So, What Did I Learn...?

I was a freshman in high school when I went on last summer's student mission trip to Tennessee. While it wasn't my first mission trip, it was my first as a high schooler - and that affected how I looked at the middle school students that went along. No matter how much you enjoyed your middle school friends in eighth grade - when you get to be a big ninth grader, those middle school friends are less appealing. Needless to say, I was not looking forward to spending a week with noisy, stinky, immature middle school boys! In fact, on the way to Tennessee, I rode in the Suburban with my parents-my PARENTS! I was going to Tennessee with the expectation that the middle school students would be a problem, but God changed my view and my heart that week.

I saw God work through every one of the middle schoolers that week. They stepped out of their comfort zones with little or no thought; they worked without complaint on dinner crew and clean up crew; and they partied with nursing home residents without any self-consciousness. Watching a seventh grade boy just sitting and holding the hand of an elderly resident as she stared off into space, I realized that these guys were less scared than I was to interact with the people we came into contact with. They amazed me everyday that week!

God used the trip to Tennessee to show me just how awesome these immature, smelly middle schoolers really are. Their servant hearts are huge and still growing! In fact, I realized that I did like hanging out with them - so now I help lead a middle school girl's small group on Friday nights. What a difference a week makes!

  ~Melissa Z.

I am a proud mother of four. I wasn't sure how my presence would affect my teens' (Melissa and David) experiences and memories, but with their "permission," my husband, Ken, and I were welcomed aboard for the trip. And boy, did God bless my time!

I pictured serving the youth, being all wise and helpful, nurturing THEIR experiences, etc... when God showed me an altogether different sort of blessing. He let me witness young hearts growing in their relationship with Jesus! What a privilege to peek into teenagers' lives as they served the Lord in unity! I witnessed sacrifice, commitment, patience, responsibility, flexibility, relationship building, moving worship experiences, lots of laughter, some tears and joy in loving not only each other, but the various people in the community with which we connected. I loved seeing the high school students befriending the middle school students, little children being played with and loved, and watching young people serve the elderly with pure joy and innocence... what a reflection of God's love!

I thought this community was something new that was developing - but early into the trip, I realized these students and youth leaders had been developing this community and these relationships for several years. I was just lucky to be present and part of it for seven days. Lucky? No, actually, I would say blessed.

  ~Linda Z.