Wonder Voyage 2010 Summer Blog

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, ” (Isaiah 61:1–3 ESV)

With this being my first Wonder Voyage, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had heard from our students and other leaders a little bit about past trips, how there are different ministries the students will interact with, a mixture of manual and relational projects, and how the program unfolds as a surprise to the students. This Wonder Voyage was different. Instead of numerous projects, we had one. Instead of manual labor, our project was solely relational. Instead of a surprise, the students were told the first day they would be spending the whole week on this one project. The week was to be spent at Mission Road Development Center, an orphanage and learning center for mentally and physically handicapped children and adults. Reverend Jim, the chaplain and volunteer coordinator, told us in our orientation that this home was a last resort type place, that most of the children there were pulled out of their homes by the state because of abuse, neglect, or abandonment. He told us that these kids were there only after foster care failed. The children at this facility were the unwanted of our society, and our project was to hang out with them, do the activities with them, and hopefully influence them for Christ.

I remember the first lunch we had after arriving at Mission Road, and looking at our students’ faces while we ate our sandwiches. They didn’t know what to do. Most of them felt uncomfortable, some a little disappointed, and all apprehensive about spending three and a half days being around these children whom nobody else wanted. When we got home that night, we had our devotional on our trip verses, Isaiah 61:1-3. Eric challenged the students to consider the verses and the calling to bind up the brokenhearted, to set free the captives, and to comfort those who mourn. By the end of the devotional, I could tell our students were starting to get what it was we were doing here.

The next day went a lot better. The awkwardness of saying hello to a severely autistic boy and being ignored was no longer awkward. The apprehension of helping a kid who chews on his sock draw a picture was non-existent and the kids began to take seriously the calling of Isaiah to set free the captives and bind up the broken-hearted. As a leader it was encouraging to hear the kids talking about the children at Mission Road during lunch, discussing the different quirks each child had, what things they were learning, and how familiar they were feeling around them. I could see our students stepping out of their comfort zones and walking by faith as they opened themselves up to the kids at Mission Road.

At the last lunch we had there, Eric had the students break down into four groups and share a moment they had that day or that week that stood out to them. The students in my group began to share how they were seeing God use them to teach one of the kids how to read a little bit faster, or how they were helping some of the lower functioning children respond more to their interactions. And then Mia shared. Up until that point, our students were focusing on what God was doing through them for the kids at MR. Mia began by saying she wanted to share something that God had done to her. She couldn’t believe how easily the children were pleased with so little. Whether it was being able to spend 45 minutes in a pool, or getting a cheap $1 toy after gym, the kids there were without material inclinations. They didn’t judge any of our students, nor reject them. Mia shared with our group that Mission Road and all the kids she interacted with were really teaching her something.

When Mia shared that, things began to click with the other students. The attitude we had coming into the Mission Trip was that we were there to help them, serve them, and carry out the calling that we reflected on in Isaiah and later in Matthew 25 and James 2. We were all there to bind up the broken-hearted and comfort the mourning of the unwanted and devalued that Mission Road took in. By the end of the week though, the students and the leaders were all finding that maybe we weren’t only there for Mission Road, but maybe the kids at Mission Road were there for us. It was our broken-hearts that they began to bind, our captive souls that they began to loose, and by the end of the trip, our oil of mourning was transformed into the oil of gladness. God had used what man rejected to make His freedom reign in us.

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to watch a funny thing happen. Emily, one of the girls on our team, began the week with some serious trepidation. Working with kids with lives so vastly different than our own can understandably make us pause. That first day at the school for mentally handicapped children, I thought Emily was going protest: she was clearly not comfortable- looking around with wide eyes, refusing to say much. She looked like she was about to make her escape.

But yesterday, it was like Emily was an entirely different person. I saw her laughing, supporting and engaging those same kids with genuine care and love. The scene was amazing. It occured to me that many of the students on our team felt those same moments of awkwardness and fear- but they have all risen to their challenge of service- and look a lot like the hands and feet of Christ.

We began with new adventures and hidden destinations. Our intrepid team from Fellowship Bible Church arrived in San Antonio not knowing what their mission would be, but they have approached it with energy and excitement. Our service project this week is to serve the residents at Mission Road Development Center, a ministry that works with mentally handicapped kids and adults- providing homes and services for hundreds of people in San Antonio.

Today was our first day at the Center. It is incredible to see that in just a few short hours, the bonds of friendship and love have begun to form. It is an amazing sight and a portent of great things to come this week. We are excited and ready for more.