This mission trip to France was an awesome experience for me. Getting to know the group on a deeper level was such a blessing and a challenge for me. God really showed me that each one of His children is unique in their own way. Each has his or her own gifts that the Lord has blessed them with. It was really cool to see how each of our gifts worked together in order to please Christ during our time in France. I really felt that we all became like brothers in France. Even though I knew each of them fairly well, being able to serve alongside them brought an even closer bond.
I was also really encouraged by the church members and Point Bible. Their willingness to serve us by making us meals and having us over was such a testimony to me. I really realized how big God is! The thought that there are Christians out in France that don’t even speak our language and come from a completely different culture but serve the same God was incredible. Serj and Michelle had to be two of the most loving people I’ve ever met. How I can’t wait for the day when we will see them in heaven and be able to communicate.
The trip was also a humbling experience for me. God revealed pride in my heart that I was unaware of at the time. Going into the trip, thinking I had this whole testimony thing down, I was quickly confronted. After giving my testimony on Sunday in church and hearing some constructive criticism, I realized that maybe I didn’t have it down after all. As the team leader of this trip I also began to think of myself as somewhat more important than the others. God showed me that each one of our team members is no more important or valuable than another but that we all have specific roles in which we are to serve.
Rob and Vikki were so much fun. Vikki was so sweet loving towards us. Even though she had a bad need, she was still doing all she could to serve us and serve the kids. She’s awesome! Robo, man I miss that guy. I miss him waking us up like a drill sergeant. Good times! It was really cool getting to know Rob and hearing about their experiences with missions and just gaining wisdom from him. He really helped me with being able to share my faith more clearly. After giving my testimony that Sunday, he helped me realize that I need to use my testimony to show unbelievers proof of God’s work in my life. I really enjoyed spending time with them and I am so thankful for their ministry.
The camps were a blast. Even though there was a language barrier between us we still managed to communicate with the kids. Investing in and loving on those kids meant so much to them. You could really tell by how excited and happy they were. That was the true reason we were there, to show those kids the love of Christ because of what Christ has done in our lives. I pray that seeds were planted and one day some of those kids will know the truth. I will never forget this trip and I hope to return someday and serve with Rob and Vikki again.
