Missions: The Road Less Travelled

A call to be His hands and feet. sometimes it involves sacrifice but it always leaves you being blessed more by the people you encounter than by the blessing you are to those you meet. this is my follow up summary after i returned from Los Angeles, CA after a week long mission trip with the LA Dream Center.

The Road Less Traveled

Missions come at a high price. The heavy burden can almost be too much to bear. The sadness written on their face can sometimes cut a little too deep. And most of all, the simple thought of where their eternity will be spent if we don’t do what we’ve been called to do as disciples of our Lord, can make one sick. We have been commanded to share our faith, yet our schedules somehow fill up and we have no time to do so. We know the responsibility of proclaiming the name of our Saviour is high, so fear, many times, leads us to opt out when things get tough.

The road less traveled sums up what this past week has meant to me. Never in my wildest dreams did I see myself taking off a week of school, and loading up to head to California with 4 other grown women; but my wildest dreams came true, and that is exactly what I did. As I quickly realized, the L.A. Dream Center has something unique about it. I never figured out if it was the love or if it was the peace of a hope that was being fed back into the people’s lives that were involved in the programs offered; but if I had to guess, I would say it would be a mixture of both.

As we began our outreaches at the beginning of the week, I had no idea what to expect. I certainly did not expect to be moved and touched by the people we came in contact with in the ways that I was. Whether it was at Santa Monica, Adopt-A-Block or just taking time to listen to many success stories of people who had completed the program; I knew without a doubt that a powerful truth echoed in the verse “I am sure that the One who began a good work in you will carry it on until completion” (Phil. 1:6) for the Dream Center.

Irvin was a homeless man, made in the image of God, living on the streets off the beaches in Santa Monica. Sharon was a beautiful woman roaming and confused in a park downtown. Samantha was a two year old gift of joy in a dark and hopeless household. Angel was a young boy who I know will grow into a God-fearing man. And finally Damien was a baby who was born without a choice, into a non-picture-perfect life, but the Lord still has amazing plans for his life.

My eyes have been opened to the reality that surrounds us. That reality is harsh and not easy to chew on, but it’s happening even as this is being read. Violence is real, drugs are real, and the painful economy is becoming a valid problem as each day passes. These people struggle not only to provide for their children a bed to sleep on but also have food to eat and on top of a rent check that even a middle class family would struggle to pay.

The Dream Center opened my eyes in so many incredible ways. Not only did it push me and stir something up inside me while I was there, but it left a life changing mentality running through my head. We have the answer, the joy, the hope, the love, the compassion, and the burning desire to make His glorious name known. A radical and intentional life style is forced when living out and making known the word of God. Let’s get out of our seats and out on the streets and truly begin to take the road less traveled. We have a hopeless and dying generation waiting for us to take up the call. What’s hindering us?