Ministry Road Life ( The Good & Bad)

Missions are full of all kinds of surprises. There are amazing moments and also real challenges. In this episode the Kingdom Wild crew unpacks all aspects of what it is like to live life on the road. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_06 0:00

Hey guys, welcome to the Kingdom Mob podcast. Today we are gonna be talking about missions, what life on the road is like, some of the upsides of missions, the downsides of missions, and we're gonna look at what it means to be mission-minded in all that you do, and also talk about just like some of our favorite stories from our time on the road. Some are funny, some are sweet, some are a little bit scary, but it's a good time. We're excited for you to listen to this episode. So yeah, let's get right into it.

SPEAKER_04 0:30

Wait, I'll pick up you have haters? What? I was picking up when we left off. And then you got a bounce off, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 0:36

Yeah, well, we already talked about yeah, haters. Yeah, it's like having fans, but better. Better. Okay. So I think just some of the circles I grew up in, or maybe even just like things I've seen on the internet, I guess. Um, just like on socials, and then like different like Reddit threads I've read of people being like, yeah, I used to be a Christian. I went on a mission trip when I was whatever, you know, in high school. They went to the DR and it was just going down there to take pictures with kids and put a Bible versus nearby and just being very like cynical and jaded when it comes to missions. And so I guess I feel like that's the majority view. Even in the church, I feel like that's the majority view. And I don't think that's accurate, but I think that's how I feel about it. And so it's like I feel like I constantly have to justify myself when I'm doing missions work and I constantly have to, which I know I don't, like I know if I'm doing what the Lord's asked me to do, like that's the right thing. But I feel like like I was at somebody's house the other day and they were asking me, they were just asking me genuine questions to learn more about like what we do and when we travel, like all of that. But I my brain's immediate thought was, oh my gosh, they're trying to disprove the value of what you do and trying to like find a gap in it, and like, oh well, you're not really helping people, you just want to travel, you know? And like that's they genuinely were just curious. Like, that's not what they were trying to do, but that was my brain's like thought, and I felt so defensive, even though like they just wanted to know more about what we were doing, and I was sharing more about what we were doing. So I feel like I don't know, I feel like haters, for lack of a better term, is a really big frustration issue deal. I don't know, but maybe that's just me. Maybe everyone else doesn't feel like that.

SPEAKER_04 2:19

I don't know. I feel like there's both sides of the spectrum, and I've never really seen it in between. It's like you tell people you do missions and they're like, oh wow, that's great, that's amazing. Yeah. And the other end is like, why? Or they're like, you can't do it at home. There's people in your backyard that need help. Yeah, there's people in your backyard that need help, or like or extremely discouraging. Especially if you go to like specific areas, they're just like especially if you go to specific areas, it's like just specifically, like, isn't that dangerous? Like, okay, and as like someone that travels to certain areas, you already have like these like you already have natural fears and doubts. That's a human emotion. But like people are either like, Oh, that's amazing, great, praying for you, or they're like, Why would you do that? You're gonna die. Yeah, it's like not whatsoever. And so I've never had like this in-between. It's either like, I love what you're doing, or it's what you think you're better than me. Yeah, go preach to the homeless guy down the street, which I'm not saying that's bad, because at the end of the day, whoever God calls you for, that's who you're supposed to talk to, whether that's a sibling or that's someone on the other side of the planet.

SPEAKER_06 3:24

Um, yeah, that's true. I think like we see so many times in the Bible where people like in the New Testament, people were called to somewhere different than where they are right now. And like that was a common theme. Like, that was a uh what's the word? Like, not an archetype, but like what's the word I'm looking for? Not quite. Um a common cliche. No start start over. Like explain it better. In the New Testament, I was gonna try to Google it. In the New Testament, we see so many times where like people like that's their ammo. That's not the word I'm looking for. Gosh, that's gonna frustrate me. Um You can Google it. Okay, I'm gonna Google it. Um I can't find the word, but like oh, that's gonna bother me so much, but it's okay. Let's take a moment, it's okay. No, like I can't think of it. Okay, I'll think of it later. But like in the New Testament, we see so many times like people go somewhere and they were called somewhere other than where they are in that moment, and that's just a very common theme. Like, it's a very common way for things to pan out. And so, why would we think that we would be any different? Like, yes, there's value in ministering to your community, and if that's where you're called, that's great. And some people are called to that, but some people are called to go to another country, some people are called to go to another state, some people are called to go to another county or another town in their state, but like it's not like people in today's times act like it's so crazy, and it's like, well, why are you ministering to people in Arkansas? You can minister to people of Georgia, and there's already people in Arkansas ministering, and it's like, well, yeah, but I feel like I'm I'm called to this, like I'm supposed to go and do this, and there's people that are probably from Arkansas that feel called to Georgia, and like that's okay, and that's biblical, and that's like something that we've seen play out biblically a million times. Like, why would we not follow the same pattern now?

SPEAKER_05 5:35

Yeah, that makes me think of when like it says Jesus was rejected in his own hometown. Yeah. Like sometimes I think that sometimes you can reach people or people are easier to reach when it's somebody that went to them. Yeah. Rather than somebody that's just there and like routine and normalcy. It's like to me, I feel like if I was in their shoes, I would be like, this person traveled to my city to preach the good news. Yeah. And I feel like that would I don't know, I just feel like that would preach better or maybe different, I guess. Yeah, I agree.

SPEAKER_04 6:24

Is that the word?

SPEAKER_06 6:26

Nope. It's like a word for like plot line, storyline, archetype, theme. Those are all synonyms, and I can't pinpoint it, and it's really bothering me.

SPEAKER_04 6:37

I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Okay, that's okay.

SPEAKER_02 6:40

Yeah, I think there's just value sometimes with being from somewhere else, right? Because there's the simple like if someone's your neighbor, you tend to ignore them.

SPEAKER_07 6:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:49

But if somebody's from somewhere else, then it it gets your attention.

SPEAKER_07 6:52

It does.

SPEAKER_02 6:53

And so I mean, perhaps God uses that, or it's just as a matter of like, that's God uses that. That's just how nature also works. Um but there are definitely people who um have a passion for local.

SPEAKER_04 7:09

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 7:11

Um like I have a passion for local. But I think if a guy came up that was from somewhere else, he'd probably get somebody's attention more than I would. Um but maybe sometimes it works for me too when I'm local, because oftentimes the places that I've lived, I don't look like a local. So they probably don't know, anyways.

SPEAKER_06 7:31

Yeah. Then you can stay connected with people after like you have good conversations with them. Yeah, that's the hard thing about like not being local, is there's only so much follow-up you can do. I mean, you can stay connected with people, but you can't go get coffee with them once a week.

SPEAKER_07 7:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 7:48

Versus like somebody you meet at your local church in your local small group, like you can go get coffee with them, you can really pour into them. That's I think it's important, even though we're doing missions in other places, to still be partnered with or connected with some local body or establishment in some way or some fashion. Because then we can give them like a tie-in, and we're not just leaving them high and dry, we're leaving them with like connection and we're leaving them with a next step.

