Countdown to Mission
@sleepylittlerose (1648)
United States
June 16, 2010 2:28pm CST
My son will be leaving in 10 days going on mission to Central TN to help rebuild areas that were recently devestated with flooding. He will be traveling with his church youth group and be gone for 7 days. While there the will be working with under priviledged children, rebuilding homes for the elderly, and learning more about becoming good stewards in the world. This is a very important thing that our youth do as they go out and are able to put thier own mark on the world. The kids are so excited and love to come back and tell of all of their great adventures. They range in age for 12-18 and both male and females going. I am so excited that they are going also. I have taught my son that he needs to make an impact on the world since he was in elementary school and was old enough to volunteer.
So would you feel comfortable sending your child away for a week or longer to do mission work? Are they part of a youth group that will be going out and making a difference in someone's life? Do you encourage volunteerism or is it a requirement in the school systems?
Volunteer change the life of someone else while you change your own life. It is an experience you will never forget.
3 people like this
8 responses
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
16 Jun 10
i THINK THAT IS A WONDERFUL FOR YOUR SON & HIS CHURCH group to do. I'm from Tennessee but i'm from west tennessee & am not close to where the floods were but have friends that live in middle Tennessee where they were. It was quite devastating. I know people will be glad to see them & i just bet they are treated very nicely when they get there. Good luck to them.
@sleepylittlerose (1648)
• United States
17 Jun 10
This is a camp that they attend. The camp's name is M-Fuge and there are something like 10 chruch groups at a time with 20-30 kids per group that will be there. This is his 4th year attend a summer mission in this fashion and every year they are treated so nicely by the areas they go to. The youth pastor teaches our kids that even though God made these disasters, he did so that our children would have a place/reason to go out and do this work and minister in their own way. Because with out sorrow we would not understand the joy.
Thanks to all that are in TN that have send out warm wishes to our group, I hope if they do not affect you directly that they will at least instill a feeling of love in your hearts knowing that you have not been forgotten or neglected. We think about you in your time of need and hope to spread His joy.
1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
17 Jun 10
U are very good & kind & u are instilling that in your son. GOOD FOR U.
@snowqueen200802 (1463)
• United States
17 Jun 10
My youngest Daughter when to Kenya for about four week during the summer when she was about 16. with our churches youth group and yest I was very nervous and i did cry a lot. But at the same time I was very proud of her. I wish your son and you all of the best and my prays are with you.
Take care
Snow
@sleepylittlerose (1648)
• United States
17 Jun 10
Wow, don't know if I could let him go to Kenya. But I am sure if he wanted to go we would make it work somehow. I would be in the same boat you were though. I would worry about him every minute until he returned. But I guess the fact is that we would have to put him in the hands of God and know that He will take care of our kids. That is what we do any time we let them venture out into the world and it is the only way they will grow to be productive young people.
1 person likes this
@snowqueen200802 (1463)
• United States
18 Jun 10
I prayed a lot and some wonderful things happen that summer. her youth group lead over 100 young people to the Lord. 
Thanks for responding back to me and I enjoyed our little chat.
Take care
Snow
Thanks for responding back to me and I enjoyed our little chat.
Take care
Snow
@uath13 (8192)
• United States
16 Jun 10
Wow, I thought we'd been pretty much forgotten around here since we didn't start rioting & shooting each other like they did in New Orleans. There wasn't even a celebrity going " President Obama doesn't care about red necks!".
I wouldn't send my daughter on such a trip just because she'd require too much supervision to get anything done. Give her simple tasks & you'll often end up spending so much time trying to get her moving in the right direction you might as well just do it yourself.
That would hardly be helpful.
We'll stick to small things locally.
That would hardly be helpful.
We'll stick to small things locally.@sleepylittlerose (1648)
• United States
16 Jun 10
We haven't forgotten about you. You are about to be invaded by hundreds of youth from all over the east coast. They will be there for a week at a time and there will be like 4 or 5 groups of them coming through out the summer. Not sure exactly what they will be doing but hopefully it will make a difference to the people that they are able to reach out to.
As for your daughter, I bet she would do better than you think. As they are working in groups with others about their same age and peer influence can make them do thing even for the good. I kind of thought the same way you did the first year my son went but when he came back telling stories of what he had accomplished, I was amazed.
