Village Bible Church || Aurora | Indian Creek | Sugar Grove | IL

This mission trip experience is one the of most real life type "missions experiences" our junior high students have ever took part in. Our students were participants in the Salvation Army's green camp each day. The reason why it is called "green camp" is because all of the campers learn how to build giant vegetable and flower beds and then plant different kinds of flowers and vegetables in those beds. Throughout the week, campers also participate in athletic activities, learn drumming skills on 5 gallon Home Depot buckets, take a field trip to a local nature preserve, and most importantly, listen to a Bible story each day. We studied and helped teach the life of Moses each day. The role of our junior high students was to participate in the camp and build relationships with students their own age. They continually prayed for opportunities to share the gospel with their new friends, and starting on Tuesday, were challenged to have at least one spiritual conversation a day for the rest of the week. Just like a missionary who travels to another culture to share the gospel, our students received a taste of missions because they went into a different culture, built relationships and then prayed for and took the opportunity to share the gospel with their new friends.

Each evening, we debriefed the day, and I wrote down some of the ways our students were able to share the gospel:

• Elyse talked to Jamilia who asked she what she believed, and then Jamilia in turn, asked Elyse what she believed. Elyse shared the gospel with her, and Jamilia said that she already fully put her trust in Jesus. Erin asked Keisha what she liked doing in her spare time and if she liked going to church? Keisha said yes.
• Then Erin asked Keisha what her favorite Bible story is, and Keisha said Jesus' crucifixion because it shows Jesus love for her. Rachel talks with Antoneisha who said that she is going to start coming to the Salvation Army church every Wednesday night because of Rachel's encouragement for her to come to church (Mario visited the Salvation army church two weeks later when Grace Bible Church had their Chicago trip, and Antoneisha was there, asking for Rachel).
• Nathan talked to his friend Bryce. He asked Bryce if he was a Christian and he said yes.

One story that impacted me was Pastor Vincent's story. Earlier in his life, Vince was in and out of drugs and started getting involved in the Salvation Army in the early 1990s. He was in and out of half way houses. God rescued him from his life of drugs through the Salvation Army and these half way houses. Back then, he said, some day, he would like to do the same for others and help others who are in tough situations. A few years ago, Vince was working on a garage roof and he fell off and broke his femur bone. He received a $70k settlement and now he has a metal rod in his femur. As an African American male, the thing to get was a brand new Cadillac. So, the first place he went was to the Cadillac dealership to buy himself a spanking brand new Cadillac. He found his dream car, and it even had a push button to start it up. As the car salesman was getting the paperwork together for Vince to sign, Vince received a phone call from a real estate agent about a foreclosed home for $42k that he could remodel as a halfway house. The Lord was telling him to walk away from the car. He walked away, bought this second home and uses it to house women as a halfway house until they get back on their feet. Two weeks before we arrived in Chicago, Vince was teaching a Bible study, and in off the street walks in a mom with 5 kids and a 6th one on the way. She had no food and no place to stay. The Lord was telling Vince to provide a place to stay at his new house. Now, she lives up stairs with all 5 of her kids, while an older loves downstairs. We were able to eat dinner with Vince and this mom and her children in that house on Tuesday night. Through Christ's strength, Vince was able to do what the rich ruler had a hard time doing - "...Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, then come follow me" (Luke 18:22b). Pastor Vince just joined the Salvation Army staff earlier this year as the pastor of outreach.