PLEASURE & PAIN - Nashville Mission Trip 2011

During the five days that our high school students are serving in Nashville, our large group is being split up into six teams. Student ministry intern Jason White (not the Jason White from Tuttle) and I have the privilege of leading Team 5, made up of nine incredible teens.

So far we have helped Project Cure prepare shipments of medical supplies and equipment bound for Third World nations, encouraged and prepared dinner for women in transition from prison to regular life at The Next Door, plus we have spent time both days at the Andrew Jackson Boys and Girls Club (AJBGC).

It has been an incredible blessing to see these teenagers at work. I could sense a bit of fear and trepidation when we arrived at the AJBGC. But every single student jumped right in and engaged with the children. Our time at AJBGC is quickly becoming the high point of our day as we build relationships with the children. I never knew that Carpetball could be a tool for building relationships.

We have met some physical needs so far.

Our work at Project Cure is helping to provide medical assistance for 15,000 people. It is estimated that every man hour invested in preparing a shipment impacts the lives of 10 people at the shipments destination. We put in 25 man hours at Project Cure, so that means we impacted 250 people. That makes a difference.

Yesterday we helped clean the facility at The Next Door and then prepared the evening meal (baked ham, mac & cheese, pineapple, cornbread and pie) for the 40 women who are currently at the facility. We also wrote letters of encouragement to the staff and residents there.

It would be easy for our group to be hesitant or stand-offish where we are serving. After all, on the surface, "these people" are not like us. They look different, they act different and sometimes they even smell a little different. But our teenagers realize that the kids at AJBGC, the women we meet, the people we serve they are JUST LIKE US. They have the same needs, wants, and require love and affection.

And meeting those needs for love, affection and acceptance is the focus of what we're doing at AJBGC. We play with the children, encourage them and increasingly see them with the eyes of Christ: each one is a beautiful and unique creation.

That's all pleasure, but there has been a little pain...

Yesterday during lunch our team went to the park for lunch. One young man, Jacob, had an unfortunate encounter with a swing that required three stitches above the right eyebrow. Jacob handled it like a trooper after spending most of Tuesday afternoon at the ER at Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt University.

No mission trip is incident free, but if this is the worst we encounter then it will still be a great week. We are embracing our motto/mantra for the week: This is the best week of our lives.

Soli Deo gloria.

Michael
Sent from my iPhone