I remember my first mission trip ever. It was with my high school youth group and we were going to Mexico for spring break through Azusa Pacific’s Mexicali ministry.
I was so excited. I had been waiting for what seemed like forever to get a chance to go on this trip. There was planning, prepping VBS curriculum, and so many other aspects. Every Sunday leading up to that week I would stay after church with my team and work hard. Finally the day came where it was time to leave.
And all of a sudden I was so nervous. I didn’t know if I wanted to go. I didn’t know if I could sleep in a dirt field for a week in a tent surrounded by thousands of people. I got in the church van and headed for an adventure that unbeknownst to me would hide in my heart for years to come.
Since that spring break over nine years ago I have had the opportunity to return to Mexicali one other time and also spend three weeks in China teaching English in a summer program. Even with those three trips I never felt that mission was a calling in my life. I didn’t feel called to mission in any way.
I was wrong, God had other plans. Isn’t that always the case? Over the last year God has stirred a fire in my heart for the country, the people, and the kids of South Africa. So this year I decided to apply to go on the ROCKHARBOR trip to South Africa. So in April I started a journey of planning, prepping, fundraising, with a team of 22 amazing other Christ followers.
In August we set out on two long plane rides to get to South Africa. And then for two weeks we ministered to, loved on, laughed with, and had deep discussion about God with the students of Bridges of Hope Academy. These students had been through more pain and struggles then I could comprehend, but had such joyful hearts and such passionate faith. I truly lack the words to describe the ways that these students touched and impacted our team. Though they have been broken, they know Christ brings them together.
There are so many moments and stories that I could think of personally to illustrate how I saw South Africa and how I saw my teammates and friends serving God. Looking back the verses that we have been reading in church from 2 Corinthians keeps coming to mind. Christ’s love urges us. It compels us to serve out of the overflow of His love in our lives. I learned on this trip that this is what mission truly is no matter where you are. While in Africa I went through some incredibly low, stressful, anxiety ridden times. I was being attacked in places that are my weaknesses and my team came around me and prayed. They encouraged me, served me, and blessed me. And in this same way they blessed, encouraged, and served the people we come into contact with. My team taught me what true mission was in Christ.
And because of these lessons I am empowered and ready to keep my mission going. One of my wise teammates stated in one of our late night debriefs that while the people of South Africa were our short-term mission WE were part of a long-term mission. The people that we are in contact with daily are our long-term mission. Out of the overflow of our hearts, the overflow of Christ’s love for us we need to be urged on to serve the people around us everyday.
This is why it is so important to learn of Christ’s mission for us and to not be afraid of it. I never thought after that first trip to Mexicali nine years ago I would now being feeling a calling and burden for people in a country across the ocean. I never thought that I would desire and strive to live mission in my daily life. But that is what Christ calls us to do. We need to not step away from it or say it’s not for us. We are Christ’s ambassadors to the people we see everyday.
No comments:
Post a Comment