SPEAKER_04 8:16

Well, like, isn't that what we were talking about? Like the difference between like discipleship is like more long term and like evangelizing and stuff is like when you go, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 8:27

And I I evangelism is good, but I think evangelism without discipleship is kind of like grace without truth, or vice versa, you know, like one is a natural successor of the other, and one is almost incomplete without the latter counterpart. Like if you have evangelism without discipleship, like is that really complete evangelism? And I think maybe, yes, maybe, but like it's like such a disservice to someone to evangelize, they get saved, etc. But then leave them with like no resource, no next step, no nothing.

SPEAKER_02 9:09

Yeah, we do see that in scripture a lot of times. Like someone will go, they'll evangelize, and then they'll follow up with letters or whatever. Or they'll send somebody.

SPEAKER_01 9:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:19

They may be an evangelist, but then I'm gonna send, you know, Timothy or whoever, and he's gonna spend time there with you.

SPEAKER_07 9:27

Yeah, that's true.

SPEAKER_02 9:28

So that's something you see. And then one thing that you mentioned earlier was the idea of the the the like haters or the negative impression that sometimes people get with missions. And I think that a lot of that can just be flesh because people see that they're like, man, what do they think they're out doing? Giving food to people that don't have it in third world countries, and it's like, yeah, you know, Jesus would do that. Yeah, it's um they need it, and we can we can help them. And you could maybe say, Well, there's better ways to do it than great, then awesome. You know that. Go do that.

SPEAKER_07 10:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:07

Um, but I think a lot of times it could be flesh just having a reaction.

SPEAKER_01 10:12

That's true.

SPEAKER_02 10:12

Because the things that people are doing are uh it's a good thing. And sometimes just as people, for some reason, we see a good thing and we just react negatively.

SPEAKER_07 10:24

Oh, it's true.

SPEAKER_02 10:25

It's just it happens.

unknown 10:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:27

I've probably done that, you know. I've seen pictures where they're like with everyone, and I'm like, man, what a whatever.

SPEAKER_06 10:33

You just want anyone take pictures.

SPEAKER_02 10:35

I know, yeah. You just went here to take pictures with these kids or whatever, and it's like, but they're not thinking that at all when they're in that photo. They're they're like, I love these kids. I never want to leave this place, but I have to go home because I that my job is what gets me to be able to come out here and afford to do this and come back and forth, and I can bring the they're not thinking like that at all when they're um I know people, um, I forget his name. Shoot, one guy, he he does a lot of stuff and he's posting oftentimes, like when he's either speaking. I wish I could remember his name. I really can't. But he's a younger guy, he's probably like, I want to say like 18 to 20 or something like that. Somebody, I know some of us know him. I just cannot remember his name. But he he posts a lot, and it's cool to see him post because I'm like, man, he's really out there, like always doing something.

SPEAKER_07 11:23

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_02 11:24

Um so it's cool to see it. I think it's it can be good to share it. Because some people are gonna see that um and they're gonna think, man, I I want to go do that. But I think even more so it's good for yourself.

SPEAKER_04 11:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:40

From my experience with doing like media and stuff, the people that watch, and this is true in media in general, but the people that appreciate it are the people that are in it or that made it. And that might sound like weird, and maybe it is a little bit, but the whenever I've done a video like with the Belize video, I know people go back and they're like, I I was in that video or I went, and I go back like every few months or once a year, and I watch that video and I think about that trip. And so that's I mean, that's kind of like anything else you take pictures and go back and remember. And so that reminder of the mission trip and the value or or going somewhere else, or even being local and being able to have like a photo or some kind of memory or something is is pretty cool. Being able to take a camera or something like that on a trip really is neat to be able to walk away with like photos or something.

SPEAKER_06 12:31

Yeah, I think going back to like sharing on social media. We've talked I've talked about this with you guys before, but we haven't talked about it on the podcast. Like, sometimes I struggle with posting when we're on trips and like doing stuff because I don't like I just naturally like posting like cute things, like oh, I went to a coffee shop. Like that's the kind of thing I enjoy posting, so I'm gonna post it. But like I don't want people to think I'm just traveling all over and just going to coffee shops, like, but I also don't want to come across as fake, constantly being like, today I shared the gospel with this person and today I prayed for this person, and like look at me and what I did for the king, you know? And so it's like I don't know what the balance is of like I don't want people to think I'm just doing these trips and going and you know, flaunting around, flaunt like whatever, yeah, floating around, having fun. But I also don't want it to seem fake being like today we talked to 12 people and six of them gave their lives to Jesus, you know, and I just I don't know if they're what the balance is or if there is a balance or if it's I shouldn't care what other people think or you know, so yeah, I don't think the the numbers of it matters or the metrics, you know, sharing that stuff.

SPEAKER_02 13:47

I don't know. I know some ministries do that, but I don't really know enough enough about that to have much enough opinion on sharing numbers. But I can also say, too, for like with what I was saying about having those memories for yourself with posting, uh-huh. Um that is actually pretty helpful for a lot of people, but it's not something I do for myself because I know I've ended up in videos that I've shot, and I almost never go back and watch them. Um maybe one day I will, but so far I haven't. But I do recognize and appreciate that I can take that video, like uh the video I was baptized in, and I'll tell somebody some of my story. It's kind of rare this happens, but then I can send them the video and I'd be like, here, you can see it.

SPEAKER_07 14:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:33

Um so that is pretty cool.

SPEAKER_04 14:36

That's true. And I think that I remember when that video came out.

SPEAKER_02 14:39

You know what I'm talking about?

SPEAKER_04 14:40

And know exactly what you're talking about.

SPEAKER_02 14:42

Yeah, I think it's probably still like the best ministry video that God has allowed me to do. Um and I think it was because it's just the it was like the rawest, realist form. It was a lot less about production and I don't know, it was just special. But yeah, so sharing the journey and stuff is cool. Um you know, being able to learn. And I think that when it comes to that stuff, if you make a mistake along the way, you at least you're trying and then you can you can get better. And it is scary because people are gonna see that mistake, but if you just kind of stick with it and not really care, then people will see it too. They'll learn from it. They if they hold it against you, that's on them. But if they if they see it and then they learn from it, then then they can learn from your journey as well, and your mistakes, and like so many other um creators or influencers are online are kind of that same way where we get to see their mistakes and we don't we don't think that about the ones that we like. Yeah, we don't think negatively about those mistakes that they made. But we actually appreciate whenever um something is going on. Um like I s I uh one of my favorite people to watch is like Peter McKinnon. Anytime he posts a video where it's him being real, which he kind of is all the time, but what people are talking about really a lot of times is either his mistakes, something personal, like backtracking. Anytime he posts something like that, everyone appreciates it because that is oftentimes people connect or they can take a lot of value away from those moments rather than just his photos are so good, so many people see that, and like I can't connect with his photos always because like I can't take pictures and skill as Pete. But then if there's a moment that he has or like he makes a mistake, then I'm like, oh, I could be like Pete. Yeah, because he made a mistake.

SPEAKER_06 16:47

It's true.

