A New Day, A New Faith

Continued from "In Winter, Don't Retreat...Attack!"


Photo's by Matt Parks and Dean Hershey

"Now what?" I asked myself.


"The Winter Attack got me fired up for missions, but I'm still not sure if I want to apply.  I mean, leading high school students who help the poor is an awesome thing, and I would be honored to do it again.  My issue is the cost.  Not so much the dollar amount (as I've been blessed with some incredible supporters), but time.  I invested so much in the trip last year and don't know if I'm willing to do it again this year.  I'm feeling like I just need a season off."


I took a couple days vacation after the Winter Attack to relax and consider my options.  The time off was refreshing.  I had a chance to pray, spend time outside, and discuss my decision with friends and family.  I concluded that despite being a bit tired, I would again throw my hat in the mission ring.  


My next question was, "Deeper or Broader?"  Sure Haiti was amazing, but there are Eight other trips I could apply for.  


The Ireland mission is new this year and at the top of almost everyone's list.  


"Share the Gospel with the Irish kids at film festivals and other youth events?" I mused.  "I'm in!  Besides, I should go to a county other then Haiti to check out what's going on in other mission fields." 


I didn't want to make the final call without more time in prayer and reflection with those closest to me.  The Ireland trip would be awesome, but returning to Haiti would allow me to experience their culture on a deeper level.  Plus it will be an entirely different mission.  Last year we stayed at a church compound outside Port-au-Prince and took "day trips" to the serving locations.  This year we will go into the mountains and live among the people in a village.  This is definitely what front line missions are all about: dirt, bugs, questionable water quality, and living side-by-side the people you are serving. 


I was allured by the challenge and submitted my application for Haiti.  


Remember Jonathan, our VBS MC in Haiti?

Turns out he was our guest speaker for the Winter Attack!  I had a great time reconnecting with him and talking about what opportunities might await us in Haiti.  Truth is, this mission was my first choice all along.  Deep down I knew I wanted to go below the surface and live with the poor in their community.  Jonathan even taught me a few Creole phrases to get me started!

So here I am, once again ready to put in the hard work required to face the challenges we will meet in Haiti!  


But something was wrong.  Something was weighing on my shoulders that I could not ignore.  I was pumped for the mission, but still feeling quite exhausted from an almost two year, non-stop serving/ volunteering marathon.  My short vacay after the Attack was helpful, but not enough.  


Feeling overwhelmed by the weight of an epic third world mission, I prayed to God in my journal:

2-9-12

655AM

Mount Joy, PA

My Apt

I am tired.  I have been tired for many years.  I need more then a vacation, I need a season of rest.  I would not be disappointed if I was not chosen for Haiti.  From my perspective I feel I am tailor made for that trip.  It is good experience and an amazing opportunity to go deeper into a culture, but I wouldn’t mind a regional trip at all.  I always choose the toughest assignment.  As a result, I get burned out.  I don’t want to cop out.  I am proud, and more worried about my image then I should be, but I wouldn’t mind if I wasn’t selected for this trip.  If I am needed somewhere else, I wouldn’t mind going.  Please take this cup from me, but if it is Your will, I will go.  I don’t feel right about withdrawing, but if I’m knocked out, I’d be OK. 

It's the ultimate dilemma.  I want to experience the grittiness of a front line third world mission.  I want my faith, strength, and resolve to be tested in this difficult environment.  I want to connect with our students and Haitians on a deeper level, and use my gifts to better their lives.  But I'm tired.  I'm tired of volunteering the majority of my summers to plan for events.  Prior to last summer, I spent the previous 4 summers as an event planner and camp counselor for a camp for kids with rheumatic diseases, Camp JRA.  All of that time spent was more then worth it, but I still needed a break.  I want to go somewhere, but  don't want to sacrifice for all of the pre trip work.  I just want to show up somewhere and do it!


Unfortunately, I didn't see myself getting a break.  Like I wrote, "I am tailored for Haiti."  I experienced the insanity of the airport, participated in the difficult mission work, programmed VBS, can speak some Creole, and am comfortable in primitive living conditions.  Not only that, but I am willing to learn more Creole, teach it to our students and leaders, and program VBS all over again.  It is a new year and a new trip.  My faith in Christ has to be new every day.  He provided for me in so many ways on the mission last year and had to trust he would do it again.  I am ready to fully engage in every way I possibly can.  How could I not be selected for this trip?


Wednesday, February 15, our youth pastor John sat down next to me at the Circl3 (youth group) leader meeting.  


"Hey Adam!  So, um, were not sending you to Haiti!"


"Really!?" I said with a half-disappointed, half-excited tone.  


"Yeah.  Only a small group is going and we want to send people from the church's Lancaster City campus.  Haiti is their long term mission focus and we are trying to strengthen relationships between people there and our partners in the Haitian community." 


"OK." I said.  (Hadn't considered that!)


John continued, "We had so many students apply for missions that we needed to add a 10th trip.  This new one will be at an English camp in Germany and we need someone "sporty" to engage kids in athletic activities.  We though you would be perfect for that!"


"WOW!" I though.  "When I woke up this morning I did not know I was going to be sent to Germany!"  


