youth

i am home. the mission trip was awesome. a lot of the time on youth trips i didn't leave feeling like we'd really helped someone so much as just wasted a lot of time hammering or doing whatever else they put in front of us. but this year we got to work for a family, CJ and Faye, and we got to understand their lives and their struggles a little. we got to know that we were building a wheel chair ramp that they desperately needed. and when our contractor wasn't there and we painted Faye's lawn gnomes, even that felt meaningful. Faye cried when she saw them she loved them so much. we connected with them and gave what we could, honestly and earnestly, and it was undoubtably God's work. it was the church working like it should, which gives me indescribable hope.
and to be on the other side of the trip was so incredible. we have thirsty youth- youth that recognize that there is something huge and magnificent to this God thing. youth that are learning about God's glory and their purpose in making His name famous throughout this earth. and watching them start to stagger toward a waiting and loving savior and knowing that someday they will see Him clearer and learn to run toward Him was perfect. i got to witness a lot of spiritual and emotional healing and was able to pray with so many people, God totally spoiled me on the last night.
the only discouraging part of the trip was coming home and realizing that we live in a world that does not live to enjoy God and bring Him glory. looking at the parents gathered in the parking lot, i knew that most of the kids that had so clearly witnessed the glory of God and heard His precious voice, would not be going home to a family that was sold out for Christ. that they would not be asked by their parents to describe how God had moved, or how their faith journey had changed because of their week. this was disheartening to say the least. these kids are so hungry for God, but they need spiritual leadership, and the knowledge that their parents are not spiritually mature enough to offer that is disappointing. we have church members, what we need is more disciples. because without disciples showing the way, we can only expect youth that attend church, instead of youth that have surrendered their lives to proclaiming the glory of God. and that's the kind of youth i want in this world.