SPEAKER_02 16:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 16:50

I'm sorry, guys. I had to go off for like five seconds. Not more than five, like 20. I felt like I was in class, you know, you're in class, and you're like a way in turning around. It was so bad. Yeah, that'd be great. Yeah, that's next to you. You don't have to get up.

SPEAKER_02 17:07

Do you think there's any dangers or pitfalls of doing missions?

SPEAKER_04 17:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:12

Yeah, what do you think?

SPEAKER_04 17:14

There's pitfalls and dangers with everything.

SPEAKER_02 17:16

Do you have anything specific?

SPEAKER_04 17:19

Okay, what do you mean like dangers and pitfalls? Like natural dangers, like just being in a different country? Yeah, sure.

SPEAKER_01 17:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 17:26

Well, there's that. Um There is that. Be safe when you travel, but also trust your your judgment and your discernment. Yeah. There's been many a times where I've Hey mom and dad. There's been many times where I've been in like not the best situations or in the best circumstances, but I trust the spirit in that. And it's like you're supposed to be here. Or in go ahead. But also, if your discernment is telling you to leave, trust it. You should leave. Don't stay somewhere because you're like, oh no, for the sake of the kingdom, when this Holy Spirit says, like, you're not going to be able to get trapped for your organs.

SPEAKER_06 18:04

You go.

SPEAKER_04 18:04

You leave. When you go to a shitty hotel that you spent money on. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 18:09

When you go to a shady hotel that you spent money on, you don't have to stay there.

SPEAKER_04 18:14

No, yes. Natural dangers. Oh, okay. So I was on a mission trip. That was like my first mission trip and kind of like jump started everything. Um, I lived in Uganda for three months, and it was the first time I ever went on a plane, and I think that was like really important for what I do now is like, because I'm very much like an all-in or nothing person. And God was like, okay, you're gonna do it for three months. And it was only supposed to be for two weeks, and it was like, no, three months. And I felt really heavily not to get the yellow fever vaccine. That was just personal. Like, I prayed about it and I didn't feel peace about it. And the amount of people there's a couple people that straight up told me I was gonna die. Um, and just natural dangers of the places you go, whether that's inner city, whether that's in the country or another or another like country in general, it's there's always dangers, but also if you feel called to a place, God's not gonna take you somewhere and not bring you back. And then if you don't come back, you're not you weren't supposed to. Like he might take you somewhere, not bring you back, but today's game. Like exactly. Is that the point to where, especially okay, so with missions, I had to come to a point to where when that was when I went to Jordan, when I went to not so much Belize, but when I went to Uganda, it was like, okay, if I don't come back from this, am I okay with it? Yeah. That's something I had to settle with. And the first time it was really hard because it was like, I don't want to die. But then the second time it was like, okay, if the dye is gain, if I know I'm called to this, I'm a very firm believer of like, if you if it's yours, if it's your time, nothing's gonna keep you here. If it's not your time, nothing can take you. Yeah. Um if you're called to something and you know I'd rather do that and taste death than disobey a direct order from my king. Yeah. No. Um, so obviously there's dangers. They make good stories though. Yeah, they need to come back.

SPEAKER_02 20:07

Yeah, I think most people are not gonna face death. Uh like the current climate of things. There are some places that they that they definitely may. Um where in there's there's places in Africa that I think there's like a real threat of like physical danger. But um most places in the world you're probably not at risk of dying. But there's definitely it could definitely be uncomfortable for sure. Um, there could definitely be discomforts. I don't know if I've had a mission trip where it was fun the whole time for everybody.

SPEAKER_04 20:50

Yeah, that's true.

SPEAKER_02 20:51

That is definitely the case.

SPEAKER_04 20:52

And just sacrifices in general of being away from home. That was my biggest sacrifice. I can I don't like being uncomfortable and not having first world amenities. Like, I don't like that. My flesh isn't like that. But it's like the end of the world. My thing is like, I'm not gonna get time back. That's true. I come home and I miss three birthdays. I come home and like I miss Mother's Days. It's not that important, but it is when like you're like, oh dang. Yeah. And it's just like there's that verse, and it's like who puts their hand to the plow and looks back. Or what's the one about like forsaking your father and mother? And that's not in a disrespectful way whatsoever. Yeah. Um, and everything you do, respect your parents, especially travel. That's a big thing I've had to learn. Yeah. Um honor and respect and hearing God's voice. Um but yeah, missionary, like people see like the cutesy side of like, oh, I'm going to a cute coffee shop, or like, look at this camel on the side of the road. But then they don't see putting up mosquito nets. They don't see the food poisoning I got, and I was I felt like I was gonna die. I wasn't going to, but food poisoning another country is bad. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:08

Um, yeah, you don't share that online because it's not fun.

SPEAKER_04 22:11

Yeah, it's not fun.

SPEAKER_02 22:12

You're not like I'm sick today.

SPEAKER_04 22:14

Praise the Lord. You don't. But like there's so there's always a story behind it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:21

Definitely.

SPEAKER_06 22:23

Just sacrificing like comfort and routine. Like that's a big one. Is like if I'm in Arkansas for three weeks, I'm not in my bed. I can't go to my gym. I don't have my kitchen where I can, you know what I mean? But it's all like those are very worldly selfish things. And honestly, it just makes me more thankful when I get back. I'm like, my bed, I'm home.

SPEAKER_02 22:50

Yeah, some of those can be good and healthy. Um, but you probably have to sacrifice some things like that. Like gym. Like I was really big into the gym, but over the last year and a half, I've not been able to go.

SPEAKER_01 23:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:02

Because I live too far and um I'm not home half the time.

SPEAKER_01 23:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:07

So I've pretty much let go of the gym, at least for now.

unknown 23:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:11

Not saying it won't ever come back. But that was pretty hard for me. Like the first time I went to Sakut was the first time I think I was out of the gym for more than two or three days, and I was panicking.

SPEAKER_06 23:23

Yeah, that's real.

SPEAKER_02 23:23

I was totally panicking. And now I haven't been to the gym in a year and a half, and it's like, well, all right.

SPEAKER_07 23:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:29

Because there's so many more important things. And I do still really want to be able to go back one day, which is pretty likely. Uh, but there's, you know, seasons and for anything else.

SPEAKER_06 23:41

I think part of like being on the road almost forces you to be more disciplined when you're at home in a way. Because like if I was home for an entire month, I'd be like, okay, yeah, I can kind of go to the gym whenever. But if I'm out of town for like two weeks out of the month, then I'm just gonna make sure that I go to the gym the two weeks that I'm home. And it's like, and then when I'm on the road, it's like I'm not stressed about, oh, I need to like go work out or something. Like it's chill because I went when I was home. Versus if I was here for the whole month, it's like, well, maybe I'll go tomorrow, maybe I won't. Like, I almost feel like it forces you to be really disciplined when you're home, or like I need to get these tasks done before I leave, versus if I was home for two weeks and be like, oh, they'll get done when they get done. But it's like, nope, I'm leaving for another country. I have to finish these things. And so it kind of in a way creates discipline around the times that you're home. And I like that because I like having forced discipline.

SPEAKER_02 24:39

Yeah, it creates disciplines when you're home, and then when you travel, you have to learn to accept less than perfect for your routine.