"Yeah, John!" I said. "That sounds great"


I don't yet know a lot about it, but we will be teaching German kids English at a camp that offers sports and art programs.  Talk about being tailor made for something!  I love camp!  I loved being a camper as a kid and counselor as an adult.  I love working with kids, especially through the avenues of sports and art.  And I love being outside all day long!


I am a little disappointed about not being selected for Haiti, but my excitement for this new and unexpected opportunity has me thrilled.  Not only that, but look at how God responded to my prayer!  I didn't want to quit on Haiti but was feeling anxiety about going.  I wanted to go somewhere but didn't have the energy for another summer of planning programs.  Six days after my prayer, however, God's response was to send me to a camp in Germany?!  The week prior, this trip didn't even exist!  These happenings were nothing short of a miracle.  


Germany will be challenging, but not to the level of Haiti.  The living conditions should be less stressful and I don't think it will require nearly the pre trip work.  We are still waiting on a lot of the details, so I have to see what is revealed.  All I know is I have a new chance to lead our students toward a life of servanthood and introduce some German kids to the love of Christ.  I am excited all around and can't wait to see what happens.  


My next step is to connect with people who may be interested in supporting this venture.  Keep an eye on Mission Anywhere to see where this next section of trail will lead.  

More on this, Coming Soon...

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In Winter, Don't Retreat...Attack!

My first mission of the new year.  At Circl3 (the youth group with which I serve) we call it the Winter Attack.  Most youth groups go on some type of retreat during the winter, but not us.  Instead of hanging out at a retreat center or bombing down the slopes, our group goes on a day mission in Philadelphia to fight against homeless, poverty, and injustice.  We certainly enjoy retreating and relaxing but this trip is all about serving. 


The theme of this years Attack is "We are the 1%". Most of us wouldn't consider ourselves "rich" by American standards, but compared to the rest of the worlds population we are exceedingly wealthy.  This event is a chance for us to remove ourselves from our abundance and serve the afflicted and the homeless in places we wouldn't normally go.  


The weekend is full of teaching, activities, and personal reflection but the actual mission takes place on a Saturday.  

We woke to a beautiful sky at sunrise.  After a quick meal of toast and oatmeal, we were off to Philly to begin the attack.

This was the quietest bus of teenage boys EVER!  Reason:  8AM and no girls to talk to!


There were ladies on the attack, but they served at separate locations.  This army of teens filled four busses with 50 people per bus.  Ours was bound for Hunting Park while the others were dispatched to different ministries throughout the city.


We reached our battle ground,

and rendezvoused with our commander.

Leroy Fisher's personality did not fit the hard nosed, intimidating, inner city native I expected to meet.  He certainly wasn't a pushover, but his sense of humor,  positive attitude, and hospitality made us feel welcome.  


He was raised a few blocks from the park and used to play there as a boy.  As he grew older, the area surrounding the park got worse.  When Leroy returned from serving in the Marine Corps, he found the park had become a breeding ground for drug dealing, violence, and prostitution.  Sickened by the pathetic state of his childhood stomping ground, he banded together with community leaders and launched an effort to retake the park.  


I asked him if this was his full time job, and he said he is 100% volunteer at the park and works another full time job.  "This is my home," he said.  "How can you not take care of your home?"  Since initiating the restoration effort, Leroy has attracted funding from the NFL, Philadelphia Phillies, and other prominent organizations from around the city.  


Our part in this campaign was simple: pick up trash! 

The refuse we collected was not common to most parks in Lancaster County, but in Hunting it is the norm.  Drug baggies, hypodermic needles, condom wrappers, and liquor bottles were everywhere.  One of our students was taken aback at the sight of an empty baby food jar.  "It's crazy to think that someone is trying to care for a child in this environment," he said.  "Who knows how they will turn out."  

One of the leaders, Chris, saw our shirts and had an idea for a slogan.  "United, the 1% can make a difference!"  So true.  At the park, we weren't in direct contact with the homeless and widows as some of our teams were, but we still impacted the city in a big way.  50 of us picked up trash for four hours.  Thats 200 man hours, or at minimum wage, $1450 in labor.  

Not only that, but residents from the community witnessed us working that entire time.  If they saw use taking an interest in keeping the park clean, hopefully they will too.  That is Leroy's vision for this project: "healthy park, healthy neighborhood."  It's amazing how one person's example can change an entire community.  


We bagged as much as we could and dropped it at the curb.  

It was such an awesome day!  Good weather,

strapping, courageous leaders,

and a great team!

After serving, we had a period of reflection at the Cathedral Basilica in center city...  

then back home toward setting sun.

The Winter Attack is more then a weekend serving trip, it is a test drive.  If our students enjoyed this experience, then how much more would they like serving somewhere for an entire week?  We discovered the answer is, "A LOT MORE!"  201 out of about 250 students applied for summer missions!  The cool part is that our students want to do more then travel.  They really want to serve others.  It's exciting to see what God has done and will continue to do with this youth group.   
  
The Winter Attack was the beginning of the road to my Haiti Experience last year, and will be a new beginning again for me this year.  Who knows where this trail will lead???

Coming soon...

" A New Day, A New Faith"

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