowed to grow up “too fast”. The theme speaks to me to ignore things that tell me I can’t and push forward to what I know I am capable of. It also tells me that I shouldn’t be a negative voice to others and put others down. It challenges me to be an encouraging and a positive voice to the world.

The theme verse for our trip is Amos 5:24: “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”  To me, this means to let the justice and righteousness of God flow to the entire world through my words and actions. My Bible has a part that provides insight to the scripture. The section for this verse says, “If God’s justice were to roll down like waters and God’s righteousness like an ever flowing stream, there would be room and a place for everyone.” This seems to me to be incredibly truthful. If people used their voices to challenge one another to be better, God’s righteousness and justice would flow down and help to make our world a better, more just place.