Students encounter poverty on San Francisco missions trip
Over spring break, 10 students gave up a relaxing week at home to serve with their hands at the Bay Area Rescue Mission in San Francisco. Andrea Smith co-led the group who were pushed out of their comfort zone by suddenly being immersed in a world “very different from lower-mainland life.”
The students helped in the kitchen and did maintenance work such as painting and yard clean-up. When their hands weren’t busy making sandwiches or painting, they were leading morning and evening chapel services for kids. They quickly realized that “most people have real poverty struggles.” Andrea said this eye-opening experience “puts into perspective your life circumstance.”
The students helped out with the after-school program that drew inner-city kids to the Rescue Mission. Smith remembers a 10 year old boy with great artistic talent who drew Andrea’s name in graffiti. “These kids are talented and smart, but it’s hard for them to be motivated.”
Smith found meal-times especially memorable. This was a time when the students could hear the stories of those living at the Rescue Mission. One woman Andrea talked to was a former teacher who became homeless after her hours were cut and she couldn’t pay her rent anymore. Andrea emphasized the importance of getting to know people: “Talk, hear the stories. Everyone has one.” Many Rescue Mission people shared inspiring stories of finding a way out of lives of intense hardship.
The group gathered every night to debrief the day and to share their testimonies. At first, the students thought their stories of faith were “boring” compared to the drastic stories of the people they were meeting. But they soon realized that “your testimony doesn’t have to be dramatic to have an impact.”
A trip like this can change a person. Andrea said she learned to have empathy for others’ struggles and to be willing to be stretched. She also learned to “be prepared for the unexpected.”
Why are missions trips a valuable experience? Andrea said, most importantly, they’re fun! She explained they are also a great way to make friends, to travel and to learn what it means to be a servant-leader. While missions trip do help those we serve, one of the biggest rewards is “growing as a person.”
To find out more about Global Projects missions trips, consider an exciting summer missions opportunity!
Story by Gwendolen Gower. Photo by Andrea Smith