Let me tell you about my awesome Acteens leader!

Sabrina Thompson

2012-2013 TN WMU State Acteens Panelist

Sabrina

If I had to describe my Acteens leader in one word it would be compassionate. I remember the first day I walked into her Acteens class. I was scared to death because I didn't know anybody. I hadn’t been to church since I was in kindergarten. I came in clueless. I had no idea what a missionary was or why anybody would ever want to be one. The lesson she taught us that night was about Lottie Moon and why we take up an offering every year that's named after her. The things Kelley taught me that night and from then on have really opened my eyes to the world we live in today. My perspective of this world has completely changed and now I wonder how people aren't doing everything they can to be a missionary locally and globally.

Mrs Kelley and her family

      My first night in Acteens was the first time I had ever met Kelley and the love and compassion she poured out for me isn't measurable. She saw the potential in me that nobody else did and when she invited me to come back I couldn't say no. Now I have goals set to live on the mission field and this summer I am going to be a summer missionary with the North American Mission Board as a sojourner. My relationship continues to grow with Kelley just as my love for missions has.

How my Acteens group has impact my community.

by Lydia Huggins

2012-2013 TN WMU State Acteens Panelist

Lydia on far left

Our Acteens group recently went to The River Ministry in Johnson City. This place ministers to women who are homeless and in dire situations. To help the women feel safe, they do not allow men. It was a great opportunity for our Acteens group to be able to minister to these women. The River provides them with basic needs such as washers and dryers, showers, classes that help them become independent, job referrals, and devotions. They give the women support with a Christ-like love and non-judgmental attitude. This gives the women a safe place to go and shows them the hope and love of God. We attended their daily devotion at 9:30 in the morning on Monday. After the Bible study, the women discussed prayer requests. The women asked for prayer for someone they knew, rather than for themselves. These women at The River have many needs, but they prayed for friends who have more needs. It humbled me because so often we pray for ourselves. We need to spend more time praying fervently for the people who need God. While at The River, we talked with the women and listened to them. We painted their nails to minister to them and show them that they are beautiful creations of God. As I visited with these women, I discovered that I can help needy people by praying for them and just listening to them. In Acteens, we have been studying about human exploitation in its many forms and how missionaries help people who have been exploited. Going to The River and ministering to the women was one way we could help the people in person.

What I have learned on a mission trip.

Sabrina on left

by Sabrina Thompson

2012-2013 TN WMU State Acteens Panelist

This past summer my church went on a mission trip to Townsend, Montana. This trip taught me so many different things and some of the learning experience started before we even made it there. When I was asked to go of course I said yes. I knew it was going to be a lot of money and it was going to be hard to convince my mom to let me go but I knew it could be done. The next morning the lady in charge of the trip at church called me and told me they got a ticket for me and it was not refundable or exchangeable. Sounds great, except for the fact that I still hadn’t talked to my mom about it who I knew would not want me going and now I had this ticket that I was going to have to pay for even if I didn’t go. I instantly started sending prayers up. I asked God to soften her heart and to realize what a great opportunity that it was for me and how much it would help other people. When I finally asked her about going it was a dead set no. I continued to pray asking God for anything that could help change her mind. The next day when my mom came home from work she told me that she had decided I could go. She told me that while at work she met a preacher. She told him the story of me wanting to go and she expressed to him how she was afraid something would happen to me while I was gone and she wouldn’t be able to get to me. The preacher gave her his card and told my mom that if something happened he would get her to me. My lesson in this was faith. I learned that amazing things happen when we have faith in God and anything is possible. I was able to go on this trip because of the things He did!

All about my relationship with my Acteens leader.

by Susanna Clouse
2012-2013 TN WMU State Acteens Panelist  

   

My relationship with my Acteen leader, Mrs. Sandy, is very unique. I meet her first through school. She was my fifth grade teacher. She has been my Acteens leader for 2 years. She lets me and all the other girls know that she will always be there for us. She has helped me through some very hard and tough time the past years. She is a friend but at the same time she is so much more. Mrs. Sandy is a mentor, guide, prayer warrior, and a great Acteens leader. If you ask her to pray for something she will pray and pray until she hears how it turned out. Mrs. Sandy is also very missions oriented. She looks for ways for us to help out people around our area but also to help people all over. If we have an idea she is always open to hear it, she will help us plan what we are going to do and help us get it started. Mrs. Sandy helps us get more involved in our WMU group at my church. We go into their meeting on the first Wednesday of every month. We are in charge of doing the prayer calendar for that day. We hand out prayer reminders and read off the names of missionaries celebrating their birthdays. She is a great teacher. She makes sure that the things we do will help us grow in our faith. I appreciate Mrs. Sandy for not only being a friend and being there for me, but for being someone who will help us through our hard times and prepares us for the future! She means more to me then she will ever know.