Hi Ya'll, I was wondering if anyone here has been on a mission trip, this summer my son Jacob and i are thinking of going wih out Church to Oklahoma to the indian reservation, If anyone has gone can you please tell us about how your trip went and what all you did, I will be sure to have Jacob read everyones post to because he is courious also.
That's cool! I'm suppose to contact a friend about a mission trip to an Indian Reservation in Dakota. Prairie just returned from a trip to Africa, and Deena went about two years ago.
I have. I went once to Mexico and then 3 times to the same reservation in Arizona, this was while in college. When we went to the reservation, there were 18 of us so we split into 2 groups. One group did a kids crusade the other a youth revival. We also visited local rehab center and talked with people dealing with addictions, we did a bit of street ministry. Just talking to people. We also helped with painted the home that was going to be used by the new assistant pastor. If you have any other specific questions feel free to ask.
Yes, my dd13 and myself went with our church's JV group to an orphanage in Mexico last spring. The biggest thing they did was by bringing tons of food down to them. We also did a type of vbs program with the kids. It was sort of a "I will serve you" type of mission trip. Teaching the junior high kids how to serve others and be very appreciative to what God has blessed them with. They all went home with such a new prospective on life. It was a wonderful blessing. The second day my dd was in the playground with a couple of the orphans and sliced her knee open, she has a dandy scar, but she says that it is her reminder of Mexico. I hope that you enjoy your trip. Mine was such a blessing and I would definately do it again.
I have done several inner city missions trips as a teen. But the biggest/best trip I ever took was when I spent a year in Tijuana, Mexico. I was 12/13. It was amazing. I think every pre-teen should be required to spent a considerable amount of time living amongst people who have nothing. My mom tells it like it's a bad thing, but I refused to open any of my Christmas gifts my first year back because I didn't think it was right for me to get so many when there were people in this world who didn't have clothing. I insisted that she must return at least some of them so I could send the money to the missions group I had worked with. She was furious, but, though my presentation may have been lacking, I think that speaks volumes about what this kind of thing can teach a kid.
I would highly encourage you to go on a trip with your kids. I have been several times, both intercity and rural country in the US. And Central and South America several times. I cant wait till my kids are able to go with. I especially like the 3rd world missions as most people really have no clue how spoiled we are. That being said Dh and I are going on a cruise this May for our 10th anniversary :roll: and I am already feeling guilty we have never gone anywhere like that was not a missions trip. It sorta changes your outlook KWIM?
I am glad you shared this! This is exactly what our dd requested. When others were talking here on the forum during the recent holidays, I didn't know how it would sound if I told about our family. It was actually good. It was actually a wonderful Christmas, but we put up virtually no decorations (only a nativity set) and, upon our younger daughter's request, didn't give gifts. (This statement will be modified in the next paragraph.) Even before going to Africa, she had requested no gifts from us nor from our extended families, and they responded graciously to her request. One of my brothers said he and his wife gave a donation to a mission fund, which would have been spent on gifts. Another brother gave way more than he would have spent on gifts--he contributed to our trip. Only our older dd insisted upon keeping certain traditions. She brought her new husband home to bake some peppernuts and wanted the Christmas meal with all the trimmings, and they brought gifts. That all worked out and was good, too. In fact, their visits partially helped bring me out of the slump of jet lag and the sorrows of the good-byes in Africa. So it was all good, and people understood each other. I agree, mission trips can change a person in unexpected ways. Another sometimes permanent change is that the other culture becomes part of you. You "fall in love" with so many things--the people, the food, the language, the art-work colors and styles. Their burdens become yours, and you find yourself praying for them ever after. After you have grown to love them and they have grown to love you, and then when you have to say good-bye in words, your heart never really can say good-bye. So a sadness comes, that you've never known before, and it makes you long to be together in heaven where we'll never, ever hear that word again.
Prairie Home you are so right. My dh said that he would like to not do presents next Christmas and take the money and put it towards a family in need. A mission trip is so life changing.