SPEAKER_01 24:46

That's true.

SPEAKER_02 24:47

Because if I I could the I could work out on the road, I could do push-ups and things, but the mistake is that when you sacrifice stuff when you're on the road, you're like, well, I don't have my bench press, my my hack squat, I don't have any of the stuff that I like. So I'm just not gonna do anything. Uh which is kind of what I did for a while. And then now I it took after six months to a year, I started running.

SPEAKER_01 25:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:08

Because I could, I'm like, well, I can run anywhere.

SPEAKER_01 25:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:11

Um, and then I started doing anything that I could. Then I made my home routine the same as what I could do on the road.

SPEAKER_01 25:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:18

That is a nice little tip.

SPEAKER_04 25:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:21

That can be useful.

SPEAKER_04 25:22

Yeah, that's true. Makes you a lot more adaptable to the situations. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:26

Yep. But it may not be your favorite. Like you may not have your favorite Bible study spot or something.

SPEAKER_06 25:32

Well, I think like also establishing routine at home is really good because then it gives you a starting point for your routine when you're on the road. So, like, in the mornings when I get up, make my bed, I make my tea. Like, I try to have like a warm drink first thing in the morning, like first thing on my stomach. And so, like, I get up, I make my tea, and then I like read my Bible while I have my tea most days. Obviously, that's idealistic and it doesn't happen every day. So it's like on the road, I might not have my favorite couch or my favorite blanket, or I might not be in a bed to make, I might just be on a cot or something. But it's like I can straighten the things on my cot, and then I can go, like, I can take tea with me. You can make hot water like anywhere, you know. Everybody has usually almost everywhere we say there's a microwave or a steamer or something. And so it's like I can take my travel mug and my tea and like have that while I have my Bible, and it just like has some semblance of my routine, and that makes days on the road feel like sometimes like on the road, I'll literally be like, I don't know what day it is, but keeping like little pieces of normal life or like at home life in your road routine, I think makes travel easier on your body if you're traveling a lot for missions for sure.

SPEAKER_02 26:46

Yeah, I will use I have like a little aperture MC light or whatever that can do the different colors.

SPEAKER_07 26:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:54

And I don't know if I have it with me this trip. I don't know where it went. It got it got lost in packing. Oh, so I don't know where it is. But normally when I'm home, or if I am um set the light to some color or something, and then that way it seems silly, yeah, but um I'll just turn the light on to whatever color and flip it over and throw it on a table upside down in the room, and it'll make that room that same color. And so ignoring the decor, it still will feel like I'm in this room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, or when I'm reading, I'll set it to the same color and read my book. So it all kind of feels the same. And it's like a silly tip. Um, but I mean it is it was definitely helpful to me. And it's definitely super helpful. It made me more effective uh at doing stuff.

SPEAKER_04 27:53

Yeah, missions definitely stretches you in good and bad ways, not bad ways, but like uncomfortable. Stretching's never comfortable, that's not but it's good, and especially like for me, like I've grown so much, and I'm naturally more introverted, and that's very hard on the road because everybody's here, and I love that we're all together, but it's hard sometimes, and yes, you do have to take time and go to the quiet place, like absolutely take time away, realign some things because it is easy to be like, I mean, not for me, I don't really get FOMO, but like, oh, everybody's hanging out, I want to go hang out. Like, sometimes there are those natural feelings, and sometimes you do have to go to the secret place and like take time and be like, no, I gotta realign, I gotta get in the word, I gotta pray. But it is so valuable because, like, especially like in missions, and yes, this happens when you go into the gas station, you gotta go pray for someone at any point, but like specifically missions, it's like when you hear that or you feel that, like, go talk to that person and you're sleep deprived, and you're like, I don't have anything for that person. But as soon as you go talk to them and you pray for them, your own words aren't, they're not even your own words. It's like there's so much value in missions, and at least in my life, every time that I've needed direction for myself and I've worried about my future or my life or this and this, and it's just me, me, me, me, me, it's always been like, okay, it's time for you to like get out of yourself, go on a mission trip, go pray for someone, go back into ministry, yeah, and you're gonna figure out everything you need to in your life. Because at the end of the day, like, at least in my mind, if you want to go fix yourself, go fix, go help fix someone else, go pray for someone else. And I promise you, you're gonna start healing. You some whatever is broken in you, God's gonna see, and like, yes, he's gonna heal you no matter what. I'm not saying that, but like, at least for me, this is my personal take. He's done so much healing in me when I forget about myself and I'm like, oh my gosh, I need to go pray for her, I need to go pray for him, I need to go do this. I don't know. That just that's what heals me.

SPEAKER_05 29:58

Yeah, I feel like it's the same concept as like the shirts that some of us got in, I think Arkansas, that say you can't do their stores. Yeah, when you're washing feet. Like, I feel like that's the same concept. Like you can't if if you're busy serving other people, like that's where your focus is. Yeah. And your focus isn't on you and your problems.

SPEAKER_06 30:21

That's true. Oh, speaking of stretching you, I've eaten so many different foods since we started traveling. Like, I eat like a four-year-old, usually. Like, I do, like, I eat like a turkey and cheese sandwich. I don't even eat mayonnaise. Like, I eat like a four-year-old, and then we were in Arkansas, Nathan unlikes me. What was it, Sogia? Sagia. Yeah, and it was like it was like there was tomatoes in it and like bell peppers and meat and like something else too, and it was all in one pot together. She was and I ate, I was kind of scared, I really was, because there was like so much texture happening there, but it was actually so good. You like pinch it in the bread and eat it so the bread masks like the texture, because the flavor is phenomenal, the flavor's great, but like the bread masks the texture, and even like we got Chipotle one time when we were in Arkansas, which I didn't make a good choice. I got some spicy steak and it wasn't very good. But like I've been to Chipotle, I think, one other time on the road, and I was like, wait, this chicken and rice thing is actually kind of fire. And then I started meal prepping Chipotle bowls at home. I made yug, I made corn salsa this morning with red onions and cilantro. Like, Kate, a year ago would have been like gag, red onions are crunchy. And now crunchy are.

SPEAKER_05 31:43

I don't mind the crunchy, it's the flavor that I'm like.

SPEAKER_06 31:46

Oh, the crunch- I'm weird about textures. And now I'm like, I kind of like the crunch a little bit, you know? Like, I don't know. So it stretches you in very practical ways, too. Like, now I eat more food. And also, it's just like if we go to somebody's house and they're feeding us, I'm not gonna be like, nope. So, like, I'll just get a little of it and be like, I hope I can get this down. And sometimes, like, usually I'm pleasantly surprised and it's really good. So it's been a good, like, growing experience for my diet. I feel that. Thanks. What you got in them notes? Is that my my dad? That's my mom. Hold on. Hey mama.

SPEAKER_04 32:21

Hey mom, you're on the podcast.

