Near the end of July, we loaded up and headed to American Indian Christian Mission, near Show Low, AZ, to work with them on the reservation of the White Mountain Apache tribe. Our trip was incredible. It was one of the highlights of ministry for me for the past several years.

While we were there, we operated in two different ways. First, we spent the mornings on the AICM campus, doing work projects. We helped remodel several school classrooms, getting them ready for the school year. And we also stained several of the staff homes, which were log cabins, and in need of some treatment. As far as work projects go, these were fairly easy to do and we accomplished quite a bit of work for the ministry.

After lunch, we loaded up and headed onto the reservation, where we gathered the kids from two small communities, Turkey Creek and Corn on the Cobb (yes, those are the real names of these communities). Once gathered, we had Vacation Bible School activities; we taught a lesson, sang some songs, created some different crafts, and then played a lot of games with those kids. It was very incredible.

But, really, this is a very common approach for mission teams who come to AICM. And, as the week progressed, I began to wonder just how effective we were being, and how that was affecting and changing us.

Meet Danny

On our last day on the reservation, a couple of people from our group met an older gentleman, named Danny. He lived on the cul-de-sac where we were holding our VBS activities. He told us his story. When he was a young boy, another group came to the reservation, doing various VBS-style activities. Because of the efforts of that group, Danny became a Christian. Now in his fifties, he is still very involved in a small church in a nearby community, and credits his faith to the work of that church from Colorado when he was a kid.

Toward the end of our conversation, he made a statement that has been ringing in my ears for the past several weeks: “What you are doing is well worth the time and effort spent. These kids need the opportunity to meet Jesus, just like I did.”

And in that moment, it all clicked into place for me. Regardless of how many groups come in and do the same thing every summer, our efforts are not in vain. Something of what we taught lodged somewhere in a child’s mind, and may be what it takes for that child to make a decision for Christ.

Our work for these VBS activities, and our love for the kids that we connected with, can and will be used by God to accomplish in their lives what he wants to accomplish.

I was reminded, once again, it is not me and my own effort that saves others. That is God’s work, and God’s alone.

And in that regard, I suspect I grew a lot in my spiritual maturity because of our trip.

Our Mission Team

But I wasn’t the only one who gained some spiritual growth. I watched several members of our team stretch themselves beyond their comfort zone to reach out to those Apache kids.

One of my daughters led the songs every afternoon. As a young thirteen year old, that was definitely a stretch for her to step up and do that. But she did well.

I watched as one of our teens sat with a young boy and lead him through several scriptures, pointing out how to be saved.

I witnessed two different couples from our church be challenged by missions, and especially a mission like AICM, reaching out to Native Americans right here in our own country. I suspect the relationship between these couples and AICM is only beginning.

God accomplished a lot more than I suspected after we returned from our trip. And, even though I am slightly surprised, I shouldn’t be, because he always does this.

My Takeaway

As a leader, I sometimes get into the rut of thinking that God always does things in the same way that he has been. And once again, I was jolted out of that thinking by a mission trip.

God used new circumstances to stretch people beyond their comfort zones, and caused some significant growth to take place. And I know that it is not finished. As we continue to process what we experienced, God will continue to grow us… to grow me… to be who he wants us to be.

And that, after all, was kind of the point.

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