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Biblical teaching through vacation Bible schools
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At first, I believed I wouldn’t be able to go to Mexico to teach a vacation bible school. An act of God created a last-minute opening and began an opportunity that I believe has shaped me most. The first year of the mission trip taught me the life changing importance of stepping out of my comfort zone. My freshman year I connected with people from all over the country and a small region of Mexico. This amazing opportunity also created memories and perspectives that will never fade. A year passed, and this time a whole new person faced this mission trip with excitement and pride. I, Morgan Stockman, am blessed with the opportunity of going from eastern Iowa to Mexico, bringing love and guidance towards God to small children without speaking
the same language. It’s often said “actions speak louder than words” but being involved in going to a community where we share few similarities in our lives reminds me that God’s love speaks above it all. With confidence, I can do such amazing things, not only as a leader of teenage Americans and young Spanish speaking children, but also on my own. I was continuously complimented by returning friends on my immense growth as a leader. Instead of choosing the easier tasks like holding the tiny babies I now conduct crafts, games, and snacks. Rather than mindlessly doodling in my notebook after a long day like most, I glance back and smile in appreciation for their culture that is completely different from what I have grown up in. I’ve always enjoyed taking care of others, when I decided to pursue nursing it came as no surprise. Spending my last three spring breaks appreciating God’s love in Mexico lead me to realize my true dream of being an international nurse.
It was back in the summer of 2004 when all was calm. The trees filled w/ dry green leaves, the grass barely green as patches of yellowness overcame its dried burned look, dandelions arose in monstrous amounts as the white cotton-like blooms of a dandelion flutter in the midst of an arid breeze, and visions of heat waves could clearly be noticed along a paved street on a clear afternoon. Yep, this truly was mid summer. But I do prefer summer over winter any day of the year. Around the hottest time of the year, a.k.a. middle of July, my church travels on a mission trip over to the Appalachia Mountains to help people in poverty rebuild their homes. I, among 14 other youths and leaders enjoy this yearly mission trip. Only to leave one week after my birthday the ASP (Appalachia Service Project) crew fled the town of Glen Ellyn and headed east towards the mountainous Appalachia Mountains. The mission had not only been to help people in distress but to also give an insight on personal faith, life, love, friendship, and a better understanding on why we are really here and why we have chosen to come here, as certain personality traits that we possess are revealed throughout the trip. I do remember last year's trip very clearly, and we've had just a few major dilemmas, but this year just clearly out does last year in every way, shape and form.
I was born in Guatemala in a city called, called Guatemala City. Life in Guatemala is hard which is why my parents brought me into the United States when I was eight months old. Some of the things that makes life in Guatemala hard is the violence. However, Guatemala has plenty of hard working men, women, and children who usually get forced to begin working as soon as they are able to walk. However, unlike many other countries, Guatemala has a huge crime rate. I care about the innocent hard working people that live in Guatemala and receive letters, threatening to be killed if they do not pay a certain amount of money at a certain amount of time.
As my father and I finally fit the statue of the little Virgin Mary in the back of the car, it was time to get on the road. I could already taste the guavas from my great grandfather’s ranch. Feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin. The smell of my aunt’s cooking. Hearing the excitement of my great grandmother’s voice. I wanted to be there already, be in the beautiful country of Mexico. My thoughts wandered as we left my house. How much welcome, love, and the sadness of leaving was going to happen. It was too soon to find out.
I am an chinese and mexican american. You might think those are the best mixes of race you can get but you are truly wrong? Growing up in a small farm town in the outskirts of San Diego I truly wish I was white like the rest of the kids at my school. For the hardships I have faced with race discrimination I am truly ashamed of being the color and human genetics I have.
In my 18 years of life everyone has known me as the girl with the unique and hard to pronounce name, however there is more to me than just having a weird name. Like everyone , I have goals. My main goal is to become a neonatal nurse, someone who works with infants born with different health status. My archetype is a martyr, which represents my future goal in a way that nurses and martyrs sacrifice their time to help others in need. Now that I have informed you about my career goal I will talk about how I became to be the person I am today.
