next week i’ll be going on a mission trip with my youth group.
each night we have a devotional, and one of them i will be leading.

i just don’t know what i should talk about.
i was kind of hoping for some sort of "inspirational" story that i could tell, and then talk about it in conjunction with the bible.

any ideas would be welcomed!

i’m Christian by the way.

Talk about the many ways your religion indoctrinates you into believing in mythical gods. Examine each of your religion’s arguments for its belief in a god, then look at how much emotional manipulation plays a part, especially those that take advantage of human insecurities.

That should make for some good discussion.

okay, we aren’t going out yet, but we will be soon! lol anyway, he went to Mexico on a missions trip w/ a differant church, and he’l be gone for a week (the week of spring break to say the least! so we can’t hang out all week!!!) but in our "group" that hangs out, there’s 5 guys, and 2 girls (i’m one of them) well, neither him ir his broher could do anything last night, b/c his brother had a race early this morning, and he had to leave for Mexico and 5:45 am. but me and two of the guys(one my brother) were hanging out, and me soo to be bf (lol) called and asked us to come over to say bye. anyway. how do i cope??? i can’t see him for a week?!!!! i can’t text him b/c he’s in mexico! what to do???

Dear ThinkPin
If you still have time you want to put a love letter in his things when he doesn’t know. He will read it every day and think of you. What you need to do is write him a letter every day and keep it till he comes back. Wait just before you know you well not see him for a while and give them to him. You well feel good writing to him and you well be thinking of him so you well have him close to your heart. He well read them and know you thought of him the whole time he was gone. Good luck

I used to fight alot, get angry at people, have sex, and all that junk. I would call myself a christian i go to church every sunday and youth. I go on mission trips and even tell people about christianity if i get the chance. At the same time though i can still be an angry person and ill have slip ups and fight people or break and have sex with my girlfriend. There are moments when i am determind to change my ways and i do good but then i slip and go right back to where i was.

All these things are the reason we are to renew our minds daily. Get into th Word and study.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Any mission trips for teens? I am more interested in working in orphanages and with children that anything else. Please give me the website, thanks!

The best way for a teen to go is with your church’s youth group. You can choose to travel to another country, or go somewhere in US. I have been on trips both in US and in other countries as a youth leader. If your church youth group doesn’t do mission trips, find a church in your area that does and see if you can go with them. For trips that are taking place this summer, you should already have made plans, or need to shortly.

Teen Mania has trips
http://www.globalexpeditions.com/index.php

You can also try YWAM
http://www.ywam.org/notfound.asp?404;http%3A//www.ywam.org%3A80/contents/get_outreach.htm&bhcp=1

Youth Quest
http://www.youthquests.com/

If you are going to another country you do need a passport and must take vaccinations. Also most of the trips are pretty costly.

Our youth group is going to Haiti for a missionary group. I think this is a wonderful experience, however there are many downsides. For one, to me, i’d have to get a passport and get alot of shots and miss a week of school. That would be tons to catch up on since i have a lot of homework anyways. dont get me wrong, the people there really need help. we’d be building things, teaching children sunday school, and cleaning up, but theres too many downsides. would you go?

Are you sure this is still on? THIS IS A BAD IDEA.

Read about the trouble two church workers got into: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34958965/ns/world_news-haiti_earthquake/

There is no place to stay. There are no toilets. There is very little electricity.

Think about what you would need:

If you went for 10 days, you would need a gallon of water for each day. A gallon of water weighs about 8.5 pounds. That’s 85 pounds of water.
You would need your own food. Figure a pound of food a day. 10 pounds.
You would need a sleeping bag and a tarp. 8 pounds.
A mosquito net–mosquitos carry malaria, dengue fever, and other diseases. 5 pounds.
How about a first aid kit? 2 pounds.
Clothