Mission Trips; The Good and the Bad
Okay attention class, how many of been to or at least heard of a mission trip? I don't know abbout all of you but when I imagine Mission trips I always imagine a group of people who need help and serving them with everything you have. Why is it that things never seem to go the way we planned them out in our mind?
Yes everyone, I went on s Mission trip, I went on a trip down in sunny California. Me and a group of other college students went down to Los Angeles, California to a place called the Dream Center. The Dream Center is an amazing place that has some wonderful ministries, you can check it out at there website: http://www.dreamcenter.org/
My very favorite was a sunday school van that goes around to different neighborhoods and j=holda sunday school classes for children. It is one of the most fun and rewarding things I have ever done. The rode around in the van annoucing on a loud speaker where we would be at, making sure to give all us "Shorttermers" (which is he full time staffs name for the people on short term missions) a good tease. The rest of us walked through neighborhoods and apartment buildings knocking on doors and handing out flyers with the time and place. Kids caming pouring out of their houses and even though they had never met most of us before they were climbing all over us within matters of minutes. The boys had kids all over there backs and the girls walked hand in hand.
When we arrived at the location the music was roaring and the kids were running all over. I saw a group of kids cluttering around my big sister at a sign up table and thought i would join in the fun. I went over there and started asking names and grades. Pretty soon i had kids drawing all up and down my arms with permanent marker(hey, they wanted to draw and there was no paper so I thought why not). one little girl become a growth and was stuck to me like glue. When the teachers called she ran with me to the front and sat down in my lap. for some reason, even though I don't know the last time the took a bath and you could see the lice crawling on there heads, it didn't matter. Having her in my lap was one of the most unforgetable moments of my life. We started screaming and dancing to the song "SUPERHERO" and we all got lost in the moment. Even when the teachers had to get kind of boring and actually start the lesson, the kids were still quiet. Even their parents had stuck around to here the bible stories and to learn about Gods great love. OF course they were still active but the teachers knew how to handle them. They had consequences in the form of balloons and prizes. They had balloons on each side and when the kids misbehaved they popped a balloon. Whatever side, boys vs girls, had the most balloons at the end won. (Girls won!) It was a wonderfully amazing experince that opened my eyes.
It is amazing the things that are wonderful. My very favorite part of that trip was having those kids creations all up and down my arms. Oh yeah we toured Hollywood and saw movie stars (Anyone even know who Donny Osmend is? I don't LOL). But my favorite things is looking at the pictures and seeing the remenites of black arms from scrubbing at that permant marker.
I thank God for the wonderful Creations like children because even though they didn't go out of the way to make my day, they did. They are so wonderfully innocent.
Thank you God for Children.
"Jesus said 'Let the children come to me'." Matthew 19:14
Yes everyone, I went on s Mission trip, I went on a trip down in sunny California. Me and a group of other college students went down to Los Angeles, California to a place called the Dream Center. The Dream Center is an amazing place that has some wonderful ministries, you can check it out at there website: http://www.dreamcenter.org/
My very favorite was a sunday school van that goes around to different neighborhoods and j=holda sunday school classes for children. It is one of the most fun and rewarding things I have ever done. The rode around in the van annoucing on a loud speaker where we would be at, making sure to give all us "Shorttermers" (which is he full time staffs name for the people on short term missions) a good tease. The rest of us walked through neighborhoods and apartment buildings knocking on doors and handing out flyers with the time and place. Kids caming pouring out of their houses and even though they had never met most of us before they were climbing all over us within matters of minutes. The boys had kids all over there backs and the girls walked hand in hand.
When we arrived at the location the music was roaring and the kids were running all over. I saw a group of kids cluttering around my big sister at a sign up table and thought i would join in the fun. I went over there and started asking names and grades. Pretty soon i had kids drawing all up and down my arms with permanent marker(hey, they wanted to draw and there was no paper so I thought why not). one little girl become a growth and was stuck to me like glue. When the teachers called she ran with me to the front and sat down in my lap. for some reason, even though I don't know the last time the took a bath and you could see the lice crawling on there heads, it didn't matter. Having her in my lap was one of the most unforgetable moments of my life. We started screaming and dancing to the song "SUPERHERO" and we all got lost in the moment. Even when the teachers had to get kind of boring and actually start the lesson, the kids were still quiet. Even their parents had stuck around to here the bible stories and to learn about Gods great love. OF course they were still active but the teachers knew how to handle them. They had consequences in the form of balloons and prizes. They had balloons on each side and when the kids misbehaved they popped a balloon. Whatever side, boys vs girls, had the most balloons at the end won. (Girls won!) It was a wonderfully amazing experince that opened my eyes.
It is amazing the things that are wonderful. My very favorite part of that trip was having those kids creations all up and down my arms. Oh yeah we toured Hollywood and saw movie stars (Anyone even know who Donny Osmend is? I don't LOL). But my favorite things is looking at the pictures and seeing the remenites of black arms from scrubbing at that permant marker.
I thank God for the wonderful Creations like children because even though they didn't go out of the way to make my day, they did. They are so wonderfully innocent.
Thank you God for Children.
"Jesus said 'Let the children come to me'." Matthew 19:14
posted by Jessica | 5:48 PM
2 Comments:
Yea, I'm planning to go on my first short-term missions trip next spring. I'm really excited! I've heard about so many people who came back stronger in their faith than when they left.
Hey Curtis, Thanks for visting my site you are officialy my first visitor and I am excited. Tip: SERVE, SERVE, SERVE! Don't just do what you were assigned, of course listen to the leaders, but go beyond yourself. Make sure you focus on what the trip is really about. If you noticed the title is called the good and bad, there is a part 2 because I talk too much lol, please read it and keep it in mind.
Have a wonderful time and let God work through you!
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