Final Reflections – 2013 AU Volleyball PR Mission Trip
-It was an absolute joy to be able to spend the week
building relationships with the kids at camp and getting to share with them
about what God has done in our lives. We have been able to grow so much as a
team during this trip and I have loved getting to know all these amazing girls
better! And yay Spanish music an Puerto Rican food and YUMMY IGUANAS!
-Catherine
-God’s presence has been evidently seen and felt the entire
time we’ve been here. The fact that we were able to help all five days and
build those relationships with the girls (and a few boys) was crucial, and I
believe was the reason why God was able to use us as he has. I thank God for
all of these girls and the wonderful experience this was for me.
-Allison
- This trip has been nothing but a blessing. Not only did we
get to build our relationship amongst ourselves, but work together to serve for
God’s glory. Seeing each camper improve daily at the camps was such an awesome
experience, especially the much younger players. I loved every part of this
trip, even though sleep was at the bottom of the list. I can’t wait to see what
else God has in store for us as a team and how else we will represent Christ.
-Cat
-What an unforgettable and eye opening experience for my
first mission trip! Leading up to the trip I prayed that I would keep my heart
and mind open to God’s presence and I truly felt that as I developed
relationships with girls at the clinics and on this team. Each day was a new mini mission, but
had so much in store for us. I
feel so blessed to be able to have had the opportunity to share God with people
of PR and to grow as a member of this Asbury Volleyball family.
-Lauren Colston
-I feel so incredibly blessed to have spent my first mission’s
trip in Puerto Rico with this amazing volleyball team. Learning about the
difference between being a “fan” or a “follower” and hearing the stories of my
teammates and their journeys has inspired me and taught me a lot about what it
means to truly follow Christ with all of your heart. It was a blessing to share
not only our love of volleyball with the girls in the clinics but share our
faith and extend love and hope. They have impacted me in a way that I know I’ll
never forget.
-Shelby
-I am honored to be on this mission trip with my new
volleyball family. I have been
blessed in many different ways, but I have truly been blessed by the way that
the Mayes family has served us selflessly for this week. They have inspired me
to pursue being a true follower of Jesus and not to be ok with being a “luke
warm” fan of Jesus. I treasure all
of the friendships that I have formed this week with all the little children in
the clinics. I am so thankful for
this week and all that I have learned.
-Lexi
-Being on this missions trip has been incredibly eye opening
and has made me realize how blessed I am. I am so thankful to have girls on my
team who are on fire for the Lord and cannot wait to develop stronger
relationships with these young ladies over the rest of the season. Having the
opportunity to help out with the volleyball camps has been so much fun and it
was amazing to see how all of the girls looked up to us. One of the things that
I have learned on this 10 day trip is the difference between a fan, and someone
who is a true follower of Jesus Christ. It really made me think about what type
of relationship I have with the Lord.
-Kelsey
This mission trip helped me open my eyes to Christ’s call to
be a follower, not just an enthusiastic admirer. Even before the plane left,
while reading the book Not a Fan, I
realized that I need to change. On this trip, I have come to a better
understanding of who God wants me to be – through the devotionals, the stories,
the selfless leaders who serve, and the amazing people we had the opportunity
to reach out to in the simplest of ways.
This trip has brought me closer to my awesome God and amazing team. I am
thankful.
-Rachel
I wasn’t prepared at all for what I learned on this trip or
the experiences that I had. I was touched not only by God and my teammates but
also the little girls we taught. I have come to understand more and more that
growing up in a Christian home doesn’t mean life will be easy. I still have to
struggle with God to understand my faith and my purpose in this life. The last
night Chad, our missionary, put it perfectly… any of us will stand in the gap
for our teammates and I think that is the purpose God calls us to, to stand in
the gap and pull people to Christ.
-Jessie
This being my first mission trip I wasn’t completely sure
what to expect. I boarded a plane with a bunch of strangers but now I am coming
home with a bunch of new sisters! My health during this trip hindered my
ability to serve but it could not hinder my ability to absorb all of the
newfound inspiration to my forever growing faith in the Lord Jesus. The people of Puerto Rico are truly
blessed to have the Mayes family living among them. Their fire for the Lord is
unmistakable and their example for their children is undeniable. We were truly
blessed to have the opportunity to work alongside them.
-Brooke
This has been one of the favorite mission trips that I have
ever been on! The people we met here were soooo excited and thankful that we
were here! Volleyball is such a big sport here in Puerto Rico, so we were able
to relate to the girls and their parents in a way that was easy and natural for
us. It was awesome to see what an example we can set for the girls as the
potential future that many of them want and need. Many of them looked up to us,
and it was such a special feeling! I would love to come back in two years (even
though I won’t be on the team technically! L)
-Kelly
Going on the Puerto Rico Mission Trip has been a great
experience. I really enjoyed
getting to know my teammates better and being able to use volleyball to reach the
girls of Moca and Augadillia has been an amazing opportunity. I was really
shocked to see the appreciation of the people of Puerto Rico and I’m so glad to
have been apart of the trip.
-Hillarie
Puerto Rico was my first mission trip, and after this
experience it will not be my last. I was very nervous before the trip, but now
that it’s over I realize that I had nothing to be scared of. I defiantly saw
God this trip through the kids and nightly group meetings and I am so thankful
for it because I can honestly say that my relationship has grew with Christ.
-Halee
Being able to come on this trip was truly a blessing. I am
so unbelievably thankful I was able to come with my team. I can honestly say I
have the best teammates. Being able to spend the past 10 days with these girls
hearing each others stories and sharing our love for God has been
indescribable. Working these clinics with the girls here has been amazing, they
were all so thankful for us simply teaching them how to play volleyball. I hope
I will be able to return and do more work here.
-Lauren Weyl
This is my first mission trip, and I’m happy to say that it
was such a huge success! I’m glad I got to spend the past 10 days with an
awesome group of girls. I’ve definitely learned a lot about not only the girls,
but about myself as well. After working the volleyball clinics, and learning
about the cities in Puerto Rico, I’ve come to realize how truly blessed I am to
have the life that I do. I am so grateful that I got to come on this mission
trip and create so many memories with some great people.
-Amanda Olivier
Coming on this trip was the most amazing experience. Being
my first mission trip, I really didn’t know what to expect. The people and
relationships I have met and made have and will continue to impact my life.
Seeing how people contently live there lives everyday with a substantially less
amount of amenities than us took me back. But the most rewarding moment was on
the first day of the second clinic. Towards the end of the session, Natalia and
I were talking and I asked if we could take a picture after. She grew a huge
grin saying she’d love too. Her excitement blew me away, making me realize how
much we take for granted. Needless to say this trip has sparked a lot of
reflection for me. Along with all of this I have come so much closer to all of
my lovely teammates. Within each day God jam-packed it with numerous examples
to show me just how blessed I am.
-Morgan Blake Newton
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