Adventures in Missions

“I’m Sorry, You Want Us To Do What?”

This is my first official blog I’ve ever done. But I figure my trip to Cambodia is a pretty good time to start. My team – which is made up of 7 amazing girls who are totally in love with the Lord – and I have yet to actually leave for Cambodia, as we’ve been at an intense training camp in Toccoa, Georgia, the past three days. Upon arrival at training camp, I have to admit I was a little nervous, okay a lot nervous about not knowing a single person here, leaving behind my family, friends, and the comforts of things like a bed that I take for granted, and just...

petrichor of a different kind

Petrichor is the smell of rain on dry earth. While at camp, I’ve realized that I’ve experienced a different kind of petrichor in my life recently. Life has been weird and hard and while not always dry, it’s been…a hard season. And getting prepared for Cambodia has been like the coming of the rain, the preparation. My time at training has been that first rain, and after the rain has cleared you can smell the difference in the air, leaving everything clean, damp, malleable, and freshened. Thats what this week has been for me. Today, after the rainfall last night both...

When God Speaks!

God is so amazing that he chooses to speak to his children. He speaks in countless ways, perfectly to each individual. Until this trip, honestly I did not explore other ways God can speak besides scripture. Sunday night of training camp we began with, where everyone closed there eyes and one person would be chosen to have words spoken over them. This is a completely anomouyus exercise. I was chosen first and although many of the girls were from my team, God spoke through them to provide comfort and encourangment. I heard “you are exactly where you are suppose to be” and ”...

You are worthy.

I wanted to start off with telling a story of my plane ride here to Atlanta, where my journey has begun. As I walked on the plane, there was a little girl sitting in my seat, she obviously wanted the window. I was okay with that 🙂 Her eyes lit up when I assume that she realized the stranger sitting next to her was a small girl instead of a large hairy man. Her name was Kayla, she had dark hair and dark eyes and was all of 8 years old. She asked me why I had tennis shoes strapped to my bag, I told her I was going on an adventure. She wanted to come but I told her no...

Discomfort causes Growth

June 4, 2012
Adventures
Guatemala

God is moving and working in my life in ways where I don't feel like the same person and its only been 3 days of training. Arriving at training camp was a bit overwhelming at first and out of my comfort zone, but slowly over time God has been revealing to me that with discomfort brings growth. One activity that we did that stretched me in faith was a surrender activity we did. We had to get a log and write down on the log the things we needed to surrender to God, after praying and letting God reveal to me the things I needed to surrender to become close to Him was...

Let me introduce with a haiku about getting out of bed:

June 4, 2012
Adventures
Guatemala

No no no no no. No no no no no no no. No no no no no. I hate waking up early. But I love God so much more… eh, you give some. you get some. Anywayyyy….. Prior to arriving at training camp, I honestly did not prepare much for this 2-month endeavor. I was so overwhelmed with other things, preparation fell to the bottom of my list. I definitely regret packing so hurriedly last minute and choosing not to get the suggested vaccinations and meds. However, I'll just use this as an opportunity to rely even moreso on the Lord. Training camp has been refreshing. I truly...

the battle cry

June 4, 2012
Adventures
Guatemala

"Go forth seeking adventure. Open your eyes, your ears, your mind, your heart, your spirit, and you'll find adventure everywhere." Wilferd A. Peterson If the past 3 days of training camp have been any indication of what God is going to do through our team in the next two months, Guatemala is going to be changed forever. God has been moving and speaking in powerful ways and that power – the power that raises the dead to LIFE lives inside of us. And we are taking it to the nations. Something we have learned this week is that the more we surrender to God, the more space...

College Missions: How Can You Create a Better World?

If you’ve been keeping up with the blog, you’ve noticed a pattern: Adventures in Missions is asking young adults a big question, “What kind of Passporter will you be?” Don’t know the answer? Take the quiz to find out. Advocate. Caretaker. Adventurer. Or something else? Pinterest, youtube, blogs, Instagram: all mediums to express our creativity to the world. Upcycle is the new recycle. It’s what creators do. We make something out of nothing and we take something and make it better. Here’s how the dictionary likes to define it: cre-a-tiv-i-ty: the...

College Missions: Living an Adventure

God sent us out to the nations, but we all serve in the kingdom differently. Want to discover what kind of Passporter will you be? Take the quiz to find out! Are you an advocate or caretaker? Maybe. Or maybe you’re something else. Never have I ever… -been skydiving -hiked a volcano -eaten a tarantula -rafted the Nile Oh wait…maybe you have, or at least something like it. If you haven’t, we guess it’s probably on your bucket list. Do you thrive on exploration, willing to try anything at least once? You know no strangers and fear no foods. The...

College Missions: Time for a Pop Quiz

School may be out for the summer, but the Passport has a quiz you don’t want to miss. (Don’t worry, it’s not for a grade!) We’re asking the question, “What kind of Passporter will you be?” Why? Because we are all called to live out the Gospel, but we just don’t do it all the same way. That’s what makes us the body of Christ: some are hands, some are feet, others eyes, or ears. Get the idea? Would your friends call you the host(ess) with the most(est)? Are you the one making chicken noodle soup when they’re sick and...

Are Mission Trips Just Another Fad?

Lately, there seems to be a lot of criticism about the effectiveness of short-term missions. To be sure, there are pros and cons to short term missions, and there have always been critics. But I wonder if the seemingly growing number of these discussions recently is an indicator of an entirely new season of missions for the church. In other words… Are we approaching the end of short term missions? This thinking has prompted us at Adventures to ask some critical questions that are really challenging us: Are mission trips becoming just a passing fad, or do they...

College Missions: What Kind of Passporter Will You Be?

Just what kind of Passporter will you be? There’s a quiz for that. As followers of Christ, we’ve all been given the same mandate: go into all the world and make disciples. However, we’re not all wired the same and might accomplish this differently. Some of us are advocates, or creators, while others adventurers, or caretakers. We love and minister differently, with one united purpose: fill the earth with God’s glory and love. So, who are you? “That’s not okay” slips out of...

Author: Adventures