In conclusion

This is just a copy of my last missions trip letter I will be sending out through snail mail. I am glad to have finally completed it.

My dear friends, family, and everyone!
I know it has been a while since my trip, but this one final letter needs to be sent. First off I would like to thank everyone so, so, so much for your prayer and financial support. Many times throughout my trip I was encouraged simply by remembering all the people who had promised to pray for me, and of course I wouldn't have been able to go on the trip at all had I not been supported financially!

On this trip I encountered many bumps and spiritual lessons that seemed particularity hard and unnecessary. Looking back I realize how God used this summer to make me grow, in ways I hadn't even known that I needed to.

My first week on this trip was spent attending orientation in Grand Rapids Michigan There I got acquainted with my teammates and learned various things deemed necessary for going on this trip. However, orientation could in no way prepare us for what we would encounter on this trip! Our first roadblock came the very day we went to leave the states, by way of bad weather and missed flights, all the way down the line. For those of you that did not receive my email updates, we ended up spending the night in Chicago (after waiting until 11:00 at the airport,) where fortunately one of our teammates lived, not an hour away from the O'Hare airport. Then leaving *again* the next day for Hungary, Budapest. Our second roadblock came when we were stuck on the border of Hungary and the Ukraine, with our driver who spoke no English, for seven hours (overnight). It was a bad beginning, but things did get better.

We started our on-field orientation with our host missionaries George and Sarah Devuyst, Here we learned a little bit of Ukrainian, learned how to make bible studies, compiled a whole bunch of songs and games, took stock of our craft supplies, and many other things. We discovered that the youth project we were going to originally work with had been cancelled, quite recently, so we were going to spend a few days planning activities for kids in an "orphanage". I put orphanage in quotations marks because many of the kids there had parents, but even though the situation was bad in the orphanage, it was worse at home. The first day we worked there was bedlam, hectic, and crazy. The kids had no desire to listen or stay in the age groups we had divided them into. We did not have enough translators to go around, and it rained! But, we came back from that day, revised our set-up, and came back the next day for another go. The second day turned out just as good as the the first one was bad. It was still crazy, but it was organized chaos, the kids got to go to whichever activity they liked best, and God blessed us with a day without rain. Needless to say the kids enjoyed running around, and we were TIRED by the end of the day, but it was good. The last day we were at the orphanage went just as well, and we were happy for the opportunity God had given us to minister to His little children. We had youth from Pastor DeVuyst's church helping us the whole time we were there.

Up until now we had not been staying with host families, but in other lodgings provided for us. Now we moved to our hosts home, were we would be until we left the Ukraine. We were split into three different host homes. I was with two other girls from my team, staying with a couple with a 16 yr. old daughter and a grandmother. This upcoming week would be spent running the Bible camp. Each day before camp began (1:00-5:00 was the camp day) we would meet at George and Sarah's house to set up the lesson for the day. We already had our Bible studies made, and a whole list of songs and games, now we just needed to pick them out, decide who of our teammates would do what, and what the pairs would be for teaching the Bible study. Each day of the Bible camp we had games, songs, a Bible study, one of the teammates would share their testimony, and then we would go on an outing with the participants in order to get to know the campers outside of a teacher-student setting. For example one day we had them show us the Mukachevo monastery, and one day we went out for ice cream, or to look at the churches of the town. After we were done with the camp for the day, we would return to our host families' house, sometimes we would do things with the daughter, or sometimes we would just sit around and talk with them. During our stay in Mukachevo we also went on several outings with the youth group of Pastor George's church, we got to know some of them quite well, and some of them participated in our English clubs. Each Sunday we were there, two of us would give our testimonies.

From the Ukraine we moved on to Pacin, Hungary, where we ran a ten day camp, in which we actually stayed at the camp 24/7, but we did have translators and Janos and Momo Victor (the missionary couple) to help us. They had the days planned for us, we filled it in. We had upwards of forty kids in that camp, ages between 11-21. For the English lessons we divided them into four groups, according to ability. We also did games, devotions, singing, crafts, and testimonies with this group as well.
Working in Hungary, for me, was the best part of my trip. Janos and Momo were the most amazing couple I have ever met. Their marriage, and their missions work reflected Christ with more clarity than I have ever seen before. Also, many of the campers were our age, and spoke English extremely well, so I was able to develop close friendships with a few of them. I still keep in contact with some of them. Several of the campers said they had a lot of questions about their Christian walk through life answered by the camp we ran that week. That was encouraging to hear. Sometimes it’s hard to know if you are making an impact. Unfortunately, this was the last year that a reformed camp is going to be run in Hungary. Many of the campers were sad that this was the last year a camp like this would be done, for this is where they received much of their Bible training. I know God will provide for them but my heart was heavy for their sake upon leaving.



