Kids With a Mission

Some flew on an airplane for the first time. Others left the comfort of the United States for the first time. Many saw poverty for the first time. Everyone returned changed forever.

Poza Rico, Mexico

Riding on a bus without air conditioning in 110-degree heat is not what motivated me to take 54 children and adults on our annual short-term mission trip. But the changes we observed in our children and the children at the Casa Hogar orphanage in Poza Rica, Mexico, confirmed what God had called us to do. The following journal excerpts highlight the lessons we learned.

Wednesday: Travel

Left home early and drove to the Atlanta airport, where our group of 54 children and adults met. Everyone was excited! After arriving in Mexico City and going through customs, we boarded a bus at the airport and departed on our journey.

The first meal we had together was a quick bite at McDonald's just outside of Mexico City. My first instruction was no special food orders. But inevitably, Bill didn't want ketchup, Sue hated onions, and John wanted cheese.

Lesson 1: You can't always have it your way.

After lunch, we boarded the bus for the seven-hour journey. Kids really do speak a universal language. They got acquainted, shared stories, and sang songs to pass the time as they viewed the Mexico countryside out their windows.

At the hotel, each person was responsible for getting his or her luggage to an assigned room. Kids had to take responsibility seriously during a trip of this magnitude. Mom and Dad weren't there to take care of things. For some, that was a stretching experience. For others, flexibility was the most difficult lesson to learn.

After getting settled, we departed for a local restaurant, complete with a Mexican menu. When we received our food, some children made negative remarks about the food. "The tacos aren't like we get at Taco Bell." "What kind of food is this?" "I want a hamburger."

Lesson 2: When in another culture, respect the culture.

Thursday: Ministering At The Orphanage

Took the kids to the bridge in Poza Rica, where the orphanage ministry started. They proclaimed with wide eyes and exasperation, "I wouldn't live in that filth." "I can't believe they don't have beds." Another spoke up, "They don't have televisions. They don't even have bathrooms." We explained that the children had been abandoned by their parents as early as seven months old. One 13-year-old girl at the bridge had given birth as the result of sexual molestation and was raising her newborn infant. Exposure to this poverty helped the children know that they had much to be thankful for. Seeing the conditions that kids in the orphanage used to live in provided reasons for our kids to be thankful.

"This trip to Poza Rica has shown me how to be more appreciative of what I have," said 11-year-old Ben. "It also taught me that even if you have just a little but give a lot, God will bless you."

Lesson 3: Be thankful for your home and family. There are many who have much less.

Later -- took the children to visit the Alpha and Omega orphanage. The ministry there was started in 1992 by a couple who discovered children living under the bridge. At the orphanage, we walked up the hill to where 38 children live. There had been a lot of rain recently, and we had the challenge of walking through 6 inches of mud on the narrow road -- without a lot of complaining. As we got closer, we could hear the laughter and shouts of joy coming from the children: "Hola!" "Papa Tony!" "Bien venidos!"

Our kids got acquainted with their new friends at the orphanage. They taught each other games, explaining the rules through hand motions and signs since they didn't share the same language. As Alberto, a child at the orphanage, began to play with a group of children, Teresa Hererra, one of the directors, leaned over to me.

"Alberto is laughing and showing signs of happiness for the first time since he arrived here," she said. "He was sexually abused by his stepfather and has been in deep depression and full of anxiety. I can't believe that he is actually laughing and enjoying his play with the children."

Lesson 4: God is not limited to one language. He enables us to reach out to all tribes, tongues, and nations.

Thursday Night: Children's Church

Our kids ministered at the local community church's children's service. Some performed puppet skits. Others brought cassettes and boomboxes and sang. A drama team performed a live music video, portraying the words of a song as it played. The kids' participation further elevated their self-esteem and encouraged them in their talents and calling.

Our prep work sure helped. Before we left home, we had spent time with the kids learning about the Mexican culture, language, country, and people. I think it helped our kids understand a little of the culture they encountered.

Tonight our kids reached out to others, gave hugs, cried, shared gifts, and prayed together. The emotional attachments built relationships that'll be long-lasting and provide an avenue for mutual prayer.

Tonight 12-year-old Jay said, "This Poza Rica trip has made such an impact on my life that I'm determined to be a blessing in other mission projects with my talents and gifts."

"Lives are being impacted here!" Morgan, age 8, told me. "God used me by giving of myself and not being scared to try to tell other people about Jesus."

