I went on this trip to Peru to step outside my comfort zone and to experience a different culture. The mission trip was a great success and a learning experience for all the people involved. We stayed and worked in a neighborhood called Bocanegra near Lima. We managed to help build two pre-fabricated homes, put a roof on a third home, help with a vacation Bible school, paint the inside of the church and helped buy the church new sound equipment.
I really feel like we made an impact during our short stay in Peru. We were examples of Christ’s love through our work projects. Our translator Alex often told us we really stood out. Not only were we tall and Caucasian, but we were working to help others. These were things they rarely see in this rough neighborhood. My favorite part of the trip was playing with the kids in the park. These kids really don’t have any material possessions, yet they are happy and very welcoming to us. We played volleyball, basketball, frisbee and soccer. The people of Peru made an impression on my heart. I’m already thinking about returning.
The thought of sharing the Gospel with somebody at the time seemed pretty difficult, and being one of the only guys on my trip, Bill [Barnd] asked me to lead my own team with my sister and another girl. I was a little nervous at first, I didn't exactly know what to say. Three days later, though, after leading my team on a couple house to house missions, my ability in allowing God to use me to evangelize had grown greatly. It was the last night of the trip, and a group of teenage guys were talking to Bill Barnd and I, and Bill asked me to share the gospel with them. We went to a private place, and I told them with confidence about what God had done in my life, and what he also could do in their lives. That was a big step, and that moment summed up why I believe God brought me on that trip.
I traveled to help one of our affiliated churches in Costa Rica with eight others from Evergreen. I went on this trip with a desire to serve people. It was incredibly humbling to come back from the trip knowing I had gained so much more than I had given. The biggest life lesson I learned was that if you step forward in an outward sign of obedience, God will shower blessings down upon you in ways that you cannot even imagine.
As the mission team assembled to watch the [Jesus] movie, a sense of awe came over us as we felt humbled to be part of God's plan to reach the outermost parts of the earth. The arduous climb [up a mountain to this remote Honduran village] was quickly becoming a faded memory compared to the awesome experience of being used by God. It was a night I will never forget.
I liked working with the villagers and their kids. They helped us dig dirt. With the help of translators we got to know these people. We shared our faith. The villagers invited their friends to come and help out with the digging. By helping these people dig dirt, I saw how we could spread the Gospel.
Last summer, my husband, Jon, and I made a decision to go on a short term mission trip to Nairobi, Kenya, with 11 other folks from Evergreen. We were touched during the 40 days of Purpose campaign to put our faith in action on a mission trip. When Mark Stiglicz approached us in late summer of 2004 we felt God leading us to say yes. The objective of our trip was to encourage the Hagman family and to participate in some of Eric's building projects for buildings in Africa that are built to help spread the Gospel of Christ.
In October, my mother died unexpectedly. When going through her papers, we found that she was sponsoring a child through the Kenya Children's Fund, an organization based in Hopkins, MN. We called them to assume sponsorship of this little girl and discovered that Eric Hagman manages construction projects at the school she attends and that we would be going to this school on our first day in Nairobi and we would meet her! Even though she knew we were going to Kenya, Mom never mentioned Felister to me. This was like an embrace from my Mom, affirming my decision to go Kenya even in the midst of grieving for her.
We met Felister at the Kinyago Dandora School on our first day in Kenya. This school is a beacon of Christ's light in one of the most dismal places on earth. The joy of the Lord was truly reflected in these children. Meeting Felister and visiting the school was the most profound moment of a trip that was one of the most incredible blessings of my life. We brought Felister a picture of Mom, and while we are not sure she understood everything that was going on, I'm sure she understood that we worship an awesome God!