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Hey all, I've had several requests to post the "results" of my latest mission trip so here it goes.
We left Madison with 18 middle school youth (14 of them girls) and I was cringing just thinking about the trip. After all, can anyone out there think of a possitive thing about their middle school years? We had about a 12 hour van ride in which I got to know a few of them a little too well (the smell of their feet and the like).
Arrived in S.D. to find that the mission was slightly different than I had anticipated. Rather than the typical "working on houses" trip, we were splitting the week. Two days of house work and two days of kid work. Running sort of a day camp for the tribal kids that wanted to attend. Wow, that was a very powerful experience. Both working with the local kids as well as the joy it gave my heart to watch my kids working with the local kids. There is a gang of girls in my group that I lovingly call the "Barbies". Lots of makeup, big hair and pink EVERYTHING. I couldn't even imagine them getting down and dirty on this trip but it was very refreshing to see them forget it all and work for God.
I think what I got most out of the whole thing was new relationships with people. Some of the people I knew and was able to build better relationships, some people I never met before and was able to at least attempt to be the hands and feet of Christ and try to spread love that way. I didn't see any radical changes of anyone suddenly finding the Lord but I think I was able to show them what I meant to live in Him and how it felt. Who knows, maybe I'm full of beans. But I'm feeling pretty good right now, (as long as I don't caugh or laugh)




Here's a pic of two of my new "girlfriends". Holly and her sister Amber, local girls that pretty much had themselves draped on me the entire time I was there. I LOVED IT!
That's all I can think of at the moment. I'm still about 72 hours behind on sleep so my pea brain isn't thinking too clearly (not to mention that I've got enough Percocet in my system to put a small cow down).
Thanks for the thoughts and prayers.
If you ever get asked to do something like this, say yes, and figure out the logistics later. You won't be sorry I promise.
Pwoolson38558.7783217593

SOunds like a blast. I remember taking busloads of Kids on Mission trips when I was in the ministry. I recently ran into a kid who went on a trip 12 years ago and she still considers it the biggest life changing event of her life. Don't know If i would have the energy to be doing that now,

Paul: It's so important for kids to see how other people live. My son has been on two mission trips through our church. One to the high mountains of Mexico and one trip to Haiti. It was a real eye opening and heart softening experience. He came back a changed young man with memories to last a life time.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

Thanks for the update. I believe God is smiling about it.

Paul,
Thank you for taking the time and investing in something so all important. You were certainly in alot of peoples prayers here. Brian

Hi, Paul
It's refreshing to see this amid all the normal posts. Good for you.    My son just returned from a mission trip in Nicauragua (?) last week and is on another this week on a reservation in Tuba City, Arizona. It is so worthwhile.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Hey Paul, great to hear that you took sometime out of your busy schedule to do a little work for the Lord. I trust He will reward you for it. Three of my kids have done mission trips others have done Bible camps(including me). The experience is one they never forget. And though they don't retain the all the knowledge they learned of other cultures and peoples, small glimpes of their experiences still shine through now and then. I am glad you could go with these students and be a spiritual guide for them. May lives be changed by your actions. Keep looking up.

Paul, thanks for sharing your experiences with all of us (that are interested and listening).

I have been part of many mission trips and I think it was me that was changed more than the people who we went to help. It is the precious little ones that latch on during these trips that touch the heart the deepest.

I come from a 400 year line of ministers and growing up was taught that if we hold for ourselves what we have been blessed with then we miss the blessing of being to give to others. My 3 brothers, my sister and I all have gone through bible schools and seminaries and have all been in fulltime ministery at times, but missions trips have many times been more formative than all of the theological training.

One vivid memory was of a church and school that we had built in Haiti back in the 70's. I was the oldest of 5 kids and we were all involved in various ministries. After 2 weeks working in high temperatures and higher humidity, we were going back to the US.

Many on the trip (several churches went together) wanted to stop and get souvenirs to bring back to the states. We were told that the locals that they expect you to haggle so people were quibbling over pennies for the mahogany crafts they were bringing back to the US!

We were running late making it to the airport so we started to gather people into the bus we were travelling in. I was about 17 and one of my younger brothers was lagging behind so we went to look for him in the market where we had been shopping.

There he was in the middle of a crowd of kids and adults, my 14 year old brother stood holding his suitcase over his head while people were calling out and grabbing for it. My brother saw that most had clothes that were in worse shape than the ones he was bringing back to the US so he could not leave without giving them to those in need.

His difficulty was that they would not take them unless he took one of the goods that they had to offer so he would trade a pair of Levi's jeans for a pair of bookends, a polo shirt for a bamboo fan and so on till all he had was the now full suitcase of trinkets he had been given.

We made it back to the group and rushed to the airport where there were more people begging so the last thing that he did before getting on the plane was to give away his sneakers. He was a sight when our parents picked us up at the airport as he steps off the plane wearing a pair of cutoff shorts and his oldest, most ragged t-shirt, and bare feet. When they asked what he thought he was doing he replied, "I didnt have anything more to give and I didnt know if they would let me on the plane if I didnt have a shirt on...".

What had happened is that he had been touched and had seen how much he had and just could not leave without giving...the missions trip had changed his life.

We have been on lots of missions trips since but this memory from teenage years was what I remembered as you described your trip...(we had a few "Barbies" on trips as well)

Thanks for sharing,
Shawn