Thank you to everyone who sent out
prayers, and funds for this missions trip. Here is a reflection on some
important moments of the trip. I would love to talk to you all further about
what I learned, and experienced during my time in New Zealand. I also still
have a balance for the trip so if anyone is willing to continue supporting
myself, and Point Loma LoveWorks mission trips it would be much appreciated!
Love to you all, Kelsey
What was
the best thing about your LoveWorks experience?
The best day was when we were
fundraising with the Girls Brigade (Girl Scouts) door to door. The girl that I
was paired with accepted Christ with me on someone’s front lawn! I had gotten
to know her on our walk and started asking deeper questions and it led to her
wanting to be a Christian. It was the best experience ever! That day just
happened to be my birthday as well!
What was
the hardest thing about your LoveWorks experience?
The hardest thing was not comparing
our trip to other trips that may have been in a physically harder location.
Although New Zealand looked and felt a little like America the dynamic and lack
of religion was far different than what we were used to. I had to keep telling
myself and others that we were doing amazing works of the Lord in New Zealand
just by being there, and being a light for Jesus in a country that only has 5%
churchgoers.
How has God
moved in your life or taught you something new through this LoveWorks
experience?
All throughout this missions trip I
felt God tugging at my heart to be vulnerable and open up. God can do such
amazing things in our lives when we just allow Him to, when we simply say
"Yes!" to Him. Each week on the trip I was challenged further. At
first it was just stepping out of my comfort zone and sharing my testimony.
After I did that I was rewarded by the congregation taking the talents, and
blessings I had told them God gave me, and asking me to use them for their
church. They now knew I was interested in fashion, and interior design, so they
asked if I would completely re-do their children’s Sunday school room. I got to
pick out paint colors, sew big beanbags, and write bible verses on the walls!
They heard about my strengths, and the gifts God has blessed me with and then
put me into action to do God’s work!
The next week I started pushing myself to have deeper faith
talks with the people I was meeting, and I was so blessed by the stories that I
heard and the bonds that had formed from having those vulnerable moments. The
last week was when we were volunteering with the Girls Brigade (Girl Scouts),
and after having a talk, that turned into a faith talk, with an 8 year old girl named Danika, I found myself
praying with her and she was born into the Kingdom of Heaven that afternoon!
This trip was overall such a rewarding experience.
What did you
learn from your hosts?
The hosts that we encountered each taught me invaluable lessons. They showed me what a true servants heart looks like, and inspired me to live more fully for God. I picked up little things from them that are now a part of me, and always will be. I learned so much from watching the way that they interacted with their families, friends, and congregations. One thing about the churches of New Zealand that I loved was their involvement. They do not just talk about changing the world; they are actually out there doing it! The people of the church all know each other, and see each other more than just on Sundays as they are doing Gods work in the community, and in the world. I hope that our churches can be more like this.
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