Teens in Missions
August 31st, 2008 by Sara VerwymerenIf I’m going to be totally honest, I have to tell you that 10 kids changed my perception of teenagers. Ok, we work with them all time, but these teens were different. The spark inside of them was so genuine and pure, it was impossible to miss.
A school group from Melbourne, southern Australia, came to Townsville to learn about God and the love for his people. They came on a trip that we run here at our base called Mission Adventures. The motto for this camp is “We do the work, you do the ministry.” We want to bless youth leaders and young pastors who want to minister with their youth without worrying about the logistical details of running a missions trip.
So we were the details people. But that didn’t mean we missed getting to know these kids’ hearts. When they first arrived, they were wide-eyed with expectation and giddy in a new environment. I thought, like any other first encounter with teens, it would take a while for them to warm up to us, their staff. Boy, was i wrong. An hour after they had landed, two girls and me were crowded on a small couch, talking about Townsville, our pool table and what kind of music we liked.
It was going to be an awesome week.
While I was leading worship on the first morning, I opened my eyes to see a 15-year-old boy on his knees, crying and worshipping God. I saw a desperation for God that I had not witnessed in a long time. It was all I could do not to cry myself.
During the week, each kid – whether it was through the worship, training, devotions or hang out time – was affected by God. And by the time they were ready to go on outreach to a small Aboriginal community, they had testimonies of what God spoken to them.
We were astounded. But why wouldn’t God speak? These guys were earnestly seeking Him and walking in righteousness. They were the most polite, considerate and selfless group of people I have ever met – and none was above the age of 16.
We have this phrase in Christianese when we know that God has really gotten through to someone’s heart. We call it “getting it.” And by all means, these kids got it. Though I wasn’t able to go on outreach with them, I heard their stories and saw the change in their faces when they talked about ‘this one’ and ‘so-and-so’ Even though most of them lost their lunch on the boatride back from the small community, it put no damper on what they had experienced in making God known.
I have never been more proud of a group of teenagers than I was of these kids. It gave me great hope for every teen that I know and may have written off. They all have the ability to “get it.” They just need a little push in the right direction.
If you’d like to learn more about Mission Adventures, check out www.reeftooutback.com and see how you can help change the world with young and eager hearts!