St. Stephen's YAC & RAM Mission Trips
you are welcome here
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2
Galatians 6:2
Pastor Manisha's Reflections on the Trip:
It has become a yearly ritual at our church—the week of the mission trip, the week that the young people from St. Stephen’s join the diocese to journey to places outside their comfort zone, work harder than they thought possible, and make a difference in this world of ours, one week at a time. Every year, I think that I will finally stop learning something about myself on these trips. Ha!
Mission trips are work trips, but they are mostly spiritual journeys. Every time I am on a trip, I witness God at work in me. I see people differently. I see myself differently. I see God differently. It can be frustrating—God likes to use these trips to reveal all kinds of weaknesses we all have. On each trip there have been plans that go awry, minor (thank you, God!) injuries, drama between youth, drama between adults, misunderstandings and mistakes. On each trip, I aim for peace in myself and I end up with growth. There is something about the ritual of waking up early, working every muscle the good Lord gave you in adverse conditions during the day, and then being forced into fellowship until bedtime with overtired adults and Energizer-bunny youth that leaves everything in you raw—it is a perfect environment for the Holy Spirit to mess everything up that you have worked hard to shelter.
It has become a yearly ritual at our church—the week of the mission trip, the week that the young people from St. Stephen’s join the diocese to journey to places outside their comfort zone, work harder than they thought possible, and make a difference in this world of ours, one week at a time. Every year, I think that I will finally stop learning something about myself on these trips. Ha!
Mission trips are work trips, but they are mostly spiritual journeys. Every time I am on a trip, I witness God at work in me. I see people differently. I see myself differently. I see God differently. It can be frustrating—God likes to use these trips to reveal all kinds of weaknesses we all have. On each trip there have been plans that go awry, minor (thank you, God!) injuries, drama between youth, drama between adults, misunderstandings and mistakes. On each trip, I aim for peace in myself and I end up with growth. There is something about the ritual of waking up early, working every muscle the good Lord gave you in adverse conditions during the day, and then being forced into fellowship until bedtime with overtired adults and Energizer-bunny youth that leaves everything in you raw—it is a perfect environment for the Holy Spirit to mess everything up that you have worked hard to shelter.
Camp Compassion 2011
Grace House on the Mountain
St. Paul, Virginia
Grace House on the Mountain
St. Paul, Virginia
This past trip to the coal-mining country of Virginia, our work team had the pleasure of replacing Linda’s roof. Of course there was an amazingly gifted adult who knows how to do such things and has a gift of teaching young people how to do such things (could this be you on our next trip?). Of course, we had a stellar group of young people who were unstoppable even if there were twenty nests of very mean hornets who had found their home on the same roof that we were tearing apart. And, of course, there was me, their ever-fearful spiritual leader who decided it was way better to have both feet firmly planted on the ground and was not going up on any roof, thank you very much.
Our homeowner, Linda, was a dear. She was Christ among us. They told us she was a talker. It was true. As soon as we stepped into her very humble, but clean and well-loved abode, she talked. She talked about her projects, her druggie daughter, the men who were interested in her, her dead husband, her in-trouble-with-the-law ex-boyfriend. She was a colorful character with crazy stories. I think I heard them all. Twice. Linda loved to talk, and my job was to listen to her so the others in our work team could actually work on her roof. On Monday, our first day of work, I thanked God that I was given this important and crucial job of listening while others could risk their necks high up in the sky. On Tuesday, I asked my team to help me get up on that roof. It certainly was quiet up there.
These yearly mission trips have become a passion of our whole congregation. Those who cannot go pray, offer donations and beam proudly at the young people and adults who do. Those who go tend to get addicted to the week. My joy is that we have young people who went as high school kids and are now in college who let their summer employers know they need the week of the mission trip off. I call them our mission trip junkies. They are really Christ among us.
Maybe next year, you will go on the mission trip, and you can have all the heart-changing experiences and I can stay home, finally maintaining my peace and be unchanged, unscathed, and unaffected. Ha!
Our homeowner, Linda, was a dear. She was Christ among us. They told us she was a talker. It was true. As soon as we stepped into her very humble, but clean and well-loved abode, she talked. She talked about her projects, her druggie daughter, the men who were interested in her, her dead husband, her in-trouble-with-the-law ex-boyfriend. She was a colorful character with crazy stories. I think I heard them all. Twice. Linda loved to talk, and my job was to listen to her so the others in our work team could actually work on her roof. On Monday, our first day of work, I thanked God that I was given this important and crucial job of listening while others could risk their necks high up in the sky. On Tuesday, I asked my team to help me get up on that roof. It certainly was quiet up there.
These yearly mission trips have become a passion of our whole congregation. Those who cannot go pray, offer donations and beam proudly at the young people and adults who do. Those who go tend to get addicted to the week. My joy is that we have young people who went as high school kids and are now in college who let their summer employers know they need the week of the mission trip off. I call them our mission trip junkies. They are really Christ among us.
Maybe next year, you will go on the mission trip, and you can have all the heart-changing experiences and I can stay home, finally maintaining my peace and be unchanged, unscathed, and unaffected. Ha!
Camp Compassion 2010
All Saints Episcopal Church
Pontiac, Michigan
All Saints Episcopal Church
Pontiac, Michigan
Click on any image to view the photo gallery
Camp Compassion 2009
Mission on the Bay
Ocean Spring, Mississippi
Mission on the Bay
Ocean Spring, Mississippi
Click on any image to view the photo gallery