Five 13-year-olds put their hands and hearts to work during a mission trip last week in Illinois.

The First United Methodist Church/Fellowship United Methodist Church confirmation class chose to travel to Petersburg, Ill. for their mission trip July 11-17.

Chaperoned by pastors Patricia Toschak and Dennis Tamke, the students participated in a United Methodist Volunteers in Mission camp, where they were part of a 42-member group from around the country who helped out in various capacities in the Petersburg area.

Kendra Miller, Erin Dankert, Luke May, Neil Klein and Ryan Lysne — all entering the eighth grade this fall — left July 11, detouring through Missouri before heading to their destination. The group chose Petersburg because their churches have never attended that particular camp.

Miller went to the Mary Bryant Home for the Blind and Visually Impaired to help them with various tasks.

“One day we were getting ready for a baby shower,” Miller said. “And, we washed windows. One day we had to send out letters. Another day we helped out with Vacation Bible School.”

“We went to a home, and they had a huge garden, and we had to guide them through it so they could smell it,” said Lysne, who also volunteered at the home.

Klein helped out at a nursing home.

“We exercised with them,” he said. “We sang for them. I liked doing it.”

Toschak said one special opportunity for them was volunteering at the Washington Street Mission, where food and clothing are provided for the homeless.

Some students helped out at a sports camp, where they played Capture the Flag and kickball with younger children. The group attended the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Presidential Library in Springfield, Ill. one day, and had daily activities.

“We had club times, where you share things,” May said. “You could have a happy story or a ‘Yay, God,’ where you saw God in a person that day.”

Dankert explained that the students had a Happy Fun Bag, with notes “to show someone they were doing good that day.”

“Some people helped out with the breakfast,” Lysne said. “We did devotions in our book and read about prayer.”

The hardest part about their mission trip was leaving, Toschak said.

“They made very good friends,” Toschak said.

The class raised money for their trip using “Miles for Missions.” They sold “miles” for $1 to reach their $1,000 goal, even beating it by $50.

Toschak said she has seen the class mature because of the mission experience.

“I think they became aware of the variety of needs in the world,” Toschak said. “They never complained.”

The class will be confirmed Oct. 25.