Where Were You When You Were Ten?

Can you remember where were you when you were ten?

You had probably just finished the fourth-grade. Do you remember what you did with your summers as a child?

I just got back from being with some of the most amazing ten-and-eleven-year-olds that I know. Within about a weeks time, we spent close to 50-hours in a van driving across the country, 4-and-half-days sharing the love of God with the community of children at the Rosebud Native American Reservation, Hiking up the Black Hills of South Dakota as we glared into the huge nostrils of the President's upon Mt. Rushmore, stared in awe of the largest monument in the world of Crazy Horse, and screamed all day at the Kalahari Water Park.

A Mission Trip Like No Other...

Missions trips have a way of intersecting our spiritual journey like few other things on earth. There's something about leaving the confines of the familiarities of home, family, friends, not to mention television, gaming systems and all the luxuries we so often take for granted.

This was our desire in taking a group of young children all the way to South Dakota to be among the Lakota Natives.

This was our first ever missions trip where the the core team was comprised of children with hearts set on ministering to other children.

One of my fondest moments on the trip was Friday night. It had been a LONG-HOT day. After two buttock-cramping days of van travel, we jumped right into ministry and interacting with the children. There had been much running, playing, wrestling, more running, more playing, and more wrestling. Our kids were exhausted. And, it was only DAY-ONE.

We decided that after dinner (which was cooked in the fire - AWESOME) that we would do a little reflection and group processing of the day, then put on a Feature Presentation Movie for a little reprieve, especially since we still had several LONG-HOT days to go...

We entered the Timothy House, started with a little worship... AND one-hour-and-a-half later we found ourselves standing in a circle. So much for the Feature Presentation. ONE-AND-A-HALF-HOUR of worship, prayer, dancing, crying, laughing, singing, and at several points everyone playing their own instrument.

When was the last time you spent 90 minutes with other adults worshiping, praying and reflecting?

How about children?

This was a first for me...

...And, it was awesome! (AND the coolest thing, Julie even capture it on video - PRICELESS!).

We wanted to take a group of children on a missions trip, because we believed it could shape them and serve as a significant element to their spiritual journey. Further, we believe that we often expect way too little from young people, and perhaps their just capable of understanding, receiving, possessing and DOING quite a bit more than we've ever taken time to imagine...

We'll do it again...