Mission Trips Part 3 -- San Diego, CA

Good morning! I wanted to continue on my journey of sharing my mission trip experiences with you guys. The second mission trip I went on was to San Diego, CA and it was one of my favorites! This trip was over Spring Break of my junior year of college (Spring 2010). A group from my BCM campus ministry decided to do a Spring Break mission trip and I was excited to go with a group of people I was already familiar with. It was really cool to be doing something that would make a difference over my Spring Break instead of just taking a beach vacation. I had only been to California once when I was a baby because I have family that lives there, but I hadn't returned since. There was always something that allured me to California and made me want to visit again. I knew to expect beautiful weather and beaches, but soon enough I would get to know the beautiful people who resided there as well.

 

We got up really early and headed to the airport. The flight wasn't too bad and because of the 4 hour time difference we arrived at about the same time we had left Atlanta. We were excited to be there and to see what God had in store for our trip! (Side note: This was also the first mission trip I had ever raised money for and it was just amazing to see God work while I was trying to raise enough funds to make my trip possible. I'm sure you figured out by now that God did in fact provide for my trip and I actually ended up with more donations than I even needed!)

 

 

The first thing we did after getting settled was go out and do some team building activities. I was a little thrown off by this because I was expecting to go out and do ministry, but looking back it was a great decision. It allowed our group to bond right away and practice working together as a team which would be crucial over the next week. We also took some time to find a place of solitude and spend time alone with God before we starting ministering. I found this to be very helpful because it allowed me to focus and be reminded of what my purpose there really was. It was easy to get caught up in all that is California, but I was there for a specific reason: to share the Gospel.

 

 

We were able to stay at a Christian mission organization, but at the moment I cannot remember the name of it. They were an amazing group of people who had come together to minister to the people of San Diego and to show them an unforgettable type of love. See, California is very different than Georgia. California is much more liberal and much less like the padded "Bible Belt" our group was used to. There is not a church on every corner and not everyone had heard about Jesus since birth. This Christian organization was only one of a few in the area and they tried their best to make up for it. 

 

Because of how our trip fell, the next day ended up being our free day during the trip. We were excited to explore the city and see the different sites. We ended up at La Jolla beach and it was beautiful! I absolutely love the ocean, so in a sense this whole trip was like a dream because we were constantly surrounded by the breath-taking waters and gorgeous sunsets.

 

The next morning, we got to work! We were quickly informed upon our arrival that San Diego is home one of the biggest homeless populations in the world. Because of the warm weather, many homeless people can live in San Diego year round and remain safe from the freezing or boiling temps. There were many different organizations that worked with the homeless and we were fortunate enough to team up with one of them. The San Diego Rescue Mission was where we spent a few of our days in San Diego helping with various tasks and having our eyes opened to the reality of homelessness. We toured the property which contained many rooms, bathrooms, and eating areas for women and children to stay in, wash up, and get fed before heading back out to the streets during the days. Each night, hundreds of people would line the streets to try to get a night's stay in this place. It was crazy for me to even think about. We helped serve the homeless lunch while we were there (another service that they provided) and we even went to a food pantry and talked with many of the homeless people while they were waiting for their meal. One of my most vivid memories of the trip was gathering up food and walking the streets handing it out the all the different homeless people we saw. It was scary but very eye-opening. We had some great, Godly conversations and surprisingly those people had a lot more joy than even I had. They didn't rely on "things" to keep them happy. God had given them joy and peace through their unfortunate circumstances. They had used this time to grow closer to the Lord and had many wise things to say. It was a pretty great night and I learned more than I ever expected from the homeless.

 

 

We helped out with some churches while we were there. One day we helped a group who was currently planting a church. A few people and their families were starting from scratch and had slowly gained a following. Our group helped pass out fliers to the local neighborhoods informing them of this new church arrival and seeing if they were interested in being a part of it. We also visited a few different colleges and aided with their campus ministries. It was fun to interact with college students from across the country.

 

 

We did all of our traveling in this van...it quickly became our home! We had a blast together over that week and learned so much. Our group experienced so many different parts of San Diego and our eyes were really opened there. The people that we got to interact with for the week were just wonderful and you could tell the heart and plans they had for this city.