SPEAKER_02 32:22

Are there any pitfalls in mission trips? Is because it's not really the mission trip itself, but there is a consistent thing that I've seen that go with a mission trip, which is like uh coming home. So yeah. Go on and going on a mission trip. So anytime you go on a mission trip, a lot of times as you get closer to it, you find yourself, if you've done a few of them, like unconsciously, you end up not in the word, you end up mad at people, all sorts of things leading up to mission trip. It's like he's trying, it's almost like the enemy is trying to derail you. Even if there's like nothing going on, you just end up struggling leading up to the mission trip. And then usually for me, I just get hit with whatever is there, and God is gonna do, I think, what God is gonna do is what I hope. But the the thing is it's really important, I think, to hopefully come prepared, and I don't feel as good when I'm going and doing something, and I failed leading up to the few weeks before going.

SPEAKER_07 33:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:31

It's like you should be going extra hard and forgetting about the things that really don't matter. Hope you'd think. But and to me, the the real big thing, the real big thing is when you go on a mission trip, a lot of times it changes your life and then you leave it there. And so it's important to take with you what you've learned on that trip because that feeling that you have there, you could have it anywhere. Because it is not a regional-based thing, it's not an event-based thing. And a lot of times you that is like a faith dependency thing that you are that you are sensing this kind of faith or that you're having this experience and you're kind of depending on other people for it to be that way. And so there's nothing stopping you from being the person that is leading other people to Christ and that is creating this environment. Like you can make that choice to be that guy. And so, but a lot of times people come home from a trip or something, and they get sideswiped by life. Uh, sometimes it just kind of fizzles out and they're like, I just wish I could go back, and they just kind of leave it there. But oftentimes people come back and something really bad happens in their life after they get back from a mission trip. It's not too uncommon. And I I think it's probably just the enemy trying to take away. And I I don't share this a lot and I don't know why. It's like a really uncomfortable thing for me to share with people, and I don't know why. But it is something that I've seen um to be pretty common. So that's why I ask. Because like I think the pitfalls of the trip itself. There are there are like the those other things that we kind of talked about with like um, you know, like having a light and those different things to kind of be effective and whatnot. And so it's there's that balance of like safety, comfort, and then being uh like a good performer. And I don't mean that in a bad way, but you need to you need to be able to do what he has called you to do.

SPEAKER_06 36:00

Like sometimes you just have to suck it up.

SPEAKER_02 36:02

Yes, and there's going to be discomfort, and sometimes it's for me, it's like I maybe don't care enough about my well-being that God gave me my body and I should take care of it. Um, and so other people sometimes are even in the can be in the other extreme for me in my situation, and maybe for a lot of other people, it's themselves for themselves in the situation where they're like, they have this mindset that like, well, God isn't gonna let anything happen to me. It's like that is not something we see in scripture. Yeah, like when the disciples go out, he doesn't say like, be safe. Like God is not, we don't see him always like that. Sometimes he protects people, but like, look at what happened to the disciples. Nothing that's gonna happen to us. But at the same time, Yeshua also went out to go pray and fast often, which is a form of like preparing and taking care of himself, not necessarily in the same vein as going and getting like uh a pedicure or having your favorite happy meal or whatever. But um, there is the like you have to take care of yourself and do the things that you need to do to be able to do stuff for others.

SPEAKER_01 37:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:10

Um and so that can be a little bit of a balancing act, and so some people are gonna have that difficulty in one way or another, but I think that's minor in comparison to the overall of trying to focus on the main thing that he needs you to do. All that stuff is like pretty minor and gonna work itself out. But the big thing that sticks out to me really is don't let don't leave those mission trip vibes on your mission. You can take them with you, and you you can be the disciple and be that impact anywhere and facilitate that. You don't just have to rely on your leader and your friend group at that place in that place. You can just take it anywhere, you can take it back home. And it is tougher because people aren't expecting it. They're just like, that's John from accounting, right? And it's not like wow, this is this guy that also speaks this other language is from some other country. So there can be the uphill battle, but if you simply choose differently, you can make a have have a lot more effect that way.

SPEAKER_01 38:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:12

So that that to me is like one of the biggest pitfalls of pitfalls of a mission trip. It's not necessarily a pitfall, it's just like you're leaving so much on the table. Like you got so much out of it for sure. There's so much more you could just take take all that and just take it with you.

SPEAKER_04 38:28

Yeah. I think that's really important, actually, that you mentioned that. Because I don't think it's mentioned enough. Because I remember coming back and like the post-trip sadness hits. I don't know. That's how it always described it for me. It was like, oh, dang, I'm home. Gotta go work. I gotta go do like we're like focused on normal things. And then it's like, oh, I gotta go make coffees. Yeah, yeah, coffee. It's like I gotta go like back to work. And what she said about just bringing it with you, and that's something that really stood out for me in Belize when Nathan was like, it doesn't end next big thing. Like, go look, yeah. Go seek, go ask the father. Don't go look, go seek and ask the father what your next thing is. Because he has that for you if you're willing. Like, yes, there is sometimes where like there's seasons where it's like, okay, it's time for you to be home, it's time for you to do the everyday things, but like, I don't know, that's just not spoken about enough. I could have used that in your back to everything you just said.

SPEAKER_02 39:24

That's such a hard thing to say. I don't know why.

SPEAKER_04 39:27

That was really yeah. I've feel like a lot of people don't know that. And you're talking about how a lot of people are just like, I don't know, the Christian everybody's view of just like mission trips, and it's like kind of like a teeny popper teen thing to do, and it's like, oh okay, you come back, you change your bio, you're different for two weeks, and then you're back to back to normal, which like I can completely say been there, done that. Um, there's been times to where like you have this amazing experience. I don't know, that's my experience with like youth camps. You have like this amazing god moment, and then it's like you come home and then there's nothing else. Like, feel there's not like that leader, there's not that person, there's not that uh whoever leads it pushing you, and it's like okay, especially when you come, not saying that younger people, I'm not saying that, but especially when you come to an age of accountability and when you get older, it's like okay, I'm that person for younger people, I'm that person that's like next thing, what are you doing? Like, don't get distracted by like daily things that aren't important whatsoever when like compared to the kingdom.

SPEAKER_05 40:27

Yeah. I think that can be hard too, like coming back from a trip because when you're when you leave and are traveling for missions, like you're with people that are also on the same mission. Yeah, like of the same mind, yeah. Like all of you know the Lord is calling me to do this, and then you come back, and like local friends are great, and like the people that you surround yourself with locally are great, but they might not be have that same mindset of being passionate for missions and reaching people. Yeah, and so that can be hard too because then they're like, What's all the hype about? Yeah, and that can easily like speaking from experience, that can easily drag you back down to like not burning the fire out, but like dimming it because you're like, maybe that wasn't actually yeah, well, and like you feel the need to fit in with your local friends, and even if they're like local friends in your your church body or your congregation, but if they're not striving with the same degree of I don't say passion, but like exuberance.

SPEAKER_06 41:52

Like if they don't have the same level of drive, then it can be really easy because the natural human tendency is to want to fit in and to assimilate, it can be really easy to start to assimilate into that culture that exists locally instead of setting the standard for what the culture should be, and like instead of keeping your flame burning bright and then people assimilating towards that same like burning brightness, it's just easy to be like, Oh, if it's okay for them, like it's okay for me, I can just chill out a little bit. But it's like that's not the kingdom, that's not gospel, that's not scripture.

