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- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Missions
Make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. - Hebrews 12:13
Our annual trip to Bathurst was good this year - we had a strong leadership team and a hardworking group of students, and I'm so proud of the things we accomplished. God showed up, and it was so great to see students grow in their faith and step out of their comfort zone to reap the rewards of taking holy risks.
In spite of all this, I think our biggest challenge is still in front of us - settling back to normal life without losing the excitement of living for God every day. Going on a mission trip can be a spiritual high, and if it's not you might wonder whether you're doing it wrong. But here's the thing.
Taking a mission trip changes where you are and what you do, but it does not change who you are or what God wants from you. Sometimes the change in routine and perspective can help clarify your understanding of those big questions - who am I? What does God want from me? - but ultimately the spiritual fruit that so often comes out of these experiences is accessible through every day faithfulness.
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Missions
Sitting in a skyscraper on my lunch break, I can't help but feel separated from reality, floating 45 stories above the pulse of suits, panhandlers and tourists below.
We're leaving for Bathurst tomorrow, and I'm still processing a recent trip to Mistissini QC, and honestly I can't wait to simply spend two weeks on the ground, with people who I can pray with and talk things through with and live in the moment with.
There will be challenges, of course. There always are. But I've been wrestling with a Jesus who keeps disassembling the boxes I build for him, and that is never easy. I know the Holy Spirit doesn't need an elevator to be with me up here, yet I hear that still small voice clearer when I'm closer to Earth.
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Missions
Our first week of VBS went so well thanks to all the planning, prayers and dedicated volunteers! It was so encouraging to see kids opening up over the course of the week, and we are excited to build on those relationships with the campers who are returning for week 2. Also, we are celebrating that 7 kids and 1 student leader decided to pray and follow Jesus!
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Missions
Two weeks after we arrived home, I am finally sitting down to sum up the last few days of our Bathurst mission trip.
It's hard to describe the progress that we made over the course of the week in terms of what we did because the days sound the same on paper - wake up early, pray as a team, eat breakfast and head to the church, run VBS and connect with the kids. True, each day of VBS followed the same pattern, but what happened within each day truly built on the day before, and the whole team was inspired with the progress we saw over the course of a week. 
Most of the kids who started the week by testing limits and challenging our leadership finished the week proudly participating in the different stations and singing the songs we learned together. Some kids brought friends over the course of the week, so we finished with more campers than we started! One huge highlight for me was on the very last day of camp with a boy who came for the first time that day, and when the day was over he said, "This was so much fun, I wish I came all week! Are you coming back next year?"
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Missions
By Sunday, the mission trip was already becoming a blur. Sunday morning we enjoyed being part of the service at St. Luke's, helping lead music and listening to my mother-in-law preach! 
After the service it was time to transform the sanctuary into a jungle complete with waterfall for our VBS theme of weird animals. There were lots of final touches to put on the decorations, and the team also made final preparations for the different stations we were leading. 
When everything was just about ready, we all piled in the rental cars to head to Bayview Baptist Church where we met our friends from Chaleur Generation to watch the World Cup final match! That was lots of fun, and for those who weren't so interested in the soccer game there was lots of room to play our own games in the basement! Torre had a really fun time with some of the younger boys who were there and also managed to wander mostly safely through some soccer and hockey games that took place between some team members and local friends.
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Missions
Our second full day in Bathurst was another full and fulfilling one. It was nice to have a flexible day to settle in to our new surroundings and prepare for a busy week of VBS, and it felt a little bit like down time even though it was all very purposeful and important.
Before I can sum up Saturday though, I have to tell you about the rest of Friday. Friday was our first full day in Bathurst, and it concluded with a bonfire at a private beach in the company of about 50 local people from over 8 different churches in the city. Everyone had an amazing time mingling, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, and just enjoying a beautiful evening on the beach. It was such an amazing experience to see and feel Christian unity across different denominations, generations and languages. 
The bonfire was huge, but it eventually burned down enough that we could form a circle around it, and we closed the evening with prayers for the community of Bathurst, for political and church leaders, and even for the VBS we came to help lead.
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Missions
Our first full day on the ground was packed and a great start to our trip! The team had an orientation tour of the city after breakfast to get the lay of the land and hear some of the community's history and needs.
We at lunch together, had group prayer and devotions, then we had some training and orientation for our main project here: VBS. Everyone learned what role they will play, whether leading a station, acting in skits, or leading a zoo crew of kids (since our theme is "weird animals"). We got our manuals and spent the afternoon reading over scripts, checking supply lists and putting final touches on the decorations that will transform St. Luke's into a lush jungle!
Tonight we're looking forward to a bonfire at the beach and meeting some people from other churches in the area. Hopefully we can encourage them to take the plunge and try running VBS in their own church because it is a great way to share the gospel with kids, a great way to serve families, and a great way to use our creativity and personalities for God's glory!