This is one of my favorite stories from our entire summer of ministry. It’s a story from a youth leader and it’s full of great reasons to take your students on mission trip…
The kids and I grew in ways we haven’t even begun to be able to name yet.
First of all, for me, the experience was far enough out of my comfort zone or “box”, I don’t feel like I have a box anymore. I feel like God can and will develop in me those skills or traits He needs to use me as He wills. I learned what it means to pour out my life to the Lord in service, to my youth group, to the kids on my crew and to the kids we worked with at the playground work site. I also learned I should probably have paced myself, that pouring yourself out like that on very little sleep takes a huge physical toll.
I was terrified going into the mission trip that I’d be in over my head, called to doing something I was uncomfortable doing and wasn’t equipped for. Praying with my co-leader before the first night’s meeting helped, but I was still literally trembling. When we got our assignments, I was going to be working with 3 kids, going into grades 8, 9 and 11 playing with kids at a playground. We were paired with my co-leaders crew and he had all highschoolers. I was so relieved, God was having me play with and , as we say, “love up on” some kids at a playground. How perfect for me and how easy.
Through the week, I learned it wasn’t so easy, but incredibly rewarding. The first day, I forgot I’m 50 and not in the best of health. I played hard all day and was in real pain that night and the second day. On the third day we had a really cool experience of talking with one of the staff at our playground and finding out not only was it her birthday, but she was going to be baptized that Sunday. We asked her if we could pray with her and she was happy to pray with us. One of the kids was watching and she came up to me in the pool later and asked if I’d pray with her. We talked about what she’d like to ask God about and then we prayed. The next day the same girl had an episode and had to leave the camp. Her friends were understandably quite upset as was I. I hugged two of them while they cried and we talked. At our crew devotions, I was overwhelmed emotionally at what these kids were carrying with so few emotional resources and so little support. It was really hard to know the next day was our last with them and there was so little we could offer them but a few days of love and our continued prayers. It was more brokeness than I’m used to seeing and it broke my heart. Later that day I was walking with another little girl and we found lots of linden tree leaves that looked like lace. They were really beautiful. We looked some more and saw that beetles were chewing all but the veins away. To me, they were a sign from God that He could bring beauty out of brokeness. They were so much what I needed at that moment. The little girl and I gathered bunches of what we called “Lacy Leaves” and gave them to all the campers and the week of hope crews. When I came home, we shared with our church, a God sighting as a way of thanking them for their support and prayers and of honoring God. I shared about Lacy Leaves. Our last day at the playground was easier than I expected. I got to talk with the step mother of the girl who’d had the episode and to hear her incredible story. I was able to encourage her and to promise to pray for her. I expected the goodbyes to be harder than they were though some tears were shed. It is still a little hard, thinking about the kids at the playground, wanting things to be easier and better for them and not being able to do more than pray.
It was an amazing week. The kids and I are already looking forward to next year’s trip. Thanks for all you and your staff do!
In His service, Lynn
I could only pray that you and your group would have as impactful a week as this youth leader and her group did. If you can, please take your kids on a mission trip this next year.
God bless.
Jeff Thompson, a veteran of youth ministry, serves as the Director of Youth Missions for Group Mission Trips - Workcamps, Week of Hope and The Big Day of Serving.
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