Tell us what you have learned by participating in a mission trip?

by Brooke Cole
2011-2012 Acteens State Panelist

           Over the summer, I chose to serve as a summer missionary with the North American Mission Board. I was chosen to serve on the Maryland/Delaware State Traveling Team. Maryland was not my first choice for several reasons. I wanted to serve at a church near my home so that I could visit my parents and friends on the weekends. When I first found out that I was going to Maryland, I was a bit disappointed (in fact, I think I cried). Two months was a really long time to be gone, and I wasn’t even sure where Maryland was! I seriously considered not going on the trip. I was scared. After a lot of thought and prayer, I decided that God chose me for this trip for a reason and that I was going to trust Him every step of the way.

            When the morning came for me to leave, we packed up the car with my two duffel bags that I would be surviving with for two months. Saying good-bye to my parents was no easy task, but I managed. Then I waited all alone for my flight. I was going into uncharted territory, trusting people I had never even met and going places I had never been. I’m a country girl and I was about to enter a very big city. I was the first of my teammates to land in Baltimore. When we had all met one another, I kept thinking that it was going to be a very long summer. Imagine four young women who had never even met spending every moment of their lives together for the next two months. It was a daunting thought. But we survived. We became a family. God has a reason for everything, even if you don’t see the big picture. It is not always easy to put your trust in Him, but I promise, it’s worth it!