What makes a mission trip great? Not only great, but life-changing?

I guess it’s the question every leader asks before a trip.

As I sit back home in Ohio, thinking about the team I was with last week in Africa, I can only marvel and give props to God for bringing together a life-changing trip and we will never be the same.

Steve, a Children’s pastor at Southeast Christian Church, and his wife, Tammy, were my co-leaders. I would join them and six extremely cool interns from Southeast; Seth, Emily, Rebekah, Brent, Julie, and Justin. We began our long journey into East Africa with great anticipation. Dropping into Ethiopia for nine days is quite a shock to the senses.

The temperature change, the altitude change (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, is one of the highest in the world), the culture change, dirt, poverty, and cattle roaming the street, all make for a big adjustment. But as we allowed Africa to get into our lungs and heads and hearts, we were riveted from day one by all that God was doing there through the work of LIA. We would visit some of the poorest churches where God is using churches to reach their communities. We would help the Antioch Church rebuild a shelter for a blind man. He was literally living in a pile of trash.  We cleaned his living area, gave him a new bed, blanket and walls to his home. We were deeply moved.

We visited the Merkato Street Children and Rehabilitation Project where we heard testimonies of street kids who had been transformed by love and the good news of Jesus. We visited homes and prayed with people. We took time to love on orphans and widows. We were inspired by the stories of HIV-Aids patients who were empowered to take care of their families. God was moving in Africa and we were inspired to pray more, do more, be more for God’s kingdom. 

As we left Ethiopia on February 17, we left humbled and more aware of a world in need and the great part we have to play in it all!We’re excited to continue to be a part of the lives of the people we met and the ministry of Life in Abundance.