Manchester: paving a path
(written by Ellie, one of the youth participants on the trip)
“One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple” (Psalm 27:4).
Going into a mission trip, you never know what to expect. We prayed for the Lord to go ahead of us, for Him to prepare the hearts that we would encounter, and we trusted that He would, but we did not know who we were going to meet or who we were going to impact. When we finally arrived in Manchester, New Hampshire, nothing could’ve prepared us for the utter brokenness we came face to face with.
From June 17th -24th , eighteen youth, along with three of our wonderful youth leaders, from my church here in small-town Parker, South Dakota had the opportunity to partner with Adventures in Missions and go on a short-term mission trip to Manchester, NH. Every one of us had personal fears and doubted whether we were equipped or whether we would truly make an impact. We had hoped for things and had expectations that we were sure wouldn’t be met. So, we prepared for disappointment. For me personally, I was comparing what I thought it would be like to the mission trip I went on last year to Bismarck, North Dakota. It wasn’t anything like last year’s, but the Lord had so much more in store for us than any of us could have imagined.
During the week, we mainly served Manchester’s local homeless ministry and a family-based kids’ ministry called Roca kids. Roca translates to Rock in the Spanish language, and for a lot of the kids we played and sang and danced with, Roca was the only consistent positive influence in their lives. For eleven years, AJ and Jenn Hebert orchestrated the program at two different locations in the city of Manchester, feeding the kids’ bodies and souls. We had the opportunity to love on these kids and just have a good time, while showing them the light of Christ, our Rock and Redeemer. Daily, we shared a message from the Bible, illustrating it with a fun game or song, and were able to connect and interact with the children through soccer games in the park, face painting, and even surfing. Each child touched our hearts in different ways and they will always have a special place in my mind.
The homeless ministry was a whole different ballpark. It was hopelessness personified. The people we encountered were beaten, broken by the devil. We were able to care for them and bless them with food and prayer. For some, it was the first time anyone had ever prayed for them. A man shared his testimony with us that week. He once had no home, no hope, no faith, and went under some of the fiercest spiritual warfare I have ever heard of. But he stood before us as a born-again believer. One thing he said that stands out to me, even to this day, is that most people we see on the street, just want to be talked to, asked how their day was, encouraged. So that is what we did, and the greatest reward we received was the huge grins that they gave us in return.
Every day, a small group of us served at a homeless café called 1269, where the people could come and gather, receiving a hot meal free of charge. Several of us were able to share with those gathered, encouraging them and building them up, sharing with them a short message from God’s Word.
While we were in New Hampshire, the people running the ministries told us over and over again how grateful they were to us and to the Lord for sending us there. Rarely do they get volunteer help and never has a youth group come to offer their services. One man said that there are around six thousand churches in Manchester, and none of them come when they post an S.O.S. on social media. Comments flood in but no one comes to help. We were able to not only pour into the lost but also encourage those who are there, ministering, 24/7, which was a blessing to us as well.
For me personally, I struggled with confidence; I always have. My spiritual gift is not walking up to a stranger and striking up a conversation with them, much less about the Gospel. How do I start? What if they shut me down? What then? At first, I did not enjoy the homeless ministry. I was uncomfortable and awkward and, I’ll admit, scared. These people were loose cannons in my mind. I did not know what they were thinking at any given moment. Then the Lord reminded me that He loves them just as much as He loves me, and I changed my attitude. By the second day, something was sparked inside of me. The Holy Spirit took control of my wheel and took me in a completely different direction. I found this complete and utmost joy in the Lord and could not contain it. I wanted everyone to have the joy that I had and that made it so much easier for me to be bold. I WAS BOLD. I found a love for praying, for talking to the Lord that I didn’t know I had before, and a love for His people, no matter who they were or where they came from. I think we all discovered that love, and as we prayed unceasingly, we saw our prayers answered.
One couple we met told us that they had not seen their daughter in a long time. They had lost custody of her because they no longer had a home and were fighting desperately to get her back. One of the youths from my church prayed for them and only the very next day did we see them again. “Hey!” they shouted, calling to the one who prayed for them. “We get to see our daughter tomorrow!”
While it was not a perfect week, we persevered and grew stronger in our faith in the Lord. Out of everything we toiled through, however, saying good bye was probably the hardest. Leaving the people that we connected with was like leaving family.
Now, back at home in South Dakota, those of us who went have a new mission. We took what the Lord gave us and traveled all the way to New Hampshire, so what is stopping us from taking what we have and sharing it here, in our schools, homes, and workplaces? I saw change in every youth that went and every leader that guided us. I saw God move in remarkable ways and I know for a fact that each one of us who went want to live our lives for the glory of the Lord and His kingdom. Whether or not our families are believers, we are going to be a light to the lost and an encouragement to the found. I challenge everyone to be open to the Lord and His will. He will work through that! We are going to Heaven, but who are we taking with us?
Special thanks to Kaitlin, Kelsey, Ben, and Brittney, with Adventures in Missions, for leading us on this mission trip! It was an amazing experience and I know God used you to impact each and every one of us! Plus, you kept eighteen high school students wrangled which is a feat in of itself.
God bless!
With love, Ellie
“Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things” (Hebrews 13:18).
