“Wake Up,” is all I hear as I roll over to check the time from my complimentary hotel bed. Ughh, it’s only 6:30, I think to myself. I’m not much of a morning person, so I reluctantly get ready for the continental breakfast that awaits me in the lobby. Hmm…waffles and muffins…again?? Before I could think this day couldn’t get any better, I somehow manage to knock my coffee right into my anticipating lap. I could feel the heat rushing to my face. How am I going to get through this day...?

                Although not all mornings are like this in Houston, some seem to be this way towards the end of an exhausting week of vbs. Not to worry, because no matter how bad the day might seem starting out, one is never left with a hint of regret. Sure, some of the kids might have bad attitudes, and the team might not be eating dinner where you want to eat. However, one of the main attitudes we stress is the attitude “all in.” This typically means that, although things don’t always go the way everyone wants them to go; we all try to hold each other accountable to selflessness. The Houston Trip is about service to EVERYONE. Some nights we visit the homeless and other nights we visit the elderly but most of the time we get to hang out with the awesome kids that attend vbs.

                For me, Houston is one of the trips I look forward to the most. Granted, it’s not perfect, but what fun would any trip be if it was perfect? One thing I have learned time and time again from this trip is that people are all the same because we all need love. It sounds cliché but it held true every time I looked into the faces of the children and men and women that I was privileged to serve in Houston. Service is not always easy or fun; service doesn’t always get tangible recognition. I like to think of service as one of the contributing factors of what I consider “ultimate healing.” When I serve others not only am I pouring my heart out to others, I am allowing more room for God to fill it back up with his grace and love. Seeing how God can use each team member in Houston is such a beautiful thing to witness. I’ve learned that he always uses each member in his own way to help strengthen the team as well as the person. I would encourage anyone who has even considered going on this trip to take advantage of their time in the youth group and join the mission team in Houston in the summer. Houston is an eye-opening trip I wish everyone would go on. If God is speaking to your heart about this trip, listen because he always knows what he’s doing.

In Christ,

                                Sheyanna Woody