I spent every spring and summer in middle school doing mission work and community service. I loved the opportunity that it gave me to build relationships and share my beliefs with people I didn’t know. Little did I know that this would pave the way for a life-changing experience that I would encounter one day. Each spring my church would host a missionary event called “The Ignite Project.” I felt an urge to join the group, recognizing that it was a calling to profess my faith in Jesus. These mission trips helped me to go out
If someone was to ask me two years ago what I wanted to be I would have greeted them with silence. Before I was a very anti-social person and I didn’t really like speaking much in front of a public, audience, or even my small group of friends. I was the type of girl who preferred staying home in the weekends and watch Netflix instead of going out. But everything changed when I went on a missionary trip with my church to Mexicali. The church I attend has a group of volunteers who go every 2-3 months on the weekends to Mexicali. In these trips we distribute clothes, food, essentials, toys, and candies for all the kids and people in Mexico that live in poverty. Many people who live there live in harsh conditions and are struggling to provide a home for their families. My first trip was a life changing experience because it changed the person who I was. I became an active and outgoing person. I became to appreciate and value the possessions I have at home. Every time I see the kids at Mexicali content when they receive a pair of shoes or a piece sandwich it makes me pleased of myself because I’m able to help them with what I can. Throughout these series of trips I discover my passion and how I have a soft spot for kids. Since Mexicali and where I live have a very large driving distance and I can’t go every day I also volunteer to help kids and adults around my community also. I have help
As we trudged over broken boulders and through towering oak trees, I began to feel hopeless. This was my one chance to prove my capabilities as a leader on the trail, and I was failing miserably.
I was born into a home, to parents who fostered a deep appreciation for culture, not just my own but all cultures. They taught me that every people and ethnicity contributes something beautiful to the human experience through their music, wisdom, humor, food, architecture, knowledge, and humanity. Perhaps their love of all cultures made me appreciate my own so profoundly. I am of Mexican-American heritage, and I carry with me the values of a proud, gentle, hard-working, passionate people.
Going back to Mexico after ten years is a little crazy but it was worth the ride. I will always recognize Mexico as my home but America as a special place in my heart.
I was born in Chicago and lived with my parents for a while. When I was six years old my parents got divorced, I never saw my father after that. After that, we moved to Arkansas. Soon after that my mother got deported to Mexico. we had to move to Mexico now. It was tough because I only spoke English at the time. Me and sister of only four years of age were separated from our mom for over a year because they would not let my mom out of the immigration facility. That was the most painful year of my life. This made me very sad and. I still remember the day I saw my mom for the very first time after all that time. She looked so different than I had remembered her. I would live in Mexico for the next six years. When I entered middle school, I was
My parents have always referred me to as a Mexican-American, simply because I was born in the US. The proper term to refer my kind is "Chicanos". I recall speaking with a teacher in middle school telling him that I was Mexican-American and would often tell me I was wrong because neither one of my parents is an actual American. I have been called Latina as well but have always been used to being called a Mexican-American. I have utilized my diverse life and perspectives and have contributed to my local community. My ability to speak two languages helps a great amount of people. I am translating nearly everyday whether it is to assist my mother, or to help translate at my jobs. At my recent job, I found myself working at a department near mine,
One of the things I was put in charge of was translating. I was able to translate a sermon we put on for the kids at a vacation bible school type of camp. That was super challenging to know that people were dependent on me, but it is also where I began to see where God had blessed me in my life and where I could be used on this trip. How lucky was I to be given the capability to speak Spanish fluently? It was at this moment that I finally became thankful for the talents God had given me. The trip opened my eyes and I was grateful for the opportunity to share what God had given to me. Another task we had the privilege of helping them with was building them a new chicken coop. We built a new roof and cleaned it up so that the chickens wouldn’t get so hot. The tricky part was communicating that we built exactly what they wanted. Therefore I was there to both help construct, but also help get communication between us and the owners under control. I remember having to go on the road to pick up some supplies. I was with my dad and one of the workers at the orphanage. The actual supply run was not what made the event memorable, it was actually when we stopped for coffee. We were able to sit down and ask him questions. I remember asking why he did what he did, like I just didn’t understand why, he did not make much money and it was not easy what he did. He simply looked at me and said that he loved serving the
My Mexican culture will forever define who I am and what I do. Culture influences the majority of peoples lives. It can be represented and impactful in a number of ways. Each culture is unique to each individual, which means there are no two cultures that are exactly the same. Culture has a very different meaning for everyone. My culture is represented in food, language, and traditions.
My little sister cried as she said goodbye to my parents before liftoff, this would be our first time traveling to our “homeland”, Mexico. We would meet the strangers we called family and embrace the culture. I strained my neck to find a familiar face, cupping my hands to form a telescope I spotted my Grandmother. Dragging my heavy bag I side hugged her and awkwardly shook my relatives’ hands.