FYM LA September - Making Disciples; Reaching Our World

Expectations of My Missions Trip

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We were asked to write a blog about how we felt before leaving on this mission trip. Here is what I'm expecting...

I'm probably going to be a little scared because this is the first long-term thing I've done. I've been on weeklong work trips and weeklong missions but never more than one or 2 weeks.
I'm expecting that I will look like a lost little girl on the first day. I will be so overwhelmed with everything happening that I will not to know what to do.
I'm expecting to meet amazing new friends who will make my homesickness go away and teach me new things about myself that even I didn't know
I'm expecting to learn what is like to be out on my own learning about myself and learning about how other people perceive me
I'm expecting I will need a lot of sunscreen, chapstick, mosquito repellant, and sunglasses.
I'm expecting I will meet someone (a little boy, an old man, a young girl, anyone I meet) who will change the way I view God and his promises.
I'm expecting God to share with me amazing new ideas and open my heart to anything and everything. Jeremiah 33: 2-3 says this (MESSAGE) "This is God's Message, the God who made earth, made it livable and lasting, known everywhere as God: 'Call to me and I will answer you. I'll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own." Everything we need to know will be revealed to us!
I'm expecting big things to happen when all of us come together for one purpose: to glorify God and have His name preached everywhere we go. I expect radical change in everything we do because God will be behind us.
Most of all I'm expecting to come home changed for the better.

How I Was Called to the Mission Field

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We were asked to write a blog about how we were called to this mission trip. Here is my story...

There were many things that finally brought my attention to the path I am supposed to be taken, here are some of them:

My Life: It all started the day I realized that my career path was going down the tubes. Three and a half years of college down for a zoology major, and I still hadn't applied to vet school. Nor had I had enough experience, nor had I taken the GRE. My interest in the field of veterinary science was still high, but yet I didn't feel the great interest in BEING a vet anymore.

I finally decided I needed to stop listening to what I wanted, and start listening to what God wanted. Here is a verse that one of my spiritual mentors (who I love very much) gave to me:

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

I suddenly realized that life is not about rushing through it, finding a quick career, and getting everything done now now now. I needed to actually learn to listen, to hear what God wanted in my life. So instead of worrying about my life, I settled down to see what God had in store for me, and waited for His promise that He would show me the path to take.

And He did. After realizing I wasn't going off to grad school, I started hearing many of my friends talk about going off into missions. My friend Krista (who has gone with AIM in the past to England) went off to Bali to serve there. The pictures she took, and the excitement she had for the lost people there really touched my heart. My friend Steffi also talked about going to Honduras, and Guatemala with a mission.

Krista recommended AIM to me. I told her I wanted to go on a short missions trip, maybe 1 month or so, to go out and experience the amazingness of sharing the gospel with others.

Nicaragua: I have taken many years of Spanish in high school, as well as minoring in Spanish here at OSU. I can speak it (haha if you call what I do speaking), read it and write it (slowly and painfully). When I went onto AIM's website to look for short missions trips, I kept going back to the Nicaraguan (NINE MONTH!!!!) missions trip. After the 5^th time that I was drawn to that page, I realized that I was being told to apply (yeah I need to learn to listen). And I was accepted!

God gives us what we need to do His work. I may not have the experience of previous long-term mission work, and I wont have the correct words to say all the time, but I do know that whatever we do will make an impact on those around us, and I plan on making the best and greatest impact I can in Nicaragua!

Expectations of my Mission Trip

Sat, 7 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

So, what do I expect as I step forward? Honestly, I have learned never to have set expectations in life because things will never work out as planned. But as I have grown closer to God, he has shown me that I can trust in him to provide for me, and here are some things I do expect from FYM Nicaragua.

I expect a loving team grounded in Christ. I know no one is perfect, but I expect to be surrounded by people actively seeking God and his guidance in their lives. I expect sincerity. I expect to be a part of a community striving to worship God through our lives. I mean, God has handpicked us after all.

I expect prayer, lots of prayer. Prayer together with my teammates, prayer just between me and God, and prayer for me from all of my supporters back home. And I expect encouragement to actually follow God's answers to my prayers.

I expect God's protection as I step into a land very foreign to me.

I expect lots of letters and prayers from home :)

I expect to see God work miracles. I expect to feel that adrenaline when you feel God speaking through you even though seconds before you were too scared to speak.

I expect to witness God's glory.

I expect to make friends that will last me a very long time. Maybe they will help me learn more Spanish :D

I expect to be missed when I leave.

Expectations of my Mission Trip

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We were asked to write a blog about how we felt before leaving on this mission trip. Here is what I'm expecting...