SPEAKER_04 42:34

Another thing about like coming home, and yes, stateside, I've experienced this, but at least in my experience, it's more so when like you leave the country, is you come back and you look at Americans, and it's just like we're such a lifeless people. Yeah, like I don't know. Am I saying that right? Is it no that you agree?

SPEAKER_02 42:56

Yeah, you're you're talking you're talking about like uh this fog that exists over the US. There's a spiritual fog, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 43:04

Yeah, like if I go walk up, I don't know, in my places I've been, you walk up and be like, you want to hear about Jesus? They're like, Yeah, tell like tell me. You go walk up on the street and like, yes, there are people that are like happy to hear about Jesus. I'm not saying that, but usually you'll get more of like a uh no, yeah. But like in other countries, not saying that there's more no, there is, there's more desperation. There's more like I need saving, I need a savior. And yes, we have that as Americans, but like also we've never really had to have that.

SPEAKER_06 43:38

Well, I also think like a a lot of Americans have like this picture of Jesus because there's so much like lukewarm Christianity in America, because it's easy to be a lukewarm Christian in America. So everybody feels like they kind of have this like picture of Jesus of like, oh, Jesus, like that guy, like that Christmas Easter guy, or whatever. But like in other countries, it's not easy to be a lukewarm Christian, like it's Not worth it if you don't actually believe in it. And so it's like their representation of Christianity is so different. And so, like, if somebody's like, Do you want to hear about Jesus in another country where like it's hard to be a Christian, so you're not gonna be a lukewarm one, then like they're like, Oh yeah, like everybody I know that knows Jesus is like really on fire for that guy, like they're really into that thing. Versus in America, it's like, well, nine out of the ten people that I know told me about Jesus, say they know Jesus, but then do X, Y, and Z that don't represent him.

SPEAKER_04 44:33

Belize and everybody got sick. And I remember me and Alexis saw your dad because he is like had the keys, and we weren't gonna ask Nathan. So me and her went to your dad. You weren't even over there, and we were like, Will you drive us, Mr. David, to go get food? And he was like, sure. And you went and we got burgers and Belize and we didn't get sick.

SPEAKER_02 44:52

Oh, yeah, we stuck together. You didn't get sick, did you?

SPEAKER_04 44:54

No, did you didn't get sick either?

SPEAKER_02 44:56

No, yeah, that's like a pro tip. Don't eat vegetables.

SPEAKER_06 44:58

It's okay. I don't eat vegetables anything.

SPEAKER_02 45:00

Like washed vegetables with local water if you're on a mission trip and you see all these like fruit and veggie stands. Don't eat that. No, don't eat it.

SPEAKER_04 45:08

I disagree. Build your immune system.

SPEAKER_02 45:09

No, don't don't build your immune system.

SPEAKER_04 45:11

Brush your teeth with the water is. Don't build your immune system. I've always done that. That's creepy.

SPEAKER_02 45:16

The reason why you don't, and this is a real tip, is because it depends on the country, because some of them have safe water. Um, but some of them do not. Like I think Jordan's water is all pretty much okay, right? But in Central America, they don't always have clean water, and then they wash their vegetables, and then water can be really bad. Like the residue of it, and that's how you get sick. So and and eat stuff that is cooked crazy well, like curry, and then eating spicy stuff, which I can't right now, but eating spicy stuff because I eat it too much, yeah. Yeah. And so eat eating spicy stuff, and then don't eat the vegetables. And you didn't do any of that, right? Okay. You just had like.

SPEAKER_04 46:06

We need like a little disclaimer. Like, don't hold us accountable for anything that might result. But do as I say, not as I do. But no, in every country I've ever been, I've eaten the vegetables, I've washed my teeth with the water, I've but with that being said, I was smart about it. Like, obviously, I wash my own vegetables.

SPEAKER_02 46:22

Um did you brush your teeth with the water?

SPEAKER_04 46:25

I every single time.

SPEAKER_02 46:26

I didn't.

SPEAKER_04 46:26

But I always did that for the fact of if I didn't want to be a big thing. I use a water space.

SPEAKER_02 46:32

I used a water bottle.

SPEAKER_04 46:33

I've started doing it.

SPEAKER_02 46:36

We use we use a we use a water bottle.

SPEAKER_04 46:38

Well, a lot of people have done that, but then every time I've ever done it, I'm like, okay, I've never seen like side effects from it. But no, I've actually never, I've always brushed my teeth with the water.

SPEAKER_02 46:50

Yeah, I mean to me says, oh my god. We don't need disclaimers. This is everybody knows this isn't doctor's advice.

SPEAKER_04 46:56

Do we look like brothers?

SPEAKER_02 46:58

This is professional travelers' advice. Yeah, I've never done that.

SPEAKER_04 47:01

Like, and obviously, if I had like felt like I should, there has been places I've gone, I'm like, okay, use a water bottle. Or specifically use the podcast.

SPEAKER_06 47:08

We're in it. Yeah, we're podcasting.

SPEAKER_04 47:11

I'm sure we're deleting this. No. This is all at the Dulce's discretion.

SPEAKER_02 47:16

You're good.

SPEAKER_04 47:17

But yeah. But what you said.

SPEAKER_02 47:20

Yeah, you don't you want to avoid be smart. Yeah, bottled water, uh, canned stuff can be good. Depends on like what it is. Avoiding the fresh vegetables and stuff like that. That's wash.

SPEAKER_04 47:31

Overcook your meat.

SPEAKER_02 47:32

Yeah, cook stuff. Curry is like one of the go-to's for people that know that that's the that's the secret sauce.

SPEAKER_04 47:40

Okay. Food vendors are sketchy. That's some of the best food you'll ever eat. So you just gotta take a gamble. Like food on the side of the road.

SPEAKER_02 47:48

Well, part of it is you'll and you'll see other people eating there and it's they're local. And so you think that you're okay. No. But the reality is that if you're from a country, you are probably used to it. And so when people come to America and they've never eaten American food, they get more sick than oftentimes Americans get going to other countries, from what I hear, because they are not used to all the processed whatever is in plastic or whatever that is in our food. And so they get horribly sick when they come to America and they eat all the stuff that we eat. So it's not necessarily a matter of like better or worse. It's just you're not used to the kind of stuff that they are just used to there.

SPEAKER_04 48:23

Also, talking about side when you come back from a trip, I don't know why I keep on circling back to this. But our food, yeah. You go to another country and you drink like their drinks and their juices and their foods, it is so their fruit, and you realize that their government's not trying to kill them, their food's destroyed. But then you get home after like a three-month mission mission trip and like eat a burger, it's like no feeling in the world. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 48:47

When I came back from Israel and I got Waffle House, bro. See?

SPEAKER_04 48:51

It's like a good feeling. Unmatched.

SPEAKER_02 48:53

That's not a good feeling for me, I'm gonna be honest. Sagia for Waffle House.

