Words alone cannot express how grateful I am for the amazing opportunity God blessed me with this year!
The Call
It started in January this year when I grazed through the church bulletin for the week's announcements. Next to a youth group gathering invitation, there was a list of three different mission trip information meetings. Greece, Alaska, and Honduras. All of the meetings were to occur in the upcoming week in various rooms. I thought each of them sounded pretty interesting, but there was something about the Alaska listing that made me so intrigued about the meeting that I couldn't get it off my mind. I thought it was a bit odd, because I never imagined myself ever going on a mission trip. After I still couldn't get it off my mind after a few days, I figured it wouldn't hurt to go to this mission trip meeting, just to get more information and calm my mind down.
But the meeting only made me even more interested in the Alaska Mission Trip. When I look back on it now, it really shouldn't have. All we did at the meeting was receive an informational flyer about the Alaska trip and the mission trip team leader asked if we had any questions about it. That was the meeting. It was nothing like I expected--no amazing videos or slideshows that laid out what the trip was about and what it would entail. But that's all the meeting needed--a flyer and someone to answer questions--because it is God who calls us to the mission field, and that starts by calling us to the meetings.
I didn't realize that until God showed to me again that He wanted me to be on this mission trip team.
Even though all of these questions, and more. were going through my mind, I managed to complete the application for the internship and submit it before the deadline. I was informed I would hear back about their decision within the next week. The week went by and I still hadn't received a response about the internship. During all of this, I still wondered about the mission trip and even got the application form to be on the team. Each day, I slowly filled out portions of the application form, hesitantly filling out each question and checking it twice to make sure my responses were accurate. I continued to pray, asking God to help lead me to the decision He would have me make.
Eventually, I completed the mission trip application form and checked through it a few more times to make sure everything was filled out to the best of my knowledge. At this point, I was still hesitant about possibly going on a mission trip instead of an internship; I mean, both of them are incredible opportunities, but me? on a mission trip? really?
After a few more days, I decided I might as well submit my completed application form to the trip team leader. I didn't want to lose out on an opportunity of His Almighty Plan and an incredible blessing. I figured that if God wanted me to go on this trip He would take care of everything else.
And that He did.
Less than 24 hours after submitting the application form on a February Tuesday night, I received an email on Wednesday morning from the internship company that I had not been selected for the summer internship program. I couldn't be happier about that email. I still thank God for allowing me to make the decision by myself on whether or not I would go on the mission trip before allowing my circumstances make the decision for me.
But the meeting only made me even more interested in the Alaska Mission Trip. When I look back on it now, it really shouldn't have. All we did at the meeting was receive an informational flyer about the Alaska trip and the mission trip team leader asked if we had any questions about it. That was the meeting. It was nothing like I expected--no amazing videos or slideshows that laid out what the trip was about and what it would entail. But that's all the meeting needed--a flyer and someone to answer questions--because it is God who calls us to the mission field, and that starts by calling us to the meetings.
I didn't realize that until God showed to me again that He wanted me to be on this mission trip team.
The Choice
The possibility of going on a mission trip laid heavily on my heart for the next few weeks. While also focusing on getting my homework assignments done. preparing for tests, and work, I was also in the process of applying for an internship during this summer, which would coincidentally directly conflict with the mission trip. I wondered to myself: Why now? Why not now? What about the internship? Isn't this more important? Is it? And how could I possibly raise enough money to pay for the required fees? Is this opportunity really worth it?Even though all of these questions, and more. were going through my mind, I managed to complete the application for the internship and submit it before the deadline. I was informed I would hear back about their decision within the next week. The week went by and I still hadn't received a response about the internship. During all of this, I still wondered about the mission trip and even got the application form to be on the team. Each day, I slowly filled out portions of the application form, hesitantly filling out each question and checking it twice to make sure my responses were accurate. I continued to pray, asking God to help lead me to the decision He would have me make.
Eventually, I completed the mission trip application form and checked through it a few more times to make sure everything was filled out to the best of my knowledge. At this point, I was still hesitant about possibly going on a mission trip instead of an internship; I mean, both of them are incredible opportunities, but me? on a mission trip? really?
After a few more days, I decided I might as well submit my completed application form to the trip team leader. I didn't want to lose out on an opportunity of His Almighty Plan and an incredible blessing. I figured that if God wanted me to go on this trip He would take care of everything else.
And that He did.
Less than 24 hours after submitting the application form on a February Tuesday night, I received an email on Wednesday morning from the internship company that I had not been selected for the summer internship program. I couldn't be happier about that email. I still thank God for allowing me to make the decision by myself on whether or not I would go on the mission trip before allowing my circumstances make the decision for me.
The Preparations
In the weeks following, my team and I began working on preparing for the mission trip. The majority of our preparations were mental and spiritual, rather than physical. We were expected to be praying, sometimes even fasting. and focusing on our relationship with Jesus Christ. During our bimonthly meetings, we recapped on all of our team's experience thus far. I'll never forget what our team leader told us at the first meeting: the moment you decide to follow God's call and go on a mission trip is the moment when the trip begins. As the trip grew closer, I realized the truth in that statement; all of the prayers, meetings, and outreach we were doing are all vital to the success of a mission trip.The Trip!
The Reflection
This has been a heart-warming, eye-opening, trip of a lifetime that God has blessed me with, and I'm so thankful for that. Many of my team-members are already talking about going back next year! Every time they speak about going again next year though, I wish I could agree with them since I loved being in Alaska so much! But God has other plans for me, with graduation and graduate school coming up.
One thing is for sure: I am going back to Alaska one day. Not next year, but sometime in the distant future. I know this for a fact, deep down in my soul, past the gut and all that.
And cue song!
One thing is for sure: I am going back to Alaska one day. Not next year, but sometime in the distant future. I know this for a fact, deep down in my soul, past the gut and all that.
And cue song!
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