Lesson 5: God uses children to reach children.

We saw our kids and the kids in church with their arms around each other, praying for one another. We exchanged bracelets with our names written on them. They'll serve as a prayer reminder.

We asked our kids what God was doing in their lives as a result of the mission trip. Kelcie, age 9, responded, "God is giving me a chance to start doing what he has called me to do. I now have the desire to pray sincerely to him because I've seen what can happen when you do."

Kelcie's faith has been strengthened because she saw and heard the testimonies of answered prayer. The children at the orphanage pray for the children who've come on this trip, and our kids will continue to pray for their friends in Poza Rica.

Lesson 6: There is no distance in prayer.

Friday: Joy In An Orphanage

The week is going so fast. Enjoyed breakfast with the kids at the orphanage. I believe that our kids are actually enjoying breakfast "Mexican style." There seems to be so much happiness in abundance. The kids here don't have much in comparison to our kids, but they reflect so much joy.

Our kids have learned that even though the children at the orphanage have had severe circumstances in their lives, they can be happy and content. Many of the children at the home have been abused physically, sexually, and verbally. Some have been abandoned. Others were sent to the orphanage from distant cities or villages. As our children hear their stories, they see how God can turn devastating circumstances around and provide a place of shelter and care.

Lesson 7: Joy is not dependent on circumstances.

Saturday: Shopping With A Purpose

We went for breakfast again at the orphanage. Marcos, a youth pastor in Michoacan, encouraged me to try some of the barbacoa, which had been especially prepared for our breakfast. After I tasted it, he told me that it was barbecued goat. The workers at the orphanage had killed one of the goats to prepare for our group's breakfast. This time there were no negative comments about the food. As our children heard about the sacrifice made on their behalf, they witnessed the gratitude firsthand.

In the afternoon, we went shopping for tennis shoes for the children in the orphanage. The needs here are so great, but this is one need we came prepared to supply. As the children prepared for the mission trip, they had collected backpacks, school supplies, tennis shoes, and ministry tools for the people of Poza Rica. In Mexico, brand name tennis shoes weren't available. The kids didn't care! Elias Hererra, co-director of the orphanage, received his first pair of new shoes in his entire 48 years of life.

Eleven-year-old Angela told me later, "God blessed me by giving me money and time to be able to come, but he put a seed in my heart to sponsor someone [at the orphanage] and send money, new clothes, and shoes."

Lesson 8: You don't have to wear brand names to be happy.

Sunday: Sharing Our Gifts

Had breakfast at the hotel with Elias and Teresa Hererra. Our children and sponsors gave the gifts they'd brought from home. I'd brought a doll that sang Christian songs in Spanish. I decided to give it to Teresa. When I did, she cried tears of joy. Elias told us that Teresa had wanted a doll, but the money was needed for too many other things. God knew the desire of her heart and provided -- through me!

"Before I came on the trip, I was selfish," Morgan reflected. "However, now I realize that I begged for things that I wanted. But the children at the orphanage appreciated the little things they received." Fourteen-year-old Jessica agreed. "The trip changed my life by putting everything into perspective. I no longer take things for granted."

Lesson 9: It is more blessed to give than to receive.

After days of playing, working on the grounds of the orphanage, training children's ministry workers and children, and worshiping together, it's time for us to return home. But we won't return the same. We've been transformed by our experiences and our exposure to a land and people different from ourselves. We've had the opportunity to develop our gifts and listen to God, away from the distractions of home.

At the end of the trip Gabriella, a children's worker who helped lead the trip, told me, "My eyes are open to the needs of others. I have a greater awareness to the need of bringing others to Christ. Our lives on earth are so short. But our spiritual lives are everlasting. I have the key to preach the gospel. I don't want to lose the opportunity to share Christ with others."

Was it worth it? Would I take another seven-hour bus ride on a non-air-conditioned bus through the mountains in Mexico? Would I take children and expose them to experiences that'll impact them for a lifetime and assist them in discovering God's calling? Would I again endure the 110-degree heat, bad water, and inability to understand the language to impact the kingdom of God? By all means!

Tony Lane serves in various positions, including as his denomination's Sunday school and Christian Education Coordinator in Cleveland, Tennessee. He's the author of Changing Ministry in Changing Times (Pathway Press). Children's missions trips will continue under his supervision. For more information, call (423) 478-7229.

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Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change.

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