Adventures in Missions

Why am I here?

June 6, 2011
Adventures
Guatemala

The last few days we have been at training camp. It is absolutely beautiful! The land is covered with stately green trees and hills (mini mountains compared to Nebraska!) So much has happened! One the lighter side, picture each team facing each other in a very intense dance off….or almost 200 real-lifers dancing during “super-awesome-morning-time” to Lion King’s “The Circle of Life”! But most importantly, God has been moving and working already in preparation for this trip. He has done many things in my heart, but perhaps the...

Following God’s Lead: Burritos and Brian

This September, Joey Springer’s going to be a part of our first Real Life: Immersion (9 months in 3 continents); in a matter of days, he’ll get his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Communication from the University of Washington. Back in April, his random run to Chipotle turned out to be a divine appointment: I had a God moment yesterday [April 21st]. Two nights ago I slept for only about two hours because I was frantically trying to finish a research paper for one of my political science classes. The next day, while sitting in my first class, I...

On the Air: Adventures in Missions on Alabama Tornado Relief

Tomorrow morning, we’ll be on the radio on Victory 91.5 FM to share what we’ve seen on the ground in Alabama and how you can be a part of rebuilding and restoration efforts. Tune in at 6 a.m. EST on the radio if you’re near northern Georgia or on the web! Meanwhile, here are four articles on recent developments of the situation in Alabama and one article about responding to the recent string of weather-related disasters (listed in chronological order): From The Birmingham News FEMA expands, extends deadline for Alabama tornado debris removal From The Augusta Gazette...

Alabama Relief: Transformation After Tornado

Not long after tornadoes tore through Alabama, we were able to go and assess the needs and how Adventures could help. We’ve been sending teams in to help with recovery and rebuilding efforts. Tonya Norman, one of the first of our staff to be on the ground, offers these reflections: When the first responders move out and the dust settles a bit, that’s usually about the time that most of the public begins focusing on other headlines. Until I came here to Alabama, I had no idea the level of devastation that this area had faced. When you round that last curve in the hills of...

Two Reasons to Go on a Short Term Mission Trip

I’ve be going on and leading short-term mission trips with AIM for about five years now. What started as an event in which I was a mere bystander has turned into a lifestyle in which I am a full-fledged participant. I think we all go through this paradigm shift as we experience more of God’s kingdom. As you begin your journey, usually a short term mission trip looks more like a glorified service project than it does Matthew 10 (i.e. healing sickness, casting out demons, preaching the gospel). But as you go, you begin to change, and the journey becomes...

Expecting the Spectacular

May 22, 2011
Adventures
Guatemala

Hola amigos! I hope all is well for you and know that you are in my prayers. I will be in Guatemala in 16 days. I’ve never been out of the country nor on any sort of mission trip that didn’t involve sleeping in my own bed later that evening. I don’t think I know exactly what I’m getting myself into here. Which is a good thing! When you’re preparing for… well, pretty much anything… they say to expect the unexpected, but I think in this case I’m going to expect the spectacular. Spectacular experiences that I’ll get to tell stories about...

Welcome Home, Real Life

After four months on the field, our Real Life missionaries made it home. Since January, they’ve been in India, Thailand, Kenya, Uganda, Nicaragua, where they’ve encountered God in ways they hadn’t imagined and experienced his love more deeply than before. They’ve been transformed by what they’ve seen and who they’ve met. The churches, ministries, people and villages they’ve serve have impacted our missionaries just as much as the missionaries made an impact. Gabe is a precious little boy who lives at Sarah’s Covenant Home (SCH) in India. He...

Mothers, We Celebrate You

Ever since you became a mom, you haven’t gotten much sleep, have you? You had to sleep on your side during the latter months of your pregnancy. You endured hours of labor (or Caesarean section?) to bring us out to the world. You hardly slept those first few months feeding us while all we did was eat, sleep and poop. You wouldn’t be able to rest when chicken pox or the flu kept us up. You stay up when we stay out, even though by now, most of us are too old for a curfew. You get up early to prepare some of our favorite home-cooked meals. You share in our insomnia when we...

So I Go

May 4, 2011
Adventures
World Race

Do you feel… discontent? stuck in the status quo? unfulfilled by the ordinary? like you’ve outgrown your life? You’re not the only one. Right now, 31 year-old Chicago native and spoken word artist Michael Perez is in India, the ninth country of eleven on his World Race, which he began in September 2010. While growing up in the inner city, amidst gangs and violence, he encountered God in an apartment building; he was 13 years old. He’d witnessed everything from a homicide to God introducing himself to gang members on the...

Is Your Life Too Small?

April 28, 2011
Adventures
World Race

Do you feel… discontent? stuck in the status quo? unfulfilled by the ordinary? like you’ve outgrown your life? You’re not the only one. After you watch this video, featuring the poetic genius of Mike Perez, share it on Facebook and Twitter by setting this as your status and/or tweeting this: Your life feel too small? You’re not alone http://bit.ly/dZKQgb

Celebrating 90,000

At 6 years old, “I was AIM’s first employee; my job was licking stamps,” said Talia Barnes. On September 1989, Adventures in Missions (AIM) was first formed as Seth Barnes (Talia’s father), his family and a few friends got together in a garage in Florida to mail invitations to join them on a short-term missions trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica. This spring, AIM has reached a milestone: 90,000 people have been mobilized onto the missions field. Rosie Watson was the first person AIM sent out; originally from Jamaica, she suggested the location. “It’s pretty...