SPEAKER_06 49:00

Going for a month without Waffle House, huh? Like going a month without Waffle House. I went not 23 years without Waffle House. You can't go a month without Waffle House? I mean I can, but when it's not even an option, you know. She has withdrawals, guys. Like, at least, like, yeah, I definitely go a month without Waffle House all the time, but it's like it's an option. I can always just be like, let's go to Waffle House. But when like we're in another country for a month. I really like Waffle House. It's just a lot of people.

SPEAKER_08 49:25

So just say, do you have a favorite mission trip story? I do. I think one of my favorite ones was when we went to Arkansas. And some of the worshipers just hopped on a stage with some of the the worship leaders from the church that we were kind of partnering with. And it it was super cool seeing how everything just molded together seamlessly, and we'd never played before. So that was probably one of my favorite moments. That was really cool.

SPEAKER_02 49:57

Uh Allegra, do you have anything?

SPEAKER_05 50:00

Um I feel like there's a couple different ones. But I would say one of my favorites was also in Arkansas, and we went it was when we went out to Walmart. And we were just like looking for people to pay for. And I was like, I I think some of them were just like, whoever they came across, they were like, How can you pray for you? Which is great. But I was like kind of being picky on who I was choosing to approach. And it was me and Juju that were walking, and there was this mom and her uh little girl, and so we went up and I was like, Is there anything that we can pray for you for? And like she shared with me, and she was kind of vague, but also I could tell that she was like pretty receptive, and which is always encouraging. And so we prayed for her, and she was just like weeping through the whole like prayer, and then she prayed at the end, and it was just like it's it's those moments where you don't know, like again, it's stretching and very uncomfortable to approach people, but then when you do it, you're like like that was God working, like she needed that in that moment, and that's just really cool. That's true.

SPEAKER_06 51:20

I was thinking about when we went to Olive Garden and Lex was like carbs, tank tops, warm weather. That's all I need. That was one of my favorite memories. So that's not like sweet, like yours are just sweet.

SPEAKER_04 51:31

No, that was still sweet. It's just like I don't know.

SPEAKER_06 51:34

I just that was such like a fun, chill day, and that soup at Olive Garden was really good that day. So that was all right.

SPEAKER_02 51:44

So that's your favorite.

SPEAKER_06 51:45

No, that was just a good one because we were thinking about Arkansas. I don't even know what my favorite is.

SPEAKER_02 51:50

A funny one is it can be at home too, I guess, as well, like local.

SPEAKER_06 51:54

Yeah, when we were in Israel, uh, we were like taking pictures of the sunset on like the basketball court, and it's like just us girls taking sunset picks, and like all the guys came out and were just like staring at us, and we were like, Why are you staring at us? Like, because like they were super picky and weird about like guys and girls interacting, so it's like guys wouldn't just come out there to like make fun of us taking sunset pics like they would in the States, and they were just like watching it, and I we were like, Why are you watching us? And um, they were like, We're not watching you, we're watching the sky behind you, and you just turn around and you can see like these little puff clouds of smoke where like rockets are being intercepted, and so we just have like these random sunset pics, but like if you zoom into the back, there's just like little like little smoke clouds, and I just that's like really funny to me. It's one of my fave memories. Yeah, solid. They were in danger though, it was more just like funny. My parents already know about this.

SPEAKER_02 52:58

I think they do now.

SPEAKER_06 53:00

I think don't worry, he's gonna go home and tell them if they don't already know.

SPEAKER_04 53:08

Um, I would say there's a lot of different stories. And like, yeah, there's like funny ones, there's more ones that have like impacted other people and like impacted me. Um that was your thing. That was not my thing. Yeah. But like, I don't know. It wasn't even like shout out on Instagram. Yeah, but it was not some like, yes, it was like the whole thing because it was like God and uh this amazing woman that we got to like spend the entire day with. It wasn't even that, it was afterward I was dealing with a lot of stuff concerning like everything she had been through. It kind of just like ricocheted and then like made me start question not questioning, like doubting, but just like inner questioning and genuinely talking to God and trying to figure out faith, and it was just like this raw moment. I remember um I hadn't seen her for a couple days and I didn't think I'd ever see her again. And a pastor came up to me and basically all he said was like cadence like prayer prevaileth much, and I was just like, in my mind, I'm like, yeah, it does. Right on. Like, prayer does prevail with much. And but he knew I had like earnestly been praying for Jackie, and then I would see her again. And he was like, You won't believe like who's under the tent? And that time we were doing a tent meeting, and like that was just like the realization that, like, no matter what, whether I'm at home too, but there's something so significant about like you're talking about in the Bible, when God calls you somewhere to a foreign place that's not your area, and then he meets you there, he's like, Yeah, I can meet you at home, and he will meet you at home. But when he's just like, come to some random podunk I love Perryville, maybe I should have said podunk, but because Perryville say podunk. This is like random town, and then God just like not only are you gonna like go there, but I'm gonna send someone for you to talk to. And in the midst of all of that, I'm gonna meet with you and for someone to tell me that God hears my prayers, even though I know he hears my prayers in every mission trip, every time I've ever stepped out in faith and been like, Yes, God, I'll do this. In the back of my mind, I'm like, Oh, this is just me wanting to travel. Yeah, this is just me wanting to like see the world, even though there's so much sacrifice that you don't see on social media or whatever. Yeah, but it's like when you do step out in faith, God every time, even though when I doubt and I'm like, oh, I'm not gonna get anything out of this, as long as I help that one person, God's like, no, I'm gonna help you. Like, what are you talking about? Like, if you step out in faith, not saying you have to do a mission trip to do that. But it does like jumpstart it, I think. Um he answers prayers and every single doubt you have. Oh, especially especially like before you go on a mission trip, or if you're planning on going on one or thinking about, write down your doubts before you even go. Write down your doubts, write down your worries, write down everything that you need resolved. Pray fast. I earnestly think if you ask God to open himself up to you and you oh let's get the cat. If you earnestly seek him, my God answers. Yeah. And I'll tell anyone that, and they're like, how do you just like say, No, because I know my God, he will answer you if you earnestly seek him, and you put yourself in a place, and sometimes that takes getting away from not saying you have to like run away from your family, but sometimes that just takes getting in an unfamiliar area where you are scared, where you are nervous, and he will meet you there. Yeah, no doubt in my mind.

SPEAKER_06 56:39

Yeah, that's good. Okay, yes, it is cold. You guys are all cold before this.

SPEAKER_02 56:55

Well, I guess this is about is probably my favorite story. Did I ever tell you guys about the story of the guy under the tree?

unknown 57:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 57:02

Have I told you this? I like this one, keep going.

SPEAKER_02 57:04

Have you told you guys the story about the guy under the tree?

unknown 57:06

I think so.

SPEAKER_04 57:07

Maybe okay.

SPEAKER_02 57:09

So uh it was when I was in uh Africa with Petey, and we were there filming for uh, I think a couple weeks, and we were doing a rise up, which is like one of the talent revivals sort of things that he does, and we did a rise up in Africa, I'm trying to remember where. I don't think I'll know, but it was near Hatfield Square. Like I thought I think that was the same time when we ended up going there. So it was somewhere up, I think, on like the like halfway up the eastern coast of um South Africa, like near Georgia or something, I don't know. Anyways, so we were there and we're doing the rise up tent revival sort of thing, and we have a day where we send out a bunch of people to go um evangelize to their local community, and what was cool was that this was a Torah fellowship, and a lot of them were like, We've never done this before. And we've never gone out to our local community, and so people had uh an like amazing, awesome stories when they came back. Um I I definitely still remember like how thrilled the pastor was when he came back, uh, or one of the pastors, I guess, and he was just like he was just on the microphone all fired up, and he's like, you know, we just gotta we're gonna do this every week or whatever it is. Super cool. Um but when what's up?

