When
I went on this mission trip I had no idea what to expect. I had heard that the
trips were some of the best weeks of your life and that they were life changing.
I knew the work would be hard and tiring but I was ready. The first day of work
I was amazed at how good I felt when I was working and serving others. Yes, I
was tired, but it was a happy tired. I met and saw people from all different
backgrounds. I saw people who had almost nothing but still had strong faith in
the Lord. I saw people who had devoted their lives to spreading the word of
Christ and serving others. This trip made me realize how blessed I am and how
much I have to be thankful for. It was a big eye opener for me. The agencies we
served inspired me to come home and try to make my community a better place. My
faith grew over this trip and I felt close to God when we would journal at
nighttime. This past mission trip was an amazing and, yes, life changing
experience and I cannot wait till next year!
-Linnea Jurs
The question was: What Has
changed this week about your soul so far?
"I was scared because
Philadelphia is known as a rough city. My dad wasn't too supportive about the
city. I felt that coming on the Mission Trip was all I needed to do to make a
difference. But now after seeing how much the people who work at Sarnelli House
and Work to Ride are dedicated to their causes and how appreciative the helped
people are, I know that if I want to make a difference, I have to be willing to
work for it all the time. Not just one week. When I get home, I want to serve
and do stuff in Gastonia that can make a difference all
year."
-Sarah Towner
Tuesday July 24th,
Today I worked with a group of about 10 people at the
Camden Neighborhood Center. Upon arrival a man named Mike greeted us and gave
us a tour around the neighborhood Center. He called himself the Center's "people
person", and it was really clear why, for he was a very nice and social guy. He
led many of the projects around the center and also dealt with organizing the
kids. After the tour, he escorted me and my small group across the road to an
empty, overgrown, and trashed lot. Our job was to use tools and a lawn mower to
clear the lot as much as we could. This labor was very vigorous and tiring, but
during that day I felt I was closer to God than I had ever been before.
Secluded from the big city and traffic, my group worked hours upon hours to
clear a lot for a totally unknown reason. However, we put our trust in God (and
Mike) and made huge progress on the lot. Later, the whole group reflected on
what we had done and discussed the differences we had made in just one day. It
was a very fulfilling experience, and very pleasing to see the considerable
progress the four of us made on such a huge overgrown space that would later be
used to expand the Neighborhood Center. As we packed up and headed for the city,
I thought about how great of a guy Mike, a stranger we just met, must be. He
spends his whole day organizing large amounts of kids, feeding hundreds of
homeless people, and offering his faith to the whole community of Camden, all
with a great attitude and a smile on his face. It is people like him who inspire
us all to be unselfish, loving children of God.
-Jake Rowe
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