Perspective

If there is anything I have discovered on this trip, it is a new found appreciation for the adults, Kenny Champagne specifically, and all they do for Solid Rock. I found myself in a very difficult position this year on my last mission trip and about to be absent for essentially the next four years. I was and am a leader, conflicted and confused, doing his best to step back and hand the reigns to those ready to grab the bull by the horns to direct the youth group for the immediate future while simultaneously directing them in the right direction so they're not wandering blind. An oxymoronic goal to say the least.

For the first time in my life I came very close to understanding the point of view of the adults that work so hard at making sure we don't kill each other, set anything on fire, or other various forms of potential doom and damage. With literally the most students (34) ever attending any youth group event with less adults than expected due to conflictions, the leaders, young and old, steering wheel and adults, were at their wits end finding ways to maintain peace in the midst of controversy and disputes.

A challenge I wasn't expecting but nevertheless completely necessary was smacking me in the face. I am plenty accustomed to defending people when they are being attacked when absent, especially the adults that students may not always be pleased with, but I will be completely honest, there was legitimate difficulty when you agree with what your hearing. As tempting as it is to concur when not completely pleased, it was my responsibility to search for the alternative perspective. Once I accomplished this, the reason I was on this trip, and the way the Spirit was going to move through me, became very clear.

Comparing mission trips is a haphazard practice, but it is borderline unavoidable when you're not the only one realizing that things feel different than previous years. Were we working on a scorching roof to the brink of a necessary hospital visit? No. Were we working for people capable of expressing their gratitude? No. Did we all necessarily get that unnatural and almost unattainable high that for some reason can't be reached unless you're so far gone and exhausted from work you barely remember your name that somehow brings you closer to God? No. However, this is where the changed perspective becomes completely pertinent.

The work may not have been as strenuous, or nearly as abundant, but that made it no less important and impactful. Whenever a peer would mention the differences between previous years and now, I would remind them to look at it from a different angle. First of all, the mission trips are first and foremost about helping others, but they are also the most efficient tools in bringing all the youth together so WE can be more efficient tools as the hands and feet of God on other occasions. Second, the work we are performing is for people completely incapable of showing appreciation for our presence, but we will NEVER be capable of comprehending the impact we have on their lives.

This may not have been the most moving mission trip I've ever been on, but it was by far the most enlightening. I learned that what is needed is not always the most rewarding. I learned that understanding and concurring at two completely different things, but regardless you have to support people sometimes whether you always agree with them or not. I learned that a lot more goes into mission trips than anyone can fathom without experiencing it themselves. I learned how much the adults stress and worry and how badly they just need cooperation and respect even if it means biting your tongue sometimes. The Holy Spirit moved through me to change my outlook on the many situations that crop up in life. To notice that not everything is as it appears, and that not everything makes sense from your own point of view. That in order to truly understand almost anything... you have to alter your perspective...

-Ryan Traher