Wind Report – The Youth in Atlanta

I am Megan Griffin, a senior in the life-changing FBCA Youth Group. For Spring Break 2010, thirty something members of the youth, staff and I packed up to go serve our Lord in Atlanta, Georgia. Our Mission Trip 2010 group is now named the “Atlanta Crew”. Putting it mildly, this trip was inspirational and life-altering. This is just an overview of the greatness that occurred on the best trip I have ever taken part of.

We started the trip off on a motivating note with an amazing sermon given by the one and only D-Dub, also known as Dennis Wiles, on Sunday, March 14. We gathered in the youth parking lot, and started a journey that will never be forgotten. Let’s just say this trip was LONG; however, being stuck in a fifteen-seater van with friends and acquaintances made the drive worth while. I don’t think I have ever listened to the amount of diverse music we listened to on that van. Ranging from “chill” John Mayer to “Ima Transform Ya” (which later became Van 2’s theme song), from worship songs to “forty-five minute” techno music, we listened to it all. Van 2 consisted of the lovely Sarah Pardue, Eddie Looper, Taylor Wade, Anna Berry, Halie Hullender, Addie Trammel, Connor West, Joe Mallot, and me. Although I have grown up in the church with all these people, I honestly didn’t personally know a few of them. However, during this trip I really got to know these guys, and I realized that these people are AMAZING! And by the end of the trip, I felt like I have been best friends with them my entire life. The bonding that occurred during this trip was powerful! We trusted each other fully, had each other’s backs, and cared so incredibly much about each other.

During the trip, we had two missions to accomplish. I say it this way, because we were not messing around on this trip. We came to serve others, and we planned on doing so until the very end. We helped with Whirlwind Missions led by Tim. Where to being with Tim?! This man was awesome! His excitement to serve the Lord was inspirational and encouraging. And the amount of energy this man had mad me in my teens feel old! Our first mission project we did in the morning. We met the sweetest lady, Ms Virginia, at the Cross Cultural Community Center. I was never able to remember the exact name to this center, but it was basically an oasis for the children of the area to come and get help with school work in a God-filled atmosphere and out of the gang riff raff. Our duty was to fix the place up for Ms Virginia and the children, which included: repainting, cleaning, fixing foundation problems, and outdoor work. The Atlanta crew dominated, and finished painting/cleaning/trench digging before leaving with the motto Tim gave us at the beginning of the week, “Quality NOT Quantity”.

Our second mission was the part that really changed my life. After painting, we broke into our teams. I was a proud member of “Team 2 legit to quit”! Team 2 included: Sarah Pardue, Jerimiah and Jennifer Smith, Taylor Wade, Hayden Haschke, Connor West, Sara Steele, Anna Turner, Kandi Smith, Addie Trammel, and me! As a team, we were assigned two apartment duplexes, and our job was to round up as many children as possible and have a “Fiesta!” At our fiesta, we played games, sang songs, made crafts, and Taylor and I were in charge of the Bible Study. Having this responsibility was frightening to me; however, after praying about it the week before God prepared me and shared His Word through me. On Day One, I was really discouraged. I really couldn’t keep the children’s attention, and I felt that none of them were grasping it. That is until one of the little boys, near the end if the story where the devil tempts Jesus three times, finishes the story for me! I could not believe it! That little eight-year-old boy is destined to be a pastor! The second work site was my biggest challenge. These duplexes were primarily of Muslim/Hindu descent, and one of the mother’s came down with her child. Let’s just say this woman was one of the most gracious women I have ever met. She made us pizza! No one asked, and she never really gave us time to object. She just ran up to her house and made it for us! But my challenge was deciding whether or not to do the Bible Study with the mother there. I was in no way at all ashamed of what I was sharing, I just didn’t know how she would feel about us coming to her home and sharing a Word different from what she believes. But the encouragement from Jerimiah Smith made it a million times easier. She left with her son when the Bible Study started the first day, but she stayed the second! It was AWESOME!

Throughout the entire trip, I was really sick with strep, and I kept asking why of all times would I get so sick on a mission trip?! It wasn’t until I got home that I realized me getting sick had nothing to do with God; it was, in fact, the devil trying to get in the way and stop all the good that was happening in Atlanta. The part God took part of in my illness was keeping me strong to continue sharing His Word, and Him showing me the amazing friends that I had in the Atlanta Crew and how much they loved me!

After the trip, I made two decisions. I decided that in college I am going to minor in Spanish, and after I receive my Medical Degree, I am taking it to do mission work across the World. These two decisions are pretty life-changing for me, and although it will be difficult at times, doing it for my Lord will encourage me throughout the process. The friendships created during the trip are stronger than friendships I’ve had my entire life! The Atlanta Crew as a whole has withdraws from each other. We are all constantly making plans to do some sort of activities as the Atlanta Crew, because we all love one another so much. Life after the trip has been one of the most challenging times I’ve had; however, I truly believe God waited to test my faith through these hard times after the mission trip, so that I could have these amazing people to talk to, cry with, and receive words of encouragement from. I honestly don’t think I could stay as positive as I am through life right now if I didn’t have this wonderful group of people. This trip in SO many ways has changed my life, and it has given me a new perspective to life. Our God and His ways are more than words can describe, emotions can feel, and minds can think. And after this trip, I feel Him working through me every second of every day.  He “transformed” us!