How I Was Called to the Mission Field by: Hanna

Ever since I was really young I have wanted to help the poor and lost. I have always realized how blessed I am and have wanted to give back in some way. The first mission trip I went on was with my youth group when I was in 8th grade. We went to San Antonio, Texas, it was amazing!  We helped out with a church/homeless shelter, it was in a really rough part of San Antonio where a lot of gangs and prostitutes were so it was interesting getting out of my comfort zone and doing things I wasn’t use to. We helped with VBS and construction. The one day I did construction we split up and a couple of us went and mowed around one of the shelters. I was waiting for one of the girls to get done and I saw this Hispanic older lady trying to mow her grass that was like 2 feet tall, so I went over and asked her if she needed help, she told me she didn’t have any money and I told her I didn’t want anything from her , I was just there to help, so I mowed her lawn for the next hour or so and when I was done she tried to give me $20 and said that’s all she had. I told her I was with my church and just want to serve for the glory of God and she was so grateful and surprised that I didn’t want anything. Something about that day changed me I think because I was so use to doing things because I was told to do it, and not because I truly wanted to. It’s awesome how something as simple as that changed me but God works in amazing ways.  And even though mowing her lawn wasn’t that big of a deal that’s when God really taught me compassion and how we were made to be Disciples of Christ and serve people and to do it with a willing heart. It’s awesome how God touches people in different ways. The rest of the trip was really cool and after it was over I realized that God wanted me to do missions, I don’t really like the word “missionary” because I think anyone can be a missionary whether it’s where you live or in a different  country.  As long as you’re spreading his word and love.  I love sharing my faith with people and my heart desires to help people understand and lead people to Christ through God leading me. Africa has always been on my heart and I know this trip will definitely change my life. I’m so excited what God has in store for me and how he will use me. I’m so privileged to even be going on this trip. I have prayed for a long time about what God wants me to do in life and all I know is I’m going where ever he sends me. I think a good verse to live by is Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,”   And that’s exactly what I plan to do. I’ve grown so much since then and my relationship is constantly growing even know it’s a struggle everyday to keep my eyes focused on God I know even if I do slip away God’s love will never fail me. He will always take me back.