I am actually anxious to get going on this mission trip. I can't wait to see how God is going to work through me, and the other team members. I want to leave now, but at the same time, I feel like if I did, I would miss all my friends here.

Before I even leave for this trip, I will definitely need lots of prayer. I am worried about the cost, but fundraising has been going well. As for prayer, I could always use more time with God, one can never really have too much time with Him.

I am sure that at first, I will feel like, who are these people I am with, they are all strangers, but after about a week, I'm sure we will learn to grow closer together. I am actually shy, and so I expect that I will be timid towards doing things at first, but once I see how people are changed by them I am sure I will become more and more willing to do them.. I don't think that anything else will keep me from my full potential on this trip.

I hope that God will work through everyone on the team, and that we will be able to gain strength and encouragement from each other. I also hope to see and feel humbled by the sight of people coming to Christ, and strengthening their relationships with God.

How I Was Called To The Mission Field

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It all started back in August. Through Young life, I was able to do a month long volunteering job at a camp, in New York. While I was there, I had the most fun seeing how people were getting changed weekly, not only campers, but also the people I was working with. Every day we would get up, have a group devotional, then go out amongst the camp and have our own quiet times. I saw people around me getting more and more excited about doing work, and they were also getting closer to God. This got me excited and I intern happier to do work.

However, this was only for a month and after I got back, into my school routine, I found it a lot harder to stick with the routine I had gotten from camp. I eventually stopped making time to read my bible, and prayed when I felt like I needed to. It created a void between me and God and I realized what was happening. I soon lost my work ethic, which I had gained while working that month, and so I fell back in to my routine of barely passing my classes in school, and settling for the least.

Then in December my dad told me that this wouldn't work, that I wasn't really ready to go to college, which I totally agreed with, he then proceeded to tell me about a program that I could do that would send me anywhere in the world and I would help others out. I immediately began to remember what it was like during that month, and I realized that this was an opportunity for me to get grounded in God. I told him I would pray about it, and truly did, though I didn't have to pray to hard before I realized that this was what God wanted me to do, and that he had spoken through my father to me.

This is how I was called to this mission.

How I Was Called to the Mission Field

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

They never tell you in training camp how this experience will change you. Its not the same as traveling or just experienceing another culture - it is sharing the love of your life, your reason for life, your soul, with people whose faces become intertwined in your memory. They never tell you how you will refer to your life as pre-Peru, post-Peru. Or how, when you step into the airport to return home, your sense of the world changes. Your sense of self has long changed. You see things, everything, differently.

I firmly believe that God placed me on the Ambassador Peru team and that he chose my teammates one by one . He chose us to help and witness each other grow into the awsome force God crafted us to be, to listen, to pray and to sometimes just be there in silence as we let go and regained our identity - an identity in Christ. And, not gonna lie, we had a lot of fun :) In Peru, I felt a sense of home. I had been feeling for quite some time that maybe college right after high school was not his plan for me - I just didn't know what the right path was. But God revealed to me a little bit of himself, well actually a lot of himself, through one of my leaders, Chelsea. Chelsea had just returned from FYM Africa. She became not only a leader for me, but a true friend and mentor who challenged me and thrust me into the life of a true follower of God. Gradually over the month I learned more and more info and fun stories from the program, but these were mere details - I knew the second I heard her speak the words FYM that this was the path for me.

God's will is overwhelming. I can't fight it, even though for while I tried. I put off applying, thinking instead maybe I could be a normal kid and just go to college. But God didn't call us to be normal.

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 9)

I want to live a life of worship to my God who called me out of darkness and into a life of joy and abundance. God has given me a peace about Nicaragua. He will provide for me before the trip and when I come home. I am unbelievably excited. And a little scared. It is going to be a crazy journey. Nicaragua estoy viniendo! Please pray for me :D

Christmas Facts

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

-The first president to decorate the white house Christmas tree in the United States was Franklin Pierce.

-The first state to recognize the Christmas holiday officially was Alabama.

-Coca Cola was the first beverage company to use Santa for a winter promotion.

-The biggest selling Christmas single of all time is Bing Crosby's White Christmas.

-Each year between 34-36 million Christmas trees are produced to cope with the holiday demand.

-Malls will begin decorating for Christmas on November 1.

