Jul
28
Written by:
Felicia Fox
7/28/2010 1:53 PM
Last week was amazing! I spent it with eleven youth from our church on a mission trip to Asheville, NC. The people I spent the week with changed me. Each relationship from the trip left a mark on my life. I’d like to take a moment and share with you a little about them.
First, let me introduce you to Jordan. She was the intern who was given the task of keeping our group out of trouble and on target. She did a great job. She served as an encourager, worker, and example of the love of Christ to each of us on the trip. She allowed me to live out one of the things on my bucket list. She and I were able to take a homeless lady out for a meal. I’ll admit, I don’t think I would have the courage or the faith to do that on my own. Jordan saw past the circumstances of each person we meet that week and loved them like Christ would. That’s a lesson I hope to take away with me from Jordan.
Jean, the homeless lady, that Jordan I took out taught me lot also. Over lunch we had a conversation about how some of the churches in the area treated the homeless. She shared with me about how a church had stopped ministering to the homeless people because it was too much work with too little pay off. I was reminded of the times I’ve questioned the value of a ministry because the work seemed too hard or demanding and the payoff to small. She helped me put a face to those we often turn our backs on as Christians.
I also meet Dietrich at a soup kitchen on our mission trip. I made the mistake of joining him at his table. I asked him how he was and then he unleashed on me. He asked me what difference knowing how he was feeling that day would make in twenty years. He confronted me on the color of my skin and pointed out how his was different. He shared with me how “my people” had been putting down “his people” for over 300 years. Not knowing what to say, I apologized. He chastised me for my apology. Then he apologized to me for talking to me that way. He explained how he was testing to see if I was really going to care enough about him to stick around and listen to him. I passed the test because he shared with me his faith. I was amazed as I heard him talk about how good God was to him. From Dietrich I learned to be more genuine in my interactions with other people.
Spending a week on a mission trip with our youth impacted my life. I will never forget all of the fun and serous moments we shared together. Trust me I have the scars to prove it. I also have the lasting marks on my soul that each person I interacted with left there.
Copyright ©2010 Felicia Fox