A Week of Hope

A couple of weeks ago, the husband and I got to take our little youth group on their very first real mission trip.  It was a huge blessing that came with plenty of hard moments, but ones that God was always preparing us for, and the best part was watching the transformation in our kids as they learned to care for and serve someone besides themselves.

We left not-so-bright and early Sunday morning at 5 am for the long 9 hours to Cincinnati, Ohio.

("Only 9 hours?" New Wind veterans are thinking - piece of cake compared to 24! Well, try 9 hours in a 15 passenger van, not a charter bus. Yep.)


A couple of rest stops and fast food meals later, we had crossed 3 states and arrived at our home for the next week: Sunday school rooms, air mattresses, and tent showers. COLD tent showers. All of which was a new adventure for this group of kids.

They were troopers, though.  After the drama of whose air mattress was going where and who had made the biggest mess had been solved (45 minutes into the trip, no less), these kids who have barely been outside their little hometown did a great job of getting to know new people and serving with (mostly) good attitudes.  5 other church groups were there with us, most of which were from Michigan and Delaware, so needless to say, they had lots of fun trading accents with our 100% Southern students.

They split up the adult leaders into 16 groups, and each of us had 6 kids, all from different churches.  It was a great opportunity for the kids to get to know someone new, and I was proud of the fact that even our shyest girls had made new best friends by the end of those 5 days.  Thankfully, I was paired with our summer intern, Caitlin, so I didn't have to lead a group by myself. (I'm still getting used to this whole I'm-a-grownup thing...)

We worked at the Boys and Girls club all week, cleaning and organizing in the morning and playing with kids in the afternoon.  I'm convinced God used the overwhelming experience of being totally in charge of VBS crafts a month earlier to prepare me for this job; as much as I love kids, I have never considered working with them one of my strong points, as I usually don't know what to talk to them about or how to jump in and get to know them.  But I found myself getting attached to these kids, finding questions to ask them and things to talk to them about, and realizing that even the most difficult ones just need love and attention, because they don't get it at home.

Caitlin (far left) and me with our sweet group of girls

Some of the other kids from our church were in groups that painted curbs and fire hydrants, boxed food at a food bank, and several were at a camp for special needs kids.  I was so proud of them for not being afraid of doing something they had never done before, of doing a better job than I would have done at loving on kids that were different and learning something new.

They have so much compassion, so much love for others, but mostly for each other.  When one of our girls found out that her cousin had died unexpectedly back home, all the other students rallied around her, prayed for her, loved on her as if she were their own sister.  When another girl was struggling after worship one night, missing her dad who died almost 4 months ago, hands reached out to touch and comfort her, even though she's the newest member of our group.  When one of the boys broke down in prayer, the students quickly got over the tough-guy image he usually portrays and loved on and comforted him too.  These kids have a closeness that my Shades youth group of 200 could never have known; they are a family.  The most we ever have are about 17, including the ones who rarely come, but that never keeps them from welcoming those back who haven't been in awhile; though they spend plenty of time arguing with each other like siblings, when it comes down to someone in need, that family feeling draws them closer together than ever. It amazes me.

There were plenty of things I found to complain about on this trip; the fact that it was led by not a big experienced staff of people but 3 college girls for starters; the fact that it was much more focused on service than evangelism; the fact that the evening worship program consisted of watching videos of praise songs and repeating the theme verse for the hundredth time rather than substantial teaching... But who am I to think there's a "right" way to run a mission trip?  I certainly couldn't organize something that big.  Who am I to say God can only work if the format is familiar to me?  Even if our students didn't have a single "evangelistic" conversation with those they worked with, they probably did a much better job of showing them Christ's love than I would have with those preconceived ideas governing my actions.  It was humbling to me to be in a position where I had to lead as a "real" adult and at the same time answer to girls my age or younger as the authorities.  It was humbling to have to take cold showers right alongside the students, to have the lights turned out on me at 11 whether I was ready for bed or not, to have to help cook and serve meals and clean bathrooms, not just supervise. 

I loved having the opportunity to get to know Caitlin and Mandy, the mom who came with us, better; nothing like cold showers and air mattresses to start a friendship!  I also loved watching God work once again outside the box I try to put him in.  I loved working alongside my husband and once again being amazed at all he does for these students, how much he loves them and loves any opportunity to teach them how to love and serve God better.  He is amazing and God is using him in amazing ways in the lives of these students who, despite my complaints about this small town, I have grown completely attached to. :)

At the Cincinnati Reds game on our free day. :)