This past week I returned from co-leading a group of high school students to Belize. It was a whole new way to experience a mission trip……to stand in the background and help these teens grow in their walk. So, though the trip included very little sleep (do you know high school kids don’t sleep), extreme heat, and random events; it was amazing.
The impact the group made on the children of Georgeville (the village we were in) was evident from the start. The local kids never wanted to leave us and would stay late, only to hitch-hike home later. Many were only nine. Alcoholism, drug abuse, and domestic violence runs high there; but one thing we could offer was comfort. We knew from the get go that our trip would be about comfort. The children of Georgeville needed someone to dote on them, play games, give piggy back rides, sing, pray, and love them. They needed to know that they matter. Goodbye was extremely hard and the tears poured.
Other things we did in the village was construction work, visiting a nursing home, and home visits. The high schoolers were exposed to things most had never experienced; things they had to learn to give to God. One story was of a little girl who watched her step-father stab her one year old brother, killing him. Another was a group of siblings who were abused by their stepfather, which I happened to witness one day. They hung out with us a lot and even with their circumstances, brought so much joy to us. It made us all appreciate things more, even the roach infested concrete floor we slept on every night.
In the end it was amazing to watch God transform the participants. From day one at training camp to the last day in Belize, they grew so much in their faith. It was also amazing to watch them minister to each other, and go through some breaking that needed to happen. I didn’t realize how much I would miss them too…..it was a great group, a great trip.
So, what could possibly be next for me? Well….. I am flying back to Georgia on August 5 to help with a human trafficking training camp. I have been blessed to be a part of a Cambodia anti-human trafficking project. This has included coaching girls who are in Cambodia fighting it, research, prayer, and much more. I am also hoping to fly to Phnom Penh with a group, on our project, to do a vision/research trip. This trip is supposed to happen in the beginning of September. God has been amazing thus far in anointing my path. I am in awe of how he has guided me in his own way…..He is awesome!
Please partner with me in prayer and if you feel led financially. It is because of those blessings that I am able to continue to follow where God is leading me. Thank You!!
