Dear Family and Friends,
It has been a two weeks since I have been home from my trip to South Africa. I thought the words would come to me to help explain to you exactly what I took away from my time away, but the words have not come. It has taken me two weeks to realize the words will never come, because the way God uses us and changes us are indescribable. I did not come back drastically changed as if God showed me my future, but I took away much more; I took home clarity. Growing up in the church I have seen God and have heard truth, but after this trip I have come to realize that I must put forth everything God has spoken to me and I must fully live for Him. No longer should I live a life of selfish desires because EVERYTHING we do is for the greatness of God and the betterment of His Kingdom.
I went into this trip not knowing what to expect, and all of my expectations were completely rocked. God knew exactly what He was doing when He showed me this trip. I joined a World Race team in their 7th month. World Race is a mission trip that allows young adults to minister to 11 different countries in 11 months. Each month the World Race teams are given different contacts with different ministries, and this month the team I joined, Unveiled Pursuit, was assigned to Higher Ground, an organization that provides a normal camp experience to people with disabilities. Each week was a group with different disabilities and a completely different experience.
CAMP 1
During the first week, we held a camp for young adults that were blind or partially sighted. It was such an amazing week because I was able to connect with several campers and have real conversations with them. My main purpose going into this month was to serve and to show God’s love. I did not want to force the Gospel down anyone’s throat. In my experience, this technique usually causes more problems. Instead, I believe it is best to love these people and if the conversations present themselves, then we must take advantage and share the Gospel. These guys had so many questions about God. Even though we did not see the fruits of our teachings, I know God used us to plant the seeds. I learned that missionaries may never see people come to know Jesus, but that doesn’t mean that God isn’t using you. Who knows, maybe 10 years from now these kids will think to themselves and ask what was different about those counselors at Higher Ground camp? The answer will be the love of God.
CAMP 2
The second camp was the most spiritually rewarding week of the month. The camp was for people with acquired brain injuries. This means that all of these people were at some point in their lives just like you and me, but a car wreck or stroke took away some of their physical abilities or mental abilities. During the first night of worship, the campers praised God with the most love I had seen in a very long time. It took almost all I had to not break down and cry. God is so good, but if anyone has the right to be angry with God, it is these campers, but they still love Him and know that everything that happens is for the good of God. It may not seem good to the human mindset, but God knows this is for the building of His Kingdom. The hardest part about this week was that it was my turn to give a short sermon. I was scared and had no intention of doing it, but Matt, my teammate, gave me some great words. We all are speaking for the same God. It’s not if we think we are good enough or if we have the right words, because God will provide the words. We just must be obedient to Him and His will. After I spoke, thinking I had done terrible, two different ladies came and said how much they enjoyed it and related. God is amazing.
CAMP 3
The last camp was for teenagers with mental disabilities. In my cabin, I had two people with autism, Michael (20) and Gerard (17). This camp was very challenging and a lot of work. Most of these campers had to be watched at all times. At first I struggled with communication because conversations were almost impossible. This made me feel like a babysitter, but soon I realized that the purpose was to make sure they were having fun and to show love. Gerard could not talk and could not understand me. He did not like to be touched and would have no contact with anyone. I thought that he must be having a terrible time, but as the week went on I could see his mood change, and at the end of the week he gave me a hug goodbye. This was comforting knowing we had done our job.
And Then…
This experience was something I will treasure forever. Yes, the ministry was incredible and I learned a lot. I enjoyed being able to serve others with God’s love. However, the main thing I brought home is what I learned from my team, Wesley, Tyler, Rebecca, Becca, Matt, Dania, and Michael. I was able to live a month with true servants of the Lord. It was amazing to be surrounded by the love of God all month because God is using these people to reach others, and they have no idea how much they touched me. I believe that everyone is called to do mission work; however, I do not believe mission work is necessarily traveling the world. Sometimes mission work is right in your backyard or sometimes it is helping someone financially or praying for them daily. Just as you have helped me, I encourage you to keep my team in your prayers as they finish out their journey. They have three more months left: China, the Philippines, and Nepal. Pray for them and pray that God will continue to use them to further His Kingdom.
Thanks for Everything!
Kyle