I loved California just as much if not more than I thought I would! I had such a great experience on this particular trip! "Greater things have yet to come; greater things are still to be done in this city." I truly believe that about San Diego. Although the Christian popular there is small, the ones that are there now have such a passion for the people of San Diego. I had peace while leaving knowing that this city was in good hands.

I Can't Do This Alone

Over the past 9 months, I have had the pleasure of being a part of two special groups. The first being a girl's Bible study for the average 20 something and the second being my Sunday school class at my church. Both of these groups were answered prayers for me.

When I was in college, I was a part of a few different small groups and came to really enjoy and appreciate them. I was able to bear my heart and bond with those in the group through similar struggles, joys, and circumstances. You see, these ladies helped me understand the true need for fellowship in the Christian walk. I finally understood how essential other people are in our faith. Yes, you can do it alone, but it is so much more fulfilling to have others walk alongside you. I experienced fellow believers praying for me, encouraging me, and holding me up through the trials in my life. I learned so much more in a group than I would have ever learned on my own and it was truly a joy to be a part of these small groups.

Since I graduated from college, I have lacked that close bond of fellowship in my life. I didn't have a group of people to learn from and rely on. I didn't have a group of people to pray for me or for me to lay my heart out to. I struggled to find friends in the same phase of life as me and something just felt off about the few groups I did try out. At the end of last summer, I prayed for a group of people to come in to my life and allow for that close bond again. I wanted to learn and be pushed. I wanted to be surrounded by a few people who were in the same phase of life as me and would understand where I was coming from. I wanted to be held accountable for all these great intentions I had but never carried out. Well, that prayer was answered beyond my expectation. This year I was blessed with two different groups of people. Both of them are completely opposite and God definitely taught me that you can learn something from any group of people if you are open and willing.

The first group came about when one of my good friends asked me if I would be interested in starting a Bible study for young, married women. She asked at the perfect time when I was desiring to be around some women who were also newlyweds. Not that I didn't love my single friends, but being a newlywed, I knew there was so much I could learn from other married women. There were also struggles and joys that I wanted to share with people who I knew would understand. The group started this fall and has been nothing but a blessing in my life. I have grown so much through this group and the books we have studied. The material has been inspiring, but the women in the group far outdid anything I could have read. I learned so much from all of the ladies in this Bible study and finally got the fellowship that I had been craving. We laughed together, cried together, and shared our burdens and fears. Most nights we would lay it all out on the table and I would leave feeling nothing less than complete fulfillment, the courage to keep going, and the challenge to be a more Godly woman. I was so deeply encouraged by this group and it was a confirmation of how crucial fellowship is in my walk.

The second group is not as traditional as the first, and that was the beauty of it. I first started attending Mountain View UMC in June of 2013. I was interested in joining a Sunday school class, but because I went to the early service, my options were limited. I ended up joining a class full of older people. To be honest, I was a little hesitant at first and nervous to see how I would fit in to the group. The impact this group has had on me has been a complete surprise and I have loved every minute of it. I have learned so much from this group of older believers and have been very challenged by their faith. They have really been there for me and encouraged me during hard times. They have consistently prayed for me and asked about specific things I have mentioned months later. They pay attention to the details and they care. They are such a sweet group of people and my eyes have been opened to the wisdom they carry. We have also read some great material in that class and going through it together allowed me to learn more and ask questions that I couldn't answer on my own. Reading it together allowed our study to be rich instead of just mediocre. The group effort allowed us to dig deep. I love my Sunday school class and am so thankful for our weekly meetings that I always look forward to. God had a different idea with this group and it ended up completely surpassing my expectations.

God has created us for many things, but one of the essential things that we have been created for is relationship. We have been created to have relationships with one another. God made us that way. He allows those relationships to spur us on and fill us up. Oh how different the Christian walk would be if we did not have each other. I am so grateful for the relationships and times of fellowship that God has given me. If you do not have others in your life that you can rely on for those important times of fellowship and relationship, I deeply encourage you to find a group or a few different people that can be that for you. It is such an essential part of my faith and I can't express the impact that these people have had on my life.