I just got back from a mission trip. Five families from our church took their vacation time, packed up their children, and went to Nicaragua for a week.
As a former youth pastor, I have always known the value of exposing kids to a wider glimpse of the world. They come back with a clearer perspective of who they are, what they have, and what they’re here for.

But I forgot how much these trips do for me.

I came home with a sore throat, a stuffy nose, and more frequent trips to the bathroom. (The old grey mare just ain’t what she used to be). But I also came back with vacation pictures that will be etched in my memory for quite some time.

Here are a few of them:
1. Eight kids from five families whose perspective will never be the same, and whose mode of transportation will never be repeated in this country (at least as far as their parents know).

4truck

2. The joy of mixing kids, cultures and economic disparity- and wondering how God works it out that the ones who came to give end up receiving the most.

2more new friends

3. Watching children learn the timeless story of how an orphan queen was used by God to change her world. Maybe they’ll be next?

5crowns

4. Realizing that God paints beautiful pictures in every corner of the world. And He might just save some of his best for the third world.

3sunset

5. Accepting a beautiful girl’s necklace, knowing how much it cost her to make it, simply for her joy of knowing that by taking it you will never forget her

1Annabel

And finally…
6. Coming home with a child who now realizes the latest Xbox game is not as important as it once was, whose vision of the world is a little bit larger, and who has a taste in his mouth of something we pray will grow his heart.

6jordan and I

Even as it keeps growing ours.

If you are interested in bringing a group to serve in Nicaragua, follow this link – http://sanjuandelsur.org/volunteer-in-nicaragua-reasons/