After Hungary, we spent two weeks in Romania. That was the most labor intensive of all the camps, the first half of the week we had help from a seminary student, but he broke his ankle, and so we were mostly on our own. The missionary couple there, Joseph and Orshi, would check in on us, but we ran the show. We roomed with the campers (around 14 each week, give or take a few) and planned the schedule, planned everything! And we also did crafts, games, singing, and English lessons with the village kids. We were stretched very thin, but it worked out. Also, the first week in Romania, we had a surprise, three girls from England came to help. That was a blessing. We ended up in a Romanian newspaper! I have a copy floating around somewhere…:-)

Romania was our last camp. Then we traveled back to Hungary, Budapest this time, for three days of debriefing and sight-seeing. All of the places we had been in Europe so far were not tourist places, or what you would think of when you hear the word "Europe" so this was the first time we got to see the more traditional side of Europe. It was enjoyable and relaxing. We met back up with George and Sarah Devuysts, and they did our debriefing. George drove us back to the airport. We parted the night before, because the Canadians had a different first flight than us, and all of us going back to the states would eventually split up as well.

I enjoyed my mission's trip to no end. Switching languages from Ukrainian to Hungarian was hard at first, but thankfully the part of Romania we were in also spoke Hungarian. Not everything was easy, but God works through hardships "In my weakness, He is strong". Thank you again for your prayers on my behalf. Because of this trip I do have a strong desire to work in missions either here or abroad if that is what God has planned for me. I covet your continued prayers as God helps me map out my life according to His will. I would also like to ask you to pray for the missionaries that I was with in all three spots, as they continue God’s work in the countries they serve.

Segment #2

Looked down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight
Touched down on the cold black tile
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breath in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos
Are those people going somewhere?
Why have I never cared?

Chorus
Give me Your eyes for just one second
Give me Your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me Your love for humanity
Give me Your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me Your heart for the once forgotten
Give me Your eyes so I can see
yeah .. yeah .. yeah .. yeah

Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide whats underneath
There’s a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
To ashamed to tell his wife
He’s out of work
He’s buying time
Are those people going somewhere?
Why have I never cared?

Chorus
Give me Your eyes for just one second
Give me Your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me Your love for humanity
Give me Your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me Your heart for the once forgotten
Give me Your eyes so I can see
yeah .. yeah .. yeah .. yeah

I’ve been there a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just moving past me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
Well I want a second glance
So give me a second chance
To see the way You see the people all alone

Chorus
Give me Your eyes for just one second
Give me Your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me Your love for humanity
Give me Your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me Your heart for the once forgotten
Give me Your eyes so I can see
yeah .. yeah .. yeah .. yeah

Give me Your eyes for just one second
Give me Your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me Your love for humanity
Give me Your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me Your heart for the once forgotten
Give me Your eyes so I can see
yeah .. yeah .. yeah .. yeah

Give Me Your Eyes Lyrics - Brandon Heath Song Words
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OihvG607W-c

I know without a doubt, He has reassured me. That's what He wants me doing, I don't know how, I don't know where, but I'm going to. I only pray He will give me the strength and determination to do what it takes to get there.

The deepest desire of the heart

Section #1

Sometimes, many times, it seems like life is hard, and I'm not getting anywhere, and why do I have to deal with all this?

However, while on my missions trip, something that should of been fundamental to me, was made more clairvoyant.

The desire of my heart.

The desire of my heart, as I cry out to God many times, is to know Him better, and serve Him more. Yet it seems so hard, why? I constantly make mistakes, and seem to fall away from him.

Whenever I run up against a brick wall, it hurts, I have to turn around. Of course, sometimes I run into that wall a couple times to make sure it's solid and not moving, just in case. What I see when I eventually turn around is God, providing me with brick walls so that my greatest wish, desire, longing may be gratified.

It's so easy to see the brick wall, and get frustrated with God for putting it there, or to be dealing with difficult people, or situations, and wonder "why me? I'm just trying to serve Him" But each obstacle I encounter only makes me lean more heavily on Him, to provide me with strength and endurance.

If it is *really* *truly* the desire and longing of your heart to get to know Him better, then He will grant that. He desires that we long after Him as well. Sometimes He chooses methods we wouldn't, in order to bring us closer to Him, but we should consider ourselves blessed, although the times are troubling, He is fulfilling the desire of our hearts, and we should rejoice in it.

Section #2
We Come To You :
As You came to us so we come to You
fragile as a baby hopeful and new
but learning fast that to walk is to fall
soon we’ve done it all

Chorus:
we come broken and we come undone
we come trying hard to love everyone
but we come up short in all that we do
because we do
so we come to You

As You came to us so we come to You
dirty and hurting then dead in the tomb
but raised redeemed to show off the scars
‘cause You’ve brought us this far

Chorus:
we come broken and we come undone
we come trying hard to love everyone
but we come up short in all that we do
because we do
so we come to You

Tag:
You came to show the way not around but *through*
so through it all we come to You

-Derek Webb