What you all have said is so true! Once you have experienced it, it's always in your heart! My sister wants my dh and I to go on a cruise in October with them. I honestly can't see me doing that now. I would feel so guilty for spending that money on me like that. Well, what I would rather do is spend it on airfare to go to Africa again!!! Right after I graduated from college, I went to New Mexico and worked for 2 years at La Vida Mission. It was a wonderful opportunity to do mission service while still single and able to do so! We were in the heart of Navajo country, and I learned so much, and became close to many! I taught 1st and 2nd grade mostly, but when you go to a mission like that, you never do just one thing. I also was a dean, assistant dean, cook, cleaner of buildings, builder of playground equipment, assistant to doctors and nurses and dentists and optometrists that were there volunteering their time to help, and all sorts of other jobs! I can still sing "Jesus Loves Me" in Navajo! In 2005, God worked it out for our family to go to Fiji. Honestly, we hadn't planned it. The idea and the money basically fell in our laps! It's so very interesting to see how God works sometimes! So in the summer, my dh and myself, and our 3 children went with another family from our church to a mission in Fiji. We had some amazing and beautiful experiences there! It's wonderful to go with family and see God changing your children's lives and hearts! My oldest still yearns to go back to Fiji and be a missionary there for at least a year! In 2007, God surprised me yet again! In April a friend I hadn't seen since college called and said, I am going with my pastor and a couple of others to Africa in June. I need someone to go and help me with the childrens program. I prayed about it and God put your name on my heart! So, will you go?" Now THAT was amazing! It was just out of the blue like that! Another neat thing that happened: My dh and the children and I prayed about it. DH then told me, "I feel that this is a 'Come over to Macedonia and help us' type call for you. I feel that God is not calling me or the kids, but that He IS calling you! So I think you should go, and I will support you 100%!" WOW! So I went to Kenya in June for 3 1/2 weeks. What an amazing experience that was! I saw God moving in amazing ways! I hope you go on this trip! You will NEVER regret it! I suggest you start praying now, for God to lead you, be with you, bless what you do and say, and bless the people you will be working with! And going together is a great experience! Then be open to God leading you---sometimes in ways you would NEVER guess!
For years I had planned to take my boys to Disney World when my youngest turned 10. I went on my 10th b-day and it was great. The other day, however, DH said "instead of saving for Disney when they turn 10, maybe we should do that thing you did in Mexico as a family". It was so cool. He has only been a Christian for about 6 years, so he doesn't really have the lingo down..lol. So we talked some more and decided that if we started saving now, there's no reason why we couldn't go to Disney in 8 years and TJ, Mexico in 10 years (when Xander is 12). That may be a long time to save for some people, but remember that we're VERY low income...lol. Technically, at the moment, we're no income. The more we talked the more we figured that Xander will still be in the "I want to play" stage when he's 10, but by 12 should be ready for "work and minister" stuff. So, the countdown is on! I can't wait to go back to TJ. You're so right, Prairie, about how the culture and people become a part of you. I've longed to go back just about since I left 16.5 years ago. It feels good to know that there is a plan in place to return, even if it's not for 10 more years.
I've been on two short-term mission trips inside the US. Both were during my college days. The first strip was to East St. Louis. It was inner-city missions. We did much needed work to a Christian center that was a haven to many kids. It was heartbreaking to hear them talk about how family members had been shot and how they had nothing at home. We did repair work on the center, but we also told Bible stories, played games and were just friends to the kids. My second trip was to Branson, MO. During this trip, my team worked along with Habitat for Humanity. The family we were building for was a Christian family who faced many many trials. The mom suffered form cancer, and the family had lost almost everything. They were so grateful for everything we did. We started the house with just a block foundation and 3 1/2 days later, we had, floors, walls, the roof, and some siding down. It was amazing to see God pull us together to get so much done for such a wonderful family. If God opens the door for your family to do missions work, you will be so blessed!
If you ever go back to Branson, we'll have to have lunch! I live about 20 minutes from Branson. I used to work there as a dancer in a show (that has long since closed down, as most Branson shows do).
I went to Mexico with Youth With A Mission -Elm Springs, Arkansas. I have friends that are missionaries with YWAM. It was years ago when I was in high school. They are still missionaries although not just with the Elm Springs training center now but with the larger YWAM initiatives now. It's fun to hear of their travels with their 4 girls. It was an awesome experience. I hope to take my kids when they're older. My brother in law and his family have been missionaries in Kenya for 18 years. They're all home for a year raising support for their next tour....in Rwanda. They've completed their work in Kenya and locals are now running it (they train children's workers to reach the children of Africa). Rwanda's children will be blessed by them next year. They're an awesome family (although I am a bit biased). Rhonda C.
