Walking with Jesus in the Valley!-Literally The Valley
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.Galatians 6:9
Every summer I look forward not only for the two month vacation I get from work and school, but also I know for an entire week. I forget about myself and put others first. I can't remember the details of our first year we went on our Mission Trip to Piedras Negras, Mexico. I was new at the whole idea of helping others. The years to come are very vivid in my mind. I rememeber meeting Maria and Juanito and their other sibling.We build a roof connecting their house to the church that they had build the previous year. I remember seeing everyone hammering and nailing, hanging and holding. It was one of the first time I got to help build something. I f you were not building you were cleaning, I think it was so fun to clean and sort out what we bought we often would make a bigger mess than what was already there. We had vacation bible school with the school kids next door. We played, laughed, and listen to their stories. The children always had one question in common:Can you stay? It always hurt to leave their sad faces and hoping that are week there made a difference in their life. We always knew that we where never going to see them again. One summer our location was at the orphanage, we helped built houses along the railroad tracks, we would rotate among the 3-4 houses and the kitchen. I remember one day working in the kitchen and on the menu for dinner spaghetti. We made so much spaghetti it was coming out of our ears. We decided that evening that we where going to pass the raming food out along the railroad tracks. As we got in back of the truck all I could think about what if, people come are we going to have enough, If we don't have enough am I going to have the heart to tell people there's no more I'm sorry. We prayed for the food before we started to call the people who going to recieve it. And when I say that God heard are prayer that evening to multiply the food just like the loads of bread and fish. (John 6:1-14) He did it indeed. To much are excitement there was even food left over that we started to pass out in a furthur location. I remember coming to a certain location at the railroad tracks and there was this little girl tugging at my shirt, as I looked down at her she asked me: If I remembered her: After looking at her for a minute my thoughts ran back to the summer before. Under the pavillion of the orphanage where we were having vbs, I had this little girl in my group who in some way remind me of myself when I was yonger, black curly frizzy hair, with a smile that lighted up her entire personanality. I remember her mother talking to the pastor's of our churches if they could help in buying her some new shoes because the one she had were her only pair and the soles where already coming off that she had to drag them so that they couldn't lift everytime she walked. As I stood there looking at her her big smile came back, and I realized that my going to Mission Trips really do make a difference in someone's life. If it was only that one person that I changed the outcome of her life then my going was NOT in vain. Unfortunately we havent been back to Mexico due to the violence. We know that so many people not only there but here need our help. And with that it takes me to my current mission trip that we took to The Valley. I shared the room with three other girls, ( it wasn't has difficult as I thought it would be) We went to Combs, Los Indios, and Harlingen ( I think that was the last place we went to). All three places were so different but had one thing in common LOVE. They wanted to make a difference in their own community while sharing God's word. The boys help build a kitchen and I helped build a counter which was so exciting, us girl helped put texture(never knew what that was), and paint . It was one of those times one feels that that actually accomplished something for the good of mankind. I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. In Combs. we took part of the -Hoot an Annie band- (the name was bestowed upon is by Abigail(one of the best person I have ever met on a mission trip). I was one of the 5 who lead the movements of the songs we sung. We enjoyed -The big heart farm , where the fruit of God grows-. We enjoyed after session mini-concerts.My biggest lesson in this mission trips was that you may not have saved a lot of money in your life, but if you have saved a lot of heartaches for other poeple, you are a pretty rich person. After going on these Mission Trips in general I learned that there are two ways of spreading light - to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. I also learned that every action in our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity. I know that my missionary work on this earth is not done. My desire is to go to Africa, and I know that if it's in God's will that one day I will go. So guys remember "Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve.... You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love". ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Blessings-
Ashley
Food For Thought:
When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn't change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn't change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family. Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world. ~Author Unknown
Every summer I look forward not only for the two month vacation I get from work and school, but also I know for an entire week. I forget about myself and put others first. I can't remember the details of our first year we went on our Mission Trip to Piedras Negras, Mexico. I was new at the whole idea of helping others. The years to come are very vivid in my mind. I rememeber meeting Maria and Juanito and their other sibling.We build a roof connecting their house to the church that they had build the previous year. I remember seeing everyone hammering and nailing, hanging and holding. It was one of the first time I got to help build something. I f you were not building you were cleaning, I think it was so fun to clean and sort out what we bought we often would make a bigger mess than what was already there. We had vacation bible school with the school kids next door. We played, laughed, and listen to their stories. The children always had one question in common:Can you stay? It always hurt to leave their sad faces and hoping that are week there made a difference in their life. We always knew that we where never going to see them again. One summer our location was at the orphanage, we helped built houses along the railroad tracks, we would rotate among the 3-4 houses and the kitchen. I remember one day working in the kitchen and on the menu for dinner spaghetti. We made so much spaghetti it was coming out of our ears. We decided that evening that we where going to pass the raming food out along the railroad tracks. As we got in back of the truck all I could think about what if, people come are we going to have enough, If we don't have enough am I going to have the heart to tell people there's no more I'm sorry. We prayed for the food before we started to call the people who going to recieve it. And when I say that God heard are prayer that evening to multiply the food just like the loads of bread and fish. (John 6:1-14) He did it indeed. To much are excitement there was even food left over that we started to pass out in a furthur location. I remember coming to a certain location at the railroad tracks and there was this little girl tugging at my shirt, as I looked down at her she asked me: If I remembered her: After looking at her for a minute my thoughts ran back to the summer before. Under the pavillion of the orphanage where we were having vbs, I had this little girl in my group who in some way remind me of myself when I was yonger, black curly frizzy hair, with a smile that lighted up her entire personanality. I remember her mother talking to the pastor's of our churches if they could help in buying her some new shoes because the one she had were her only pair and the soles where already coming off that she had to drag them so that they couldn't lift everytime she walked. As I stood there looking at her her big smile came back, and I realized that my going to Mission Trips really do make a difference in someone's life. If it was only that one person that I changed the outcome of her life then my going was NOT in vain. Unfortunately we havent been back to Mexico due to the violence. We know that so many people not only there but here need our help. And with that it takes me to my current mission trip that we took to The Valley. I shared the room with three other girls, ( it wasn't has difficult as I thought it would be) We went to Combs, Los Indios, and Harlingen ( I think that was the last place we went to). All three places were so different but had one thing in common LOVE. They wanted to make a difference in their own community while sharing God's word. The boys help build a kitchen and I helped build a counter which was so exciting, us girl helped put texture(never knew what that was), and paint . It was one of those times one feels that that actually accomplished something for the good of mankind. I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. In Combs. we took part of the -Hoot an Annie band- (the name was bestowed upon is by Abigail(one of the best person I have ever met on a mission trip). I was one of the 5 who lead the movements of the songs we sung. We enjoyed -The big heart farm , where the fruit of God grows-. We enjoyed after session mini-concerts.My biggest lesson in this mission trips was that you may not have saved a lot of money in your life, but if you have saved a lot of heartaches for other poeple, you are a pretty rich person. After going on these Mission Trips in general I learned that there are two ways of spreading light - to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. I also learned that every action in our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity. I know that my missionary work on this earth is not done. My desire is to go to Africa, and I know that if it's in God's will that one day I will go. So guys remember "Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve.... You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love". ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Blessings-
Ashley
Food For Thought:
When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn't change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn't change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family. Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world. ~Author Unknown
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| My Roomates for the week |
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| Our 4th of July Get-a-way |
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| Hoot-an-Annie band |
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| Welcome To The Big Heart Farm |
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| We finished! |
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| Every church we went to got three of these boxes! Full of clothes, toys and school supplies. |
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