Our third annual OYMT For A Day was a massive success, thanks to the participation of most of our returning Youth Participants! This year, the event was hosted at Fr. Mircea Geana’s parish, Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Springfield, Vermont. It was a joy to host an event at Fr. Mircea’s parish as he steps into the role of Team Priest and Spiritual Director for the Orthodox Youth Mission Team. We were blessed with beautiful fall weather and a hardworking group of returners and new members who accomplished our construction goals and then some!
The purpose of OYMT For A Day is to give potential new members a one-day taste of what OYMT is all about. This goal was certainly accomplished as over 30 youth and adults were in attendance, about half of whom were returners and half potential new members. This is double the size of this event the past two years. We even had some help from younger siblings who observed and participated where safe!
In just six hours (total!) we accomplished building two picnic tables, installing three lengths of fence, and building gates for the fence. These projects will serve Holy Trinity greatly, so that the children can play safely in the yard and their very full coffee hour can be extended into the outdoor space. The day opened with morning prayers led by OYMT priest Fr. Mircea Geana, a devotional by veteran youth Sofia, and a quick safety talk. We then split into 4 work crews for the remainder of the day, with a lunch break during which Fr. Mircea and Lexi spoke about the 2026 summer mission trip and our returning youth answered questions during a Q&A.
It was a beautiful, productive day filled with gorgeous fall weather, fellowship, and hard work. Multiple potential new members left the event discussing their excitement to register for the 2025-2026 year. Thank you to the Geanas and the entire Holy Trinit community for their hospitality. Special thank you to Rachael for managing the kitchen and setting up a wonderful fellowship meal, and to the generous parishioner who donated the materials for the construction projects. We are so excited for the year ahead!
