Florida Mission Trip 2006

I just got home from an amazing week in Jacksonville, Florida with Christian Singers. I had a lot of fun and at the same time learned a lot of things. It wasn't a very exciting beginning when, the first day we got there, were told that Jacksonville has the highest murder rate in America. But we all survived (barely). I'll just go over the highlights and things I learned over this trip:

5. Overdosing is drug-abuse. Yeah, not that I experienced this personally or anything but I would advise not mixing medicines or taking more than the correct amount. It's just bad. Hypothetically speaking, you might get a little high, get made fun of, jumble your words, be a little confused, or cut your own thumb with a knife. And trust me, NO ONE, not even your friends, will help you...they will only make it worse. Hypothetically speaking of course.

4.Even the best fall down sometimes. O.K... the girl who has played 6 ball games in 95 degree weather all in one day passed out... SINGING! No joke...it wasn't pretty. All together my friend Restrained her ankle, another friend had to go to the hospital for dehydration, and the food we were served....well made everyone a little sick. Scratch that, VERY sick. Haha, you can use your imagination with that one.

3.As believers, no matter how different we may be, when it comes down to it we are all a body. This trip I hung out with people that I never before really talked to or haven’t for years. I didn't become great friends or anything, but we all just talked as if we always did. I wish that it could be the same when we are home. I think if we all looked past this life we would always see that we are in this together and we can lean on each other in hard times.

2.WE REALLY DO TAKE FOR GRANTED HOW MUCH WE HAVE. These people had nothing. We saw prostitution, drug deals, beating, and many more horrible things. So many people are searching for Christ and we have Him. We just need to share Him.

1. What you think God's plan is for you isn't always the case. I went down there thinking I was going to lead multiple kids to Christ, when in fact I didn't lead one. I beat myself up for this for a while until I realized a seed is needed and has a large role in salvation. I made a relationship with a 17 year old girl that only needed to see Christ's love. She has had and is having a VERY hard life. I won't go into details but she was at the point of choosing between life and prostitution. After my friend Ashlee and I talked to her and her brother for about an hour she decided to come to worship with us. Here she said she has her first smile in days. I wanted to get the brownie points for winning someone to the Lord, when in reality just showing Christ and his love is just as rewarding. The way I wanted the things to work isn't how God wanted them to. We all need to remember that it's not all about us and it is for His glory, not ours.

Galatians 1:10- "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."