@AmbiePam (93738)
• United States
16 Jun 10
That's wonderful. I think if possible, a mission trip is something every able tween or teenager should do. I remember my sister went with her youth group to Mesico when she was sixteen. She came back totally changed. One of my cousins went to downtown Chicago with his youth group, and they spent the night under the bridges with the homeless. (Many many adults were with them, including an off duty cop who came to volunteer too.) It's good when kids can go and get their hands dirty. And they get a little glimpse into how blessed they are. It's great that you have encouraged him to do this.
@sleepylittlerose (1648)
• United States
17 Jun 10
I don't know if I could be so confident sending him to another country because of all the problems you hear of. Even though his cousin spent 6 weeks in Guatamala and had the time of her life.
But spending a night on the streets of Chicago sounds like a eye opening event. I am sure that they experienced things that they never imagined existed.
1 person likes this
@dogsnme (1264)
• United States
16 Jun 10
I'm not going to answer your questions since I don't have children of my own. Instead, I'll say that I can appreciate what your son is doing. I live in East Tennessee and while my area wasn't devastated by floods it still has an affect on everyone in the state if only in spirit. Please thank your son on behalf of all of us here in Tennessee.
@sleepylittlerose (1648)
• United States
17 Jun 10
Everyone is most welcome. Hopefully knowing that these young people are coming to raise the spirits and help repair some of the devestation will put some joy back into the area. The kids are very excited and can't wait to get there. Please keep the young people that will be coming over the next couple of months in your thoughts and remember we are sending love from all over to help.
@Hmouse20 (132)
•
16 Jun 10
I think it's a fantastic thing that your son is doing, and I believe that we should all be teaching our children to be thinking like innovators... rather than neglecting them. I also believe that charity, aid and fundraising should be a mandatory part of the education system in every country. I feel that we have a fantastic workforce in young people and that, instead encouraging them to use their energy for good, we are somehow wasting it.
There is something to be said about helping others who are in need, and the feeling of self-worth and love that you feel from within yourself (or from wherever your religious/social convictions may be)... it is the greatest "high" in the world. Just getting a hug and a "thank you" from someone whose life who have changed forever, is incredible... and more people should be feeling this.
I hope that all goes well with this mission, and thanks for sharing the concept. Very thought-provoking! :)
@sleepylittlerose (1648)
• United States
16 Jun 10
Part of our youth group is required to do mission work for school related reasons while the other part (my son) is not required to have a certain number of volunteer hours. I find that the kids that are doing it because they have heard all of their life that it is the right thing to do, work harder and therefore receive more reward than those that are required to volunteer.
I am completely with you that we all need to tell our children to get up and be active in their communities. Making a small difference today could make a huge impact over the greater time.
I will post updates when they return.
@frontvisions101 (16043)
• Philippines
16 Jun 10
I guess it's fine to make him do volunteer work as long as it's not that dangerous. Besides, it's good to help once in while.
@sleepylittlerose (1648)
• United States
16 Jun 10
They are not asked to do anything dangerous. Mostly it is painting houses or schools, cleaning up storm damage (downed tree limbs, debris) or working in preschools with other kids. The stories they come back with truely tell the story because they know they have touched the life of someone else that could not have done for themselves what they were able to do as a collective group.
@Beautyfactor (1512)
•
16 Jun 10
Yes I would send my children and I would be very proud of them too.
I always try to tell my oldest daughter just how lucky she is. We are not wealthy, but by some standards I guess we are. We work hard, we have food and a roof over our heads and lots of things that some children will never have to opportunity to own or see.
There is nothing wrong with anyone, at any age, giving back to those people who are in a worse position than ourselves I think it is a good lesson foe teens who often get down in the dumps because they have to be home by a certain time or because they don't like school.
@sleepylittlerose (1648)
• United States
16 Jun 10
My sons did not realize how lucky they were for those things you listed until they worked with the Salvation Army the first time. They were in middle school, old enough to understand the whole Santa deal, when they found out that some kids would not be getting anything for Christmas if it was not for the work that they were doing in sorting and preparing toys to be distributed. It was then that the lights went off in their heads and you could tell they truely understood what it was to be a giver. From that point on they always ask if there is something they could do to help out. Love them both for this very much and am proud to say they are my kids.
