Florida Baptist Children's Home: Youth Mission Trip

We've just got back from our youth mission trip at the Florida Baptist Children's Home Lakeland Campus. It was an amazing week of hard work, sweat, and the beginning of many friendships. Not only did our youth get to work on many tasks at the campus, they were able to befriend the children who live there and capped off our week adventure at Busch Gardens.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were spent sweating and completing every kind of task Mr. Joe (the awesome maintenance guy on campus) had for us to do. We painted, weeded, pruned, raked, sorted, loaded vans/trucks, unloaded donations, mopped freezers, moved a swing set (and a fence to move said swing set), moved picnic tables, picked up limbs, and probably a few more things I forgot.

Painting the walk-way that leads up to the gazebo.

This whole trip was one of those, "God-is-in-control-why-did-I-ever-fret-about-it" kind of trips. From our housing: we got to live in one of the cottages on campus! How cool is that?! To our Busch Gardens trip: the cottage our church supports was able to come with us! :) YAY! And lots of other behind-the-scenes kinds of things that were so seemless it is incredible and only a God kind of thing.

Freezer: Before

Freezer: After

There was even another group there from North Carolina putting on services in the evenings so we could worship with them and the Children's Home at night.

I love these kinds of mission trips where you get to know everyone better- at one point we had 14-16 girls sharing 2 bathrooms! The best part was the friendships established between the youth and the kids in the cottage. We've had a few events in Wauchula together, but this trip sealed the deal. I mean, you really get to know someone's personality after spending hours waiting in lines at a theme park or hoping that an orangutan will do something impressive.

This cute little wallaby and his friends held us captive for a while! 

What I'm taking away from this trip is that the reason we do missions is to "help others fulfill their purpose...which is to know God." :) Thanks Pastor Alan! We could have painted every piece of concrete on that campus, but if we didn't interact with anyone it would have been fruitless. I am so excited to see what God has in store for our youth group and the Dorothy-Miller house at the FBCH.

The group checking out the apes.

Today I read Ephesians 4:1. It says, "As a prisoner of the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received."  I'm praying today that my actions, speak, and thoughts are in line with what God has called me to do. I pray that the Lord enables me with wisdom to make the right choices, and that I will use my time wisely and effectively for His glory. Consider what your calling is, and if you are living a life worthy of that calling.

God Bless~ Sarah