Mission Trip 2011 Reflections

          After we had returned from our trip we had some time to relax and reflect on our experience. Below are some of the reflections from the youth…

“The mission trip was an unexpectedly different experience that changed me mentally and spiritually. And I had an overall good week and two days.”

“An experience like no other. Seeing the world from the perspective of group of people I wouldn’t interact with otherwise was eye opening, view changing, and life altering.”

“The mission trip was impactful but not in the way I expected. Instead of learning about myself by doing huge and powerful things, I learned by seeing how I react to stressful situations.”

“The mission trip wasn’t what I expected it would be. Honestly, I’m proud of how much I had done for Jacqueline no matter how hot it was. But the variety of food we got wasn’t enough and it just wasn’t the experience I was expecting.”

“Overall the mission trip was a pretty good experience. I liked going down to Skid Row because that definitely changed my views on things. I also like helping people. But I feel it wasn’t as organized as it should have been, so I didn’t feel very productive. And the food situation wasn’t too great. But I’m glad I went!”

“It was a good experience and I felt like I was taking a step out of my comfort zone.”

“A refreshing experience that renewed my passion for community, love, and service.”

“My initial response is frustrating, unorganized, sloppy. When I stop and take a deep breathe, I look deeper into the trip. Letting go of the control is something I struggle with. I realized that regardless of what my issues were, I needed to give it over to God. My purpose of being a servant of Christ was being fulfilled. Being comfortable with self-sacrifice is part of living a Christian life. This trip helped me remember what is really important.”

MT ’11 Day #6

Without fail people are transformed by an experience of shared community. And when I say “shared” I mean it in every sense. We live, sleep, shower, eat, work, play, worship, laugh, and cry in a shared community. This breaks down so many of the barriers we build up for personal security.
Friday night was an opportunity for everyone to share what they will take from this week. It has not been easy, and it was never advertised to be so. But the strength and courage of youth will always be an inspiration to me. They are resilient, flexible, and always ready to meet a challenge head-on.
When Jesus says, “you must have faith like a child”, this must have been what he was talking about.
We didn’t build a house this week, but I am confident we layed a foundation of hope and promise that the youth can and will build on for the rest of their lives.

MT ’11 Day #5

Today is our last work day as we try to finish our group tasks or set it up for the crews coming next week.
Last night we focused on finding connections between a river and our faith journey. Are we walking along side the river? Are we ankle deep? Or have we jumped in? Is the water low and going at a safe speed or is the water rushing and deep?
The river can represent so many different aspects of our faith journey. And the beauty is that it is constantly moving and changing. This week has definitely opened our hearts to consider where we are along the river.