2 Corinthians 4:15
15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
As long as I can remember I have been involved in mission work from picking up trash on the side of the road (when I was three) to working in the local food pantry collecting and sorting food, to going on mission trips with my family rebuild / scrap and paint houses in support of Hurricanes Rita and Ike, to putting health kits together in support of the Katrina disaster, or even working at a local school or church during vacation bible school or during a school carnival. Mission work and giving back to the community has always been part of my life.
So then why an overseas mission trip? When I was 10 my sister’s godmother (who works for the international AIDS foundation writing health policy) told me of one of her many trips to Africa and she shared with me her experiences (oh she is also a minister). I was so drawn to helping others and reaching out to a community not only through the administration of the polio vaccine, but also reaching out a caring hand and sharing a loving heart to so many children who have nothing and no one. I just felt yes this is what I want to do. I knew at 10 I could not go with her to an overseas location, she told me I had to wait until I was 14 and gather some more experiences; but she continued sharing with me all of her trips to India, the Bahamas, and many more trips to Zimbabwe.
I have done my part and have continued to attend every possible mission opportunity I could, whether it was working at Vacation Bible School, the WINSHAPE camp through Chic-fila, doing local yard work for members of our church and community(which is how I have earned most of my funding for this trip), to building wheelchair ramps for disabled service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan or for elderly individuals, to scraping and painting houses with my youth group, to roofing houses in the Fort Worth, TX area on a District mission trip for a week (I am a mean nail gun operator), to raising money through my school for the local Ronald McDonald house, just to name a few.
Now I am not a bible quoter, but I do read the bible and that aspect maybe a challenge of mine; but I do know what Gods word says and I know his love for me and for others.
I feel with the team that we have we will come together as an awesome team and be able to bring out each others strengths to have a great time on this experience and be able to make a difference in so many people’s lives in Bolivia.
—Josh
