A 12-year-old boy named Adrian who lived in a Salvation Army children’s home in Veracruz, Mexico, taught Jamie the meaning of thankfulness. During a worship service the boy was asked to take up an offering. Before doing so he prayed, “Heavenly Father, we thank you for blessing us and always giving us what we need. I pray for the missionaries in Africa. Help them to help the hungry children there and help us to help them too. Amen.” Though he had no family, ate the same food every day, never owned a toy and all his belongings could fit into one grocery bag, he knew what it meant to be thankful. “What I learned from Adrian is the desire to give God what I have. After all, it’s the least I can give to someone [Christ] who loved me so much that He gave up His life for me,” said Jamie.
The memory of our Haitian brothers and sisters in Christ will stay with us forever, and we can’t wait for the praise party we’ll throw together in Heaven...
When Each of Rachel’s four Summer Mission Teams experiences (two summers serving as a team member, one summer as an intern and one summer as team leader) have been full of change. Whether dealing with team member changes or location changes, Rachel quickly learned to rely on God and put her faith in him. As she sought God in each situation, she also discovered God’s specific plan for her life. On her first SMT in Chile, God expanded Rachel’s view of The Salvation Army and assured her that she has a place in it. The following year while serving on a Summer Mission Team in Malawi, God used local officers and soldiers to show Rachel that her place in The Salvation Army was as an officer! Through her Summer Mission Team Intern experience in Peru, God showed Rachel that service as an officer is not glamorous and can be lonely; but that regardless of geography He will always provide friends, family, and a community she can call home. Regarding her experience as a Central Team leader, Rachel comments, “I realized that ‘missions’ is not a word reserved for somewhere across an ocean or somewhere other than where I am. Rather it’s my own backyard, my school, my corps and home.” Whether at home or abroad, Rachel is excited to serve God no matter where He calls her.
She saw first hand the power of God’s love softening hearts...
Alfonso had been planning to work as an EMT for the summer, but due to some scheduling conflicts he was not able to obtain the necessary certification. He felt the Lord urging him to pursue an available position on a Summer Mission Team and he followed the Lord’s leading. Through his experiences, Alfonso realized how necessary it is for him to be open to what the Lord has in store for him, even if it’s different than what he had planned for himself. “I will be more open to God’s plan in my life and continue to encourage him to prune me. I want to be an example to those in my youth group and follow wherever God leads me.”
I will always remember the overwhelming feeling of God’s presence in the hearts and minds of the people in Zambia...
Maggie and her team were feeling particularly exhausted on the last day of VBS. The kids were especially rowdy and the team was feeling slightly discouraged. One of the most energetic kids arrived early, proudly carrying his Bible for all to see. He was so excited to share God’s Word that opened his Bible and offered to read a story. The team quickly recognized the words he read out loud, “I am the true vine, and my father is the vinedresser.” The team quietly asked each other who had told him to read that passage, which had served as the team’s scripture passage for the summer. Maggie and her team quickly discovered that not one of the team members had led him to John 15. Instead, God was speaking through this boy, encouraging them that what they did was not in vain. Maggie commented, “God reminded us that He had the entire summer in His hands and that He had planned out every moment before time began. God used this young boy to bless our team.”