Expectations

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I expect to be sent, not as part of a group of strangers, but with a family of like-minded peers, all eager and expectant of God to work through us. It will be difficult, but God will give us strength to live among and be a blessing to those we have been called to serve and to each other as well. Each will return home different than when having left, and I expect to develop a clearer vision of where God has called me to serve. I expect to be humbled and to be stretched, but I know there will be a body of believers to which to turn when the inevitable homesickness comes. I expect to be able to have real, deep discussions with both teammates and with those that we are witnessing to, although the latter will probably have to be through an interpretor. I do expect an opportunity to stumble across mis palabras however, getting to know the people there best by trying to learn their language. Especially having seen the daily schedule, and having the absolutely essential quiet time built into it, I expect a leadership team that will help us to grow in the Lord, challenge us, and prepare us to go out again with less of a safety net. I look forward to seeing God glorified through this team that he is building and I know that, as a group, together we will turn to Him first to reveal His sovereign plans.

How I Was Called to Missions

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This is you. I was sitting in a small dorm-like hotel room with my Bible in my lap and German chatter in the background and looked up to see a former youth leader looking at me with a slight smile. "This is you"

I had long been longing to spend an extended period of time in another culture, perhaps as part of a study abroad or a volunteer program. I knew I would be working full time in the ministry eventually, but I figured that would be after marriage, so I had quite some time to worry about that. In Vienna, however, the international church that we were helping to build a second building for had quite a few American helpers, many young and using their time of being unattached to the fullest, serving full time in a culture so different than their own. The church is pastored by an American missionary, proving it is possible to raise a family in another land, if that is what God wants me to do. He hasn't told me yet, and honestly it probably won't come clear for quite some time, but that's ok. I can wait. I could make plans all I want and everything will still end up completely different than expected and so much better. I had absolutely no idea senior year what I would be doing the following fall, but working in a call center was completely out of the question- never even considered, it just never came up and I probably would have refused if God gave me more than 30 seconds to decide once it was offered by the temp agency I wandered into about a week after graduating.

Yet God knows where He wants me and little by little He reveals that plan- just enough so I know the next step that He's asked me to take. On the plane ride home from Vienna I knew that if I said yes, if I surrendered my plans, my work, and my future in whole, it would be so much more rewarding than working my way up the corporate ladder as I had originally entertained. I had said my life was all His before, and I really did mean it, but I knew if that was really to be the case, I needed to set aside my own agenda and simply hold on tight because things were going to start happening fast. Sure enough, once home, God led me to search and allowed me to find AIM's site almost immediately. He encouraged me to apply and sure enough, like He had warned, the acceptance process passed by very quickly and all along He gently keeps me going, saying that it's ok and this is where He wants me. I passed up an opportunity to continue working, but I can finish school (at least an AA) before I go. I may argue that I don't like telephones, that I'm not fluent enough to work in a call center, but He showed me where He wanted me and a year and a half later He's gently tearing me away from it with the confidence and resources needed to reach a new horizon.

Expectations of My Mission Trip

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

We were asked to write a blog on how we felt before leaving on this mission trip. Here is what I'm expecting...

Of course I expect the usual. I expect to have enough food to keep me alive, a place to live, some form of clean water and an opportunity to share the gospel. But besides that, there are a few other things. They're not just from AIM or the trip, but from God as well.

First, I expect a strong team. No, not a perfect, flawless, always loving and happy team, but a strong team. I expect to be surrounded by "a great cloud of witnesses" who have a desire to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ and won't let anything stand in there way. I expect a team that is supportive and encouraging and stays strong and united. And a team that desires to glorify God more than anything else in the world. This is probably my hardest expectation to be met but I do expect it. This is kind of an expectation of God and AIM since they are the ones putting the teams together and of my team members since they are the ones that form the team.

Secondly, I expect God to show up and do some amazing things. I guess I have this expectation because He's done some crazy things on every mission trip I've been on in the past. I've seen crippled people walk, gang members ask to start a Bible study and some crazy prophesies come to pass. I expect Him to do things like these and so much more in the nine months we'll be in Nicaragua and I'm ready to be blown away.

Most of all, I expect God to let Himself be glorified. I expect God to come through and let His "name be great among the nations, from the rising of the sun to the setting of the sun," as it says in Malachi 1:11. After all, this is the reason I'm going on this mission trip and I was commissioned to be a missionary for this purpose.

How I Was Called to the Mission Field

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

We were asked to write a blog about how we were called to this mission trip. Here is my story...

As some of you may have read in my support letter, I had planned to go to New Tribes Bible Institute right after high school, learn how to be a missionary and then go out to which ever country God called me to. But those obviously weren't God's plans. This story may sound a little bit crazy but I guess you would have to be me to understand it. God tends to speak to me in some unusual ways.