SPEAKER_06 58:44

Oh, battery's dead.

SPEAKER_02 58:45

Battery's dead, okay. And we're back.

SPEAKER_06 58:47

Oh, wait, we're back. Oh, hold on. I was real.

SPEAKER_02 58:51

It doesn't have to be the same. What? Are you trying to get into the same pose?

SPEAKER_06 58:55

No, I was just like too down in the couch.

SPEAKER_02 58:57

There's like no cut.

SPEAKER_06 58:59

No, I was just too like down in there. Adjust.

SPEAKER_02 59:06

Yeah, so there was the day when we got all sent out to go do stuff, and I had been filming pretty much the whole trip and hadn't really done um like any normal ministry stuff, I guess if you want to call that, just filming. And so um it was me, PD, Christina, Dale Volt, and we were riding down the road in this sedan, and we came up on one of these fast food places. I think it was like McDonald's or something. And me and Delville are like, let's stop there. And he was like, Of course you don't want to stop and get uh food. Um, but so we ended up pulling over to this place, but as we were coming up to it, we saw a guy like sitting under a tree with like his head in his hands, like this just big oak tree, like in the middle of a field. And we're like, we're definitely gonna go talk to that guy. And so we're making our way there, but on the way there, we're just asking people, like, can we pray for you? What can we do for you? And um we we had some pretty crazy moments in that as well. Like we actually asked one guy, he's like, No, I'm good, but he's like, you can pray for him. And then he pointed at some other guy who went up to him and he said he like lost his mom like a week before or something. So it was really crazy the kind of conversations we had on the way. It was like one one thing after another. And so we go to talk to this guy, and um we're walking out there, and I'm just excited because it was just DeWalt filming, and I want I was like, I wanna really be able to is that recording? Is it red? Okay, I couldn't remember if I had to turn it on or turn it off. Alright. Anyways, so I'm walking over to this guy, and I'm just thrilled because I'm kind of ready to do something. I'm sort of tired of filming, and I'm like, I want to go do some evangelism. And so as I'm walking over, I just hear these words from somewhere. It's this is the day this man gets saved. And I was just fired up. I was like, there's no losing this. I just knew. And so I walk over to the tree and I sit down next to him, and I'm like, hey man, how's it going? And so Pete and Christina, they come up next to me and we're talking to them, and Deavolt is filming this. We have this film somewhere, and so we're we're there to show people that you can you can reach people and you can do these things, but that's that's another story. But so we're we're there, and we just start talking to this guy, and he like just got out of jail and like lost his car, and he's just going through it, basically. And so he's sitting there and he just doesn't know what to do. And I don't remember the exact conversation, but I know that there were words just given to each of us, I believe. And so we were saying these things, and I had no doubt they were what he was thinking. And so we're talking to him, and he told us his name, and Petey basically ends up telling him, like, the the world is messed up because like God is perfect, and one day everything is going to be made perfect, but right now things are hard. But while things are hard, what we're here to do is to do like what we are doing and come here from across the world to speak to you, to tell you of the goodness of God, and one day the first will be last, and the last will be first, and the least will be elevated, and you'll be blessed, and there'll be no more sorrow, there'll be no more tears, and everything will be made right. And this guy looks up at PD with tears in his eyes, and he says, I believe. And I knew in that moment that that was the moment that that guy changed the direction of his life. And when he looked up at us, he was like a completely different person. And so that was just one of the greatest miracles of the goodness of God that I've ever seen in my life. And we walked away from that, and PD was like, if all we did was go to Africa just for this, it would have been worth it. And that is like one of the truest things I've ever heard. But while we were talking to him, I remember looking across the street and seeing a guy carrying a life-size cross across the highway with a sign that says Jesus is coming. And it was like one of the craziest things I've ever seen. And we walked away and we we gave him some food, and as we were driving down the road, and we could see him praying over his food. But before we left, we told him, I don't think we'll ever see you again. And I I had the same feeling, but I think it was Petey that said it, like, we don't know if we'll ever see you again. But when you get to the kingdom, Petey said, I'm gonna be there, Dawson's gonna be there, Dale Vault's gonna be there, Christina's gonna be there, and you're gonna be there, and we want you to find us.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:57

And so we got his name, and we're like, one day when we get there, we're gonna find you.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:02

I thought the Jills. I did, I know.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:05

It's one of the greatest miracles. Not because of anything that you know, like it was a great healing, but it was a guy's life that was changed, and there was nothing other than than God's grace in this man's life. And so that is like one of the most powerful, and that is like one of the greatest miracles is that God can take somebody who's imperfect and and change them. And the whole thing about like missions is not that it's go here, do this, it's like this mindset that like wherever I am, God can change people's lives.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:37

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:39

So it doesn't matter if that's like a homeless guy on the street nearby or if it is, you know, across the world, but it's that mindset of deciding yourself or with others that like God can change the world, I'm just somebody that's willing to go.

SPEAKER_06 1:04:54

True, true.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:55

Amen. That's good. All right. Someone's wait, what was that last thing you just said? Cut this out.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:01

Uh it's like it's not a matter of like where you go or like whether here or across the world, it's the mindset that I'm just someone that's willing to go and and God can change somebody's life.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:10

Willing to go. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:13

Podcast name ideas? I don't know. That stuck out. Keep going, sorry. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:16

That's it. That's all I got. That's that's my that's my probably the my favorite mission story.

SPEAKER_06 1:05:22

Yeah, like Justin said, missions really is just the mindset that no matter if you're here, if you're in another country, like God can change people around you and He can use you to do that. So we hope that something we said today resonated with you that I encouraged you maybe to go on a mission trip or look for ways to serve in your local community, and that it also encouraged you just to burn brighter and to be an example to those around you of the gospel and of the kingdom and of what a life lived on missions really looks like. So, yeah, if you enjoyed this video, uh feel free to share it with a friend or leave a comment about like what you specifically enjoyed or what you'd like for us to talk more about. We're always open to ideas or suggestions. If something in this video resonated with you, like feel free to share it with a friend or somebody that you think it might make an impact on, because we really would just love for more people to be aware of like the beauty of missions and the fact that we're all called to be mission-minded in all the media.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:16

Who is hungry? I call you hungry, it's it's it came out of the water. It's so hungry. And it went into the wilderness before we have to find it.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:36

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Here we go again, right? It's another one of these assemblies. They wanna sit assembly things and talk to us about making good stories, goodness, and I just always know that life isn't storm. What is my story? My story, it ultimately is the story. When the real you authentic you not be sometimes that you put on because we care about the opinions of the people around us, but the authentic use that young individual gives the new everybody gets the doubt.