Article 1 
What is AWOL?
At First Lutheran Church, AWOL stands for A Work of Love. This is the name that has been given to our Senior High Youth Groups summer mission trips. Each year since 1990, First Lutherans youth in Grades 9-12 and their sponsors have set aside one week of their summer vacation for service to others. Over the years our AWOL groups have travelled both far and near, and the types of service they have done has been varied. Regardless, both youth and sponsors find their AWOL experiences to be fun, faith formative, and an experience they will never forget. Here is the history of First Lutherans AWOL trips:1990 Newcomb, New Mexico1991 Dallas, Texas (ELCA National Youth Gathering)1992 Washington, D.C.1993 Franklin, Louisiana1994 Atlanta, Georgia (ELCA National Youth Gathering)1995 Gap Mills, West Virginia1996 Lincoln, Nebraska, AND Denver, Colorado1997 New Orleans, Louisiana (ELCA National Youth Gathering)1998 Tuba City, Arizona1999 Racine, Wisconsin2000 St. Louis, Missouri (ELCA National Youth Gathering)2001 San Antonio, Texas2002 Colstrip, Montana2003 Atlanta, Georgia (ELCA National Youth Gathering)2004 Racine, Wisconsin2005 San Antonio, Texas2006 San Antonio, Texas (ELCA National Youth Gathering)2007 Omaha, Nebraska2008 Couer dAlene, Idaho (Camp Lutherhaven/Shoshone Base Camp) 2009 New Orleans, Louisiana (ELCA National Youth Gathering)2010 Knoxville, Tennessee 2011 Chicago, Illinois2012 Bellingham, Washington