One day back in June I was at home alone for almost the whole day. I had no plans and nothing left on my "to do" list so I decided it would be a great idea to spend a whole day in prayer. I hadn't been praying for too long when God put a crazy thought in my head. He kept telling me, "You have a big decision to make" but I wasn't quite sure what this decision was. I prayed about it and asked God to reveal this decision to me and He replied with, "You need to figure out what you are going to do after high school." Of course I knew He really meant, "You need to figure out what I want you to do after high school." Haha! After hearing this I have to admit, I was a little bit unhappy since I thought I had everything nice and planed out. I sat and listened some more and decided to go out in my back yard because I kept getting distracted by things like the giant map on my wall and the computer. After no more than five minutes of listening I felt that I should look to the roof of my house. The first thing I saw was our satellite dish pointing to the southwest and immediately thought, Central America. Like I said this story is a bit weird and might sound a little crazy to people other than me but its how God spoke to me.

I continued listening and couldn't get my mind off of Central America. Eventually I went back inside and decided to look up some trips to Central America for about a year and what do you know, AIM offers a trip to Nicaragua for nine months! So of course I prayed about it and looked up some other trips but I never really got a definite answer. I asked God to reveal His plans to me before I got back from the Philippines because I needed to know whether I would be applying for college when I go back or if I was applying for a mission trip.

One day while at training camp for the Philippines trip, one of the serve crew members and leaders of my last year's trip to Peru told me he saw a vision of me standing in a field preaching the gospel with a hat on. For some reason when he said that I just automatically thought of Nicaragua. Once again, I know it completely sounds crazy but that's what happened. I continued praying about it and God kept giving me little tid-bits of conformation along the way. One morning, as I was having a quiet time on the balcony of our house in the Philippines, Nicaragua came on my heart once again. But this time it was different. I wasn't asking questions. For some reason I just had this peace and I just knew God was telling me at that moment to go. God used such a soft voice but it was so powerful. God had never given me peace like that before. It was strange but I decided it was best to obey. So I got home, signed up, sent out support letters and here I am, on my way to a crazy journey to Nicaragua for nine months. Pray for me.

I Can't Find the Sample Support Letter?

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

It is located in in the Support Raising Handbook that you can find from your Account Page under Required Reading Section.

A Sample Missions Support Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

Hello! I hope this letter finds you well. I am thankful for this opportunity to share what's been going on in my life lately. God has been using me and teaching me in many ways not the least of which has been a call toward missions. I was excited when I found out about an opportunity to join Adventures In Missions to (place). I applied and have now been accepted! I plan to leave (when you are leaving).

My greatest desire is to learn to share the gospel with people my own age. I've discovered that I have a real heart for youth and a love for those desiring to grow in Christ. I have longed to minister in a place where people are aching with hunger for the gospel. During this trip, I will be discipled and trained in various areas of ministry and missions. I will also have the opportunity to minister to people who need to hear of salvation through Jesus.

I thank God for this opportunity that is before me and trust He will meet my needs. Ultimately, my prayer is that He will do that through you. I would be honored if you could partner financially and prayerfully with me in this ministry. I am specifically asking for five people who will commit to pray for me each day until I return. Also, I must raise $4,500.00 for the year that goes directly to AIM. This will cover all my expenses while on the field.

REQUIRED PARAGRAPH:
I have enclosed a response card and pre-addressed envelope, which invites you to share in this ministry. Please make checks payable to Adventures In Missions. Including the enclosed card will provide AIM with all necessary information. In turn, they will send you a receipt. They request that you send all donations at least two weeks before the trip. Adventures In Missions is registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. Donors will receive receipts for their gifts with the understanding that the disbursement of those gifts lies completely at the discretion of Adventures In Missions and that the gifts are non-refundable and non-transferable, per IRS regulations. Gifts may be tax deductible; please consult a tax advisor

I am very excited about how God will use me and what He will teach me through this experience. I hope not only to be a blessing to those I serve, but also to you. My desire is to go as your representative of Jesus Christ. I hope you will prayerfully consider being part of my ministry. Thank you so much!

In Him,

Important Note: Personalize this Support Letter, do not just copy and paste it. Include some facts about the location you are going to. Make it fit YOU!

What Topic Do I Use to Post My Article?

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

You will notice that there are many topics to choose from. We ask that you do not made a new topic and use the ones that are available.

Topic Descriptions:
Trip Updates:
   A Trip Update - For AMB and RL to use as they are on the field

Blogging Assignments:

   Blogging: Missions Trip - Second Blogging Assignment

   Blogging: Expectations - Third Blogging Assignment

Topics for the Contributors to Use:
When you post an article you have a few choices to post your article under.

   Everyone: Fun Stuff - Feel free to use this for Fun Things that you post

   Everyone: General Posts - Use for all your other articles that don't fit under anything else

   Everyone: Prayer Requests - All Prayer Items

Office Only Topics:

These topics are only for those who work in the office to post. When you go to those topics, you will know that the information came from the office.

