Mission Impossible?

February’s Assignment for Field Ed 130 K:

The month of February has had a focus on missions - Missions Fest, Perspectives in Missions and the Missions Trips. Choose three out of the "Thirteen Missions Debrief Questions" to discuss in your post (questions posted below by Shane on Feb. 23rd). Expand on these questions by incorporating how Missions Fest and Perspectives in Mission assisted or did not assist in your preparation, execution and return from your trip. If the conference or class didn’t help you, why do you think that is? What would have been more beneficial?

Remember that this blog is an opportunity to worship Jesus for what he is doing in and through your ministry. It is not a place to vent. So as you write about things that could have gone better, own the situation. As leaders you have a role in the outcomes you experience.

The blog is to be 500 words in length. As it is much longer than the previous posts it will be due on Wednesday, March 8th at 5 pm. If you have any questions, please ask!

Without further ado, the three questions I have chosen to answer are:

1.    What did you learn or experience that will change the way you live and represent Jesus?

2.    What have you learned about Jesus’ calling on your own life?

3.    When did you start taking the mission trip seriously?

1.    I learned lots through my trip to East Vancouver, Missions Fest, and the Perspective in Missions class. I learned about First Nations Culture and how the lives look for impoverished people living in East Van. I learned about many different cultures through Perspective in Missions and about how important culture is when doing missions. I learned lots about Vancouver’s culture and was experienced a space where I could mentally prepare myself for the East Van trip when I was at Missions Fest. The East Van trip itself was an unforgettable experience and I learned so much about the city, the people, the culture and the church. The most memorable learning experience for me was definitely learning about the poverty and darkness in East Vancouver and through that, I learned about the many organizations like Potters Place and New Beginnings Church that are striving to make a difference and show God’s Grace and love to the people in East Van. I learned that there is always hope in the darkness. The overall experience was awesome and I would not take any of it back!

2.    I started taking the mission trip very seriously when our Vancouver group got to Potters Place on Feb 13th. Potters Place is a soup kitchen (and then some) located on East Hastings in Vancouver, they serve two meals a day, do worship services, sermons, and other outreach for the community. Their clientele consists mostly of people who suffer from substance abuse/addiction, homelessness and prostitution.

The trip came alive here for me because I started to feel like I was being used to further God’s kingdom and I felt that my work was helping a cause that was making a difference in a very dark and broken community.

3.    Ever since I gave my life to God, I knew that he has a calling for my life and I have been anticipating me discovery of said calling. I have had many small hints over the last few years but through the Kaleo program, I have become much closer to discovering God is calling for my life. After my Mission trip to East Van, I can confidently state that God has called me to work in ministry with youth and children. I have watched as the work I do with children at Warmland church in Crofton has grown to improved. At New Beginnings church in East Van, a few of us students had the opportunity to work with a group of children from the area. On the second day in Vancouver, we went swimming with the group and many other students told me that I was doing very well with the children. When we returned to New Beginnings church, we had three days where a few students and I worked with kids through the Say Yes program at the church. Again, many students told me that I did well with the kids and just seeing how much others appreciated my work with the kids helped pushed me to work harder with the kids. In the end absolutely none of the work that I did with the children felt like work but instead it was extremely fun. It was because of these reasons and much prayer that I have come to discover that God has called me to minister to children and youth.

Missions Fest and Perspective in Missions wrap up:

I honestly can say that Missions Fest helped prepare in a sense because it was held in Vancouver as well as the mission trip so it did help to ease me into the trip to already be remotely familiar with the city.

The Perspective in Missions class helped prepare my heart for the mission by reminding me what our purpose is in missions and that we can make a difference in missions.

Both Missions Fest and helped prepare my heart and mind for missions by easing me into a mindset where I was ready to act on the field and aware that everything we did was for others and that we were very much spreading the gospel.

To conclude, I learned many valuable lessons through Missions, I really took the mission trip seriously at Potters Place, and I realized God’s calling for my life in ministering to children and youth through the month of February and it’s focus on Missions.