WHY AM I GOING ON THIS TRIP?
February 12
Before I get into the specifics of the trip, let me give you the nickel tour inside my mind, to see what makes me tick. There are 3 main ideas that came into play when deciding if I should go on this trip.
First, I like to travel, explore, and have adventures. I think that a large portion of those passions came about through my time in the Scouting movement. Throughout middle and high school, I was very active in Scouting. We went camping every month, focusing on a different type of outdoor adventure each time. Once I got into college, I started doing trips with my brother and friends whenever we could during the various breaks from school.
In high school, I got into photography, and this was another outlet for me to explore the world around me.
Second, I am also driven by the passion to make a difference in the lives of those around me. Several years ago, one of the sermons at church focused on the idea of having a personal mission statement. The sermon could have been titled “Ten Words” because the gist of the sermon was that we all should have a simple but direct, 10-word phrase that we can use as a mission statement for our lives, a guiding compass to lead us down the path we want to go. For me, I set the 10-word limit aside, and came up with the phrase:
“Using my God-given time, talents, and treasures to make a difference in the lives of those around me.”
I feel that the concept behind this phrase was a major influence in my life long before I put the words together into a single sentence.
Lastly, as a Christian, I have felt the love and presence of God in my life. My faith is something that is important to me, and I am always striving to grow deeper in my faith.
How does this all relate to the Go Trip? Well, the trip fits perfectly in line with all three of these ideas. It is a chance to travel to another country and explore a different culture. It is a chance to learn about people in a different part of the world. It will be quite the adventure to have stepping out of my comfort zone.
Likewise, it is a chance to serve others. I will be giving of my time, talents, and treasures to help alleviate, in some small way, the poverty of others.
Lastly, and ultimately the most important, this trip will be a chance for me to live out my faith, to share the love of God with others, and to draw closer to God. It will be a chance to serve God through service to others.
There are two verses from the Bible that came to mind when thinking about whether I should go on this trip. In Mark 16:15, Jesus gave the Great Commission to all Christians when he said, “Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation.”. I will be helping to proclaim the Gospel through my service to others. In Matthew 25:40, Jesus tells his disciples that “Whatsoever you do to the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” By serving the children of Guatemala, we will be able to serve Jesus himself.
Starting shortly after graduating college nearly 2½ decades ago, I have been supporting missionaries around the world, from Indonesia, Eastern Europe, Peru, and various parts around the United States. I have been putting my money behind my values all those years, now it is my time to put my time and talents behind those values as well. It is my time to step up to the plate.
I have talked to several people who have gone on a Go Trip in past years, and a common theme is that they went to serve other people, but in doing so, God spoke to them in a profound way during the trip and their faith was deeply strengthened. They were just as blessed by the trip as the people they went to serve. That is my hope as well.
First, I like to travel, explore, and have adventures. I think that a large portion of those passions came about through my time in the Scouting movement. Throughout middle and high school, I was very active in Scouting. We went camping every month, focusing on a different type of outdoor adventure each time. Once I got into college, I started doing trips with my brother and friends whenever we could during the various breaks from school.
In high school, I got into photography, and this was another outlet for me to explore the world around me.
Second, I am also driven by the passion to make a difference in the lives of those around me. Several years ago, one of the sermons at church focused on the idea of having a personal mission statement. The sermon could have been titled “Ten Words” because the gist of the sermon was that we all should have a simple but direct, 10-word phrase that we can use as a mission statement for our lives, a guiding compass to lead us down the path we want to go. For me, I set the 10-word limit aside, and came up with the phrase:
“Using my God-given time, talents, and treasures to make a difference in the lives of those around me.”
I feel that the concept behind this phrase was a major influence in my life long before I put the words together into a single sentence.
Lastly, as a Christian, I have felt the love and presence of God in my life. My faith is something that is important to me, and I am always striving to grow deeper in my faith.
How does this all relate to the Go Trip? Well, the trip fits perfectly in line with all three of these ideas. It is a chance to travel to another country and explore a different culture. It is a chance to learn about people in a different part of the world. It will be quite the adventure to have stepping out of my comfort zone.
Likewise, it is a chance to serve others. I will be giving of my time, talents, and treasures to help alleviate, in some small way, the poverty of others.
Lastly, and ultimately the most important, this trip will be a chance for me to live out my faith, to share the love of God with others, and to draw closer to God. It will be a chance to serve God through service to others.
There are two verses from the Bible that came to mind when thinking about whether I should go on this trip. In Mark 16:15, Jesus gave the Great Commission to all Christians when he said, “Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation.”. I will be helping to proclaim the Gospel through my service to others. In Matthew 25:40, Jesus tells his disciples that “Whatsoever you do to the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” By serving the children of Guatemala, we will be able to serve Jesus himself.
Starting shortly after graduating college nearly 2½ decades ago, I have been supporting missionaries around the world, from Indonesia, Eastern Europe, Peru, and various parts around the United States. I have been putting my money behind my values all those years, now it is my time to put my time and talents behind those values as well. It is my time to step up to the plate.
I have talked to several people who have gone on a Go Trip in past years, and a common theme is that they went to serve other people, but in doing so, God spoke to them in a profound way during the trip and their faith was deeply strengthened. They were just as blessed by the trip as the people they went to serve. That is my hope as well.