three words that describe my missions trip are joyful, compassion and growth. This was my first time out of the country, first time working with orphans and first missions trip. This experience exceeded all my expectations and it was amazing to see how God worked through our team. It wasn’t easy though. With the extreme heat, sickness, and language barrier, I definitely couldn’t have done it without Gods strength!
the first group of orphans we worked with consisted of around 45 8-18 year olds from an orphanage near by. starting from the first day i was able to connect with a few kids around my age. we formed friendships by playing sports, smiling, google translate and games. One thing God showed me was how possible it is to show His love and kindness with kids my age even though we have very different lives and don’t speak the same language. One of my favorite parts during the first week were the water fights we would have. the temperature got up to 103 so it was nice to cool down while also bonding with the kids. we sprayed each other with the hose, teamed up and dumped buckets of water on anyone who looked dry, and had a great time. it was really hard to say goodbye on the last day knowing that it’s possible i’ll never see these kids again. But God gave me a peace knowing He made an impact using me to show these kids love and security. The first week I also had an opportunity to visit a different group of kids (not orphans) later at night in a gypsy village. this was an optional activity but i felt God calling me past the tiredness to connect with these kids as well. we drove to a church in the gypsy village were there were mostly younger children and i could tell right away these kids had a difficult life. I met so many joyful children but i was able to really bond with these two little girls. it was heartbreaking to look down at these little 5-6 year olds smiling faces knowing they’ve been through so much but still had so much joy and love. when i had to say goodbye I had to trust that God would take care of them and help them to remember him when times got rough. i can only believe that the little seed i planted would continue to grow the rest of their lives. one thing ill never forget is hugging little Jenny goodbye as she said i love you and kissed me on the cheek. i couldn’t have made that kind of impact without God working. the second week we had a group of special needs orphans that we worked with. it was definitely a different experience and required a lot more attention and energy. I noticed right away that these kids had more excitement, joy and love. i was able to really bond with a little boy who had just broken his leg. he stood out to me because on top of everything he was already going through, he couldn’t even play with kids or move around easily. we threw the football together while he sat down, tic tac toe and many magic tricks. God was able to show me that he can work through me by barely talking and just being present and smiling. it also moved me to see how the other kids in the orphanage took care of him. They kept coming to
check on him, got him food and water and let him take their seat. it inspired me to put others first more often and think of their needs before mine. another kid i connected with had a big attitude but still so much love. we were kind’ve sassy with each other but it’s how we bonded. i felt compassion knowing he was around the same age as my little brother. i couldn’t even imagine my brother going through the same thing. something God made eye opening for me was how much i took advantage of what he gave me and how blessed i truly am. coming back from this trip i really want to continue on the love of christ and keep asking him to use me to grow his kingdom. my relationship with God grew even stronger this trip and i pray i won’t lose that momentum coming home. Im so thankful for the friendships i made this trip especially with the H2H staff. it’s crazy how close you can get with someone you’ve never met after being together for just 2 weeks. they were really encouraging throughout the whole trip and i hope i can see them again. they made a big positive impact on the trip and i love the memories we made. I’m thankful for emmanuel faith and H2H for this opportunity and for God and the way he used me to make an impact for his kingdom.
the first group of orphans we worked with consisted of around 45 8-18 year olds from an orphanage near by. starting from the first day i was able to connect with a few kids around my age. we formed friendships by playing sports, smiling, google translate and games. One thing God showed me was how possible it is to show His love and kindness with kids my age even though we have very different lives and don’t speak the same language. One of my favorite parts during the first week were the water fights we would have. the temperature got up to 103 so it was nice to cool down while also bonding with the kids. we sprayed each other with the hose, teamed up and dumped buckets of water on anyone who looked dry, and had a great time. it was really hard to say goodbye on the last day knowing that it’s possible i’ll never see these kids again. But God gave me a peace knowing He made an impact using me to show these kids love and security. The first week I also had an opportunity to visit a different group of kids (not orphans) later at night in a gypsy village. this was an optional activity but i felt God calling me past the tiredness to connect with these kids as well. we drove to a church in the gypsy village were there were mostly younger children and i could tell right away these kids had a difficult life. I met so many joyful children but i was able to really bond with these two little girls. it was heartbreaking to look down at these little 5-6 year olds smiling faces knowing they’ve been through so much but still had so much joy and love. when i had to say goodbye I had to trust that God would take care of them and help them to remember him when times got rough. i can only believe that the little seed i planted would continue to grow the rest of their lives. one thing ill never forget is hugging little Jenny goodbye as she said i love you and kissed me on the cheek. i couldn’t have made that kind of impact without God working. the second week we had a group of special needs orphans that we worked with. it was definitely a different experience and required a lot more attention and energy. I noticed right away that these kids had more excitement, joy and love. i was able to really bond with a little boy who had just broken his leg. he stood out to me because on top of everything he was already going through, he couldn’t even play with kids or move around easily. we threw the football together while he sat down, tic tac toe and many magic tricks. God was able to show me that he can work through me by barely talking and just being present and smiling. it also moved me to see how the other kids in the orphanage took care of him. They kept coming to
check on him, got him food and water and let him take their seat. it inspired me to put others first more often and think of their needs before mine. another kid i connected with had a big attitude but still so much love. we were kind’ve sassy with each other but it’s how we bonded. i felt compassion knowing he was around the same age as my little brother. i couldn’t even imagine my brother going through the same thing. something God made eye opening for me was how much i took advantage of what he gave me and how blessed i truly am. coming back from this trip i really want to continue on the love of christ and keep asking him to use me to grow his kingdom. my relationship with God grew even stronger this trip and i pray i won’t lose that momentum coming home. Im so thankful for the friendships i made this trip especially with the H2H staff. it’s crazy how close you can get with someone you’ve never met after being together for just 2 weeks. they were really encouraging throughout the whole trip and i hope i can see them again. they made a big positive impact on the trip and i love the memories we made. I’m thankful for emmanuel faith and H2H for this opportunity and for God and the way he used me to make an impact for his kingdom.