Hello Again. We’re back. Our last adventure included Jane’s trip to Romania. This next adventure is a little closer to home. Grace and I will be traveling with Hope Church to Cincinnati, Ohio on the annual youth mission trip. It’s the last Sr. High trip for the last Kunkel so I thought I’d tag along. I am pretty confident that they can’t possibly put me in charge of the ESC again this time. Yes, that’s right, EXTREME SPORTS CAMP! (Who knew? Not me!) Apparently my enthusiastic, encouraging nature led them to believe I was athletic. My true colors were apparent when I dodged the football instead of trying to catch it and my sunglasses were knocked off my head. On the bright side, at least my head was not knocked off. #thestruggleisreal
I am excited to go and yet sometimes I wonder: there is so much to be done in Rochester,NY, why go to another state?
When I pray about it, the message is clear. First, going somewhere you know nothing about makes you vulnerable. I know there is a zoo and a baseball team. I’m going to start there and leave my heart and mind open to whatever else God wants to teach me about this fair city and it’s fabulous people. I’ll be less distracted by what’s familiar and more focused on not getting lost.
Next, I think going to a different state reinforces the idea that the family of God has no boundaries.
You may live there and I live here and despite all that makes us different, there’s so much that makes us the same. Every city needs the love of Jesus. So maybe I serve in Ohio and someone else serves here. What matters is that we serve and make connections in the process. Every experience will teach us something. On a side note: the youth do serve every year in Rochester for a week during Flower City Work Camp. Some of you may remember me from #Security #SavingtheWorldBeforeBedtime)
Finally, I believe the journey together is part of the process.
You learn a lot about people when you travel together in a van especially on an 8 hour trip. God is faithful and just when all the fruit of the Spirit falls off your tree, someone is there to help you pick it up and set you on the right path and the coolest people are the ones that know you need chocolate and coffee (which will be a reoccurring theme.)
So our adventure will begin bright and early as we rise and hopefully shine on Sunday, July 26th and depart at 6:30 am. (#coffee) We look forward to all this adventure brings. Enjoy the ride with us, as by the grace of God, we make a Faithprint.
Mission trip verse:
Faith Print 