"It looks like the mission trip is almost here!" - Lauren Taylor

    Well…it looks like the mission trip is almost here. And now that it’s so close, it feels like the anxiety that’s been building up for the last several months is about to snowball its way into an avalanche. My list of fears and agitations goes something like this: First of all, I’ll have to leave a lot of my familiar comforts behind…my cell phone and laptop, hot showers, beds, makeup, my family and friends…and many other things I like to have around me. And that’s enough to make anyone nervous. Secondly, but I’ll be exposed to a lot of things I’m not used to…for instance, there’s a much wider array of ethnicities and cultures in San Diego than in my teensy little hometown of Hockinson. It’ll be quite nerve-wracking to interact with so many different people, including ones that may not even want to talk to me or accept my help. And this is all not to mention the long, long, long drive or the fact that the only other group in attendance will be a huge bunch of…dramatic pause…middle schoolers. (Gasp!)
    But as I think about it some more, I realize…who am I to complain? Why should I worry about such trivial things like my hair or the age of my working partners when there are so many people with legitimate worries…like whether or not they’ll get to eat tonight? It’s scary to think that, like so many people who have been affected by this recession, I could be wondering things like that too. And, I guess, that’s why we’re going on this trip…To learn to put the serious needs of others in front our own petty desires. This isn’t a vacation or a retreat where we get to drink lemonade or play on the beach all day. It’s a mission…a journey that requires us to step out of our personal bubbles and spread God’s word to everyone we touch.
     If you are willing, I’d like whoever is reading this to do me a favor. Pray for me and the rest of our group, that we may cast out inhibitions aside in order to help others. Pray for our leaders, that they may keep us safe and guide us where we need to go. But, most importantly, pray for the people of San Diego, that they my open their hearts to our assistance…and that they see God reflected in us.

-Lauren Taylor