   Office Only: Admin - Office Details

   Office Only: Blogging - Blogging

   Office Only: Deadlines - Paperwork Deadlines

   Office Only: FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

   Office Only: Flights - Flights

   Office Only: Funds - Support Targets

   Office Only: Listening Prayer - Bible Study

   Office Only: Route Info - Articles for World Race only, that deal with their route info

   Office Only: Staff Communications - Articles from staff members

   Office Only: Support Raising - Support Raising

   Office Only: Training Camp - Infomation about Training Camp

   Office Only: Trip Preparation- Help in preparing you for your trip

Team Member Bios and Pics:

   AMB and RL. All your team members will be posted here.

   FYM, CL and WR - You have personal blogs and this is not used for your teams.

Can I email or fax paperwork in?

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Yes, you can but sometimes we do not recommend it. If you have all your paperwork to send in please mail it all in, in one envelope. If you only have one piece of paperwork you can email or fax it in.

Email address: admissions@adventures.org

Fax number: 770-983-1061

I Mailed in my Deposit but it Does Not Show up in my Support Account?

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

There are many reasons why this might be happening.

ONE: We have not received it in the mail yet. (For some unknown reason it takes mail a little longer to get here than other places. Sometimes things can take a couple weeks to get in.)

TWO: We have received it but after we receive it we send it to a lockbox which then processes it and then sends us a record of it and then it goes on our database. So, it could be on it's way to the lockbox, it could be being processed by the bank, or it could be waiting to get put in our system.

THREE: You filled out the check to something other then, "Adventures in Missions." If so your check is being sent back to you and you will have to rewrite it.

FOUR: Your check bounced. Every once in a while we get a check that bounces so make sure when you send in your check that you have the sufficient funds.

So, if you sent it in with your paperwork, made the check out to "Adventures in Missions" and there were sufficient funds in your account, give it 3 weeks to show up in your account. Please remember that we mark your paperwork when it comes in and then mark your deposit when it shows up in your account.

Where do I Mail in my Paperwork?

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

You will mail your paperwork to:

Adventures In Missions

Admissions Department

6000 Wellspring Trail

Gainesville, GA 30501

How do I become a Contributor?

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

You become a contributor by getting in all your initial paperwork. Once you get that all in it should only take a couple of business days to get that done. But remember we have to receive it in the mail and sometimes the mail takes a LONG time to get here.

How Do I Get My Personal Blog Page?

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Once you get in all your initial paperwork, we will send a request to get that blog made. We record everything on your account page as we recieve it. Before we set that up, everything must be in. If you feel there is an error on your account page, notify us right away and we will fix it for you.

It may take a day or two to activate your blog after it is sent out to be made. You will receive an email once your blog page is ready.

Feel free to put your blog address in your support letters, by the time they get the letter, it will be ready to use.

How do I Access my Account Page?

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

To view your account Page:

Go to: http://www.adventures.org

On the top of the page you will see in MY ACCOUNT in red. Click on that.

Chose your program either Next Step or World Race.

You should go right to your account page.

If you have forgot your password you can click on "Lost Password."

If that does not work :
Email us at: admissions@adventures.org

Call the office Monday through Friday, 9AM to 4PM EST
1-800-881-2461 ext 241 or ask for the Admissions Department.

How Do I View My Support Account?

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Go to your account page. If you do not know how to do that follow the instructions in the FAQ's, "How Do I Get to my Account Page"

Then, once you get into your account page go to:
Click here to view your support status

You will see how much money you have in your account. Remember that checks take a long time to go through our system so give it like 3 weeks.

Where Do I Find My Paperwork?

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Go to your account page, if you do not know how to do that go to the FAQ's, "How Do I Get to My Account Page?"

Then go down to the link that says: "You've been accepted! Please download the appropriate documents on this page."

Click on page and it will send you to the page where you can download your paperwork.

If you want to see what we have recieved from you go to the bottom of your account page and it will tell you.

If you feel there is an error on your page, email us at admissions@adventures.org

I Sent Out My Support Letters What Do I Do Now?

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Congratulations! You sent out your support letter! Now you need to comment on this blog on the article "Have you sent out your support letter?" it is in the topic of Support Raising.

A week after you sent those out you need to call all the people you sent your support letter to and tell them what you are doing and answer any questions they might have. We have found that the follow-up phone call really helps the funds to come in.

SL245: Have You Sent Out Your Support Letter?

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Please leave a comment to let us know when you have sent out your Support Letter!