This was where the hubby and I took our college ministry for our missions trip this summer...only about 3 weeks ago. It was awesome! We all have awesome testimonies of what the Lord did in all of us and those that we came in contact with. Let me start at the beginning...
Earlier this year, we decided on taking the group to Camp Hinton. Mark and I both were really bent on taking our 3 kids (yeah, crazy right?). I wanted Mady, especially, to experience what happens on a missions trip and plus I didn't want to even think about a babysitter for 3 kids for a week! So, it was a deal - we were taking the kiddos! We had talked about it, and I knew that I would be staying back during the day while Mark and the students went out to the work site and helped those in the community. I was okay with that - or so I thought...
We left on a Saturday morning and headed for Nashville (a little over half way) where we stayed the night. We attended a church service in Nashville on Sunday morning (SO good) and then headed out to make it to Camp Hinton by 5pm! The babes did exceptional - all except for the last 30 minutes or so...they wanted out of those carseats and so did I (especially with the last hour or so being in super windy curvy roads through the mountains!).
We arrived at Camp Hinton and introduced our group via a skit, we broke up up into work teams, had dinner and received further instruction for the week. Our group was put in the Patterson Cottage - a 5 bedroom, 2 story, 5 bath cottage with a big living room and a balcony upstairs. We let the group raid the bottom and we overtook the top floor which was great for the kids. I ended up putting the babies to bed that evening and then going back down to the main cabin to hang out.
That first night was rough for me... the babies got sick and so I was up rocking them during the night (they were coughing so bad that the only thing that helped was to hold them upright). Then the next morning was stressful as Mark was trying to get the group ready to leave and get last minute instructions so as to not forget anything, and I was having trouble with 2 tired, sick babies. I was feeling overwhelmed. Then, the group getting ready to leave and they were all having fun and all excited, and I found myself getting a little jealous. I had been questioning this trip for a while - just wondering what my purpose would be and what the Lord would teach me on this trip. I knew I wouldn't have the same experience of working with a homeowner and being on the site.
I spent the day praying and reading my Bible (and crying!) just asking the Lord why I was here... I felt like I could have done what I was doing at this camp at home... especially since the babes were sick. I also wasn't able to really connect with the students that much because they were out all day and then when they got home and stayed up late, I was beat from staying up all night with sick kids. I was really struggling.
Just a bit later (on Wednesday), God spoke to me. He spoke to me clearly about what my purpose on this trip was, and my purpose in life. It was amazing! The Lord told me that I was on this missions trip for my kids... YEP, can you believe it?! I was there to be with them... not just be with them in the same house but to really BE with them all day and play with them, teach them, read to them. My problem a lot of the time at home is that with 3 kids I get caught up in doing for each of them and then doing things around the house that before I know it it is nap time and I haven't really spent any quality time with any of them. Sure, I have my good days where they are all read to and all get mommy time but a lot of the times it is hard. On this trip we were all in the same room with no distractions - no computer, no cell phone, no house to clean, no messes to pick up, no dishes to do, NOTHING! It gave me time to be with my kids 150%! and I loved it - even if they were sick.... which gave me time to cuddle with them which I might not have had otherwise. The other thing that He taught me was that I'm too busy and that I need to prioritize my time. With my home based business and 3 kids and a husband, life can take off. I'm looking to slow things down, now that we're back, and really focus on what's important.... my FAMILY, my CHURCH. I'm of course still going to keep my business but it needs to have it's time and place.
The other thing that I think sometimes is a struggle for me is my purpose in life. I forget that being a mom is the coolest thing in the world and that I have the privilege of raising up 3 souls for the Lord. How awesome is that. Thank You Lord for just helping me to see that again - helping me to see that what I do on a daily basis - change diapers, make PB&J sandwiches, clean up, laundry, etc DOES make a difference even if I can't see it right now. Being a MOM is the best job in the world!!!! I definitely feel like the Lord got breakthrough in my life and I totally know now why I was on this trip.
Mark actually switched with me the last day of the camp. He stayed back at the cabin with the kids, and I went out on the work site with the students and painted. It was awesome being able to hang out with the students and serve Mrs. Ledford by working on her house.. what a saint she is! I'll never forget her and the wisdom that she passed on to us.
Camp Hinton was a blessing to me this year. I spent uninterrupted time reading with my kids, playing with them (someone even gave Mady a big ole tub of play dough out of the blue - he brought it with him not knowing why, and then he felt the Lord saying he should give it to mady!), taking walks to the lake with Mady, doing school with Mady, spending long uninterrupted hours reading in the Word and praying, and really listening to the Lord. A lot of the times I think that missions trips are all about serving others, and that's awesome, but this one felt more like me and the Lord - an appointed meeting for us to be together. I also love it that Mady had a great time - she told everyone she came in contact with before we left that she was going on a missions trip. She was SO excited!!! She connected and loved hanging out with the students and we had a great time hanging out together. She even went out on the work site and got to play for a while and talk with our homeowner! What a blessing it is to have my kids learning things like this at an early age! Thank You Lord!
I could go on an on about this trip... Thank you Lord that you had each one of us right where we were supposed to be. I couldn't have been more blessed on this trip.
**Just another note of excitement: We had planned to go white water rafting the last day on the way home. We had it worked out where the kids had a sitter but that fell through last minute (long story). I was definitely bummed that I wouldn't be able to go rafting but completely understood. Long story short, Mark was praying and felt like he needed to make a phone call. He phoned an AG church in the town outside of the rafting place. The youth pastor said he'd love to watch our kids - his daughter and her friend as well - and so we were able to drop our kids off at the church and I was able to go rafting with the group! Thank You Lord!
