It’s been a year (almost to the day) since my first middle school mission trip. Wow. Only a year. It seems like it’s been … well … more than that. I went on that mission trip because I felt God was calling me to apply for the middle school youth minister position at our church. It was a test. I guess you could say I passed. I applied for the job and didn’t get it. I was glad that they didn’t offer me the job, because the same week they announced who got it, I got a fat raise at my current job, and I didn’t want to have to turn that down. See, God does have a sense of humor, but he also has a heart.

Even though I didn’t get the job, I realized that I fit much better with the middle schoolers than the high schoolers. (Hey. Stop that snickering. It has nothing to do with my maturity level, you neener heads!) I taught Sunday school for the eighth grade boys all year. It was tough sometimes, but I really feel that God used me and I have some great relationships with those guys.

Tonight, I’m packing for my second MSMT and thinking about the experience of last year. (You can read about it here.) I feel unworthy. I know it’s going to be hot and exhausting work but I also know that God is going to do amazing things. I’m eager to see what God has in store, but I know that I am a fragile jar of clay, unworthy of the treasure that is inside me, the treasure that God is going to pour out this week.

Pray for the trip. Pray for our middle schoolers. Pray for the little ghetto kids who are going to experience God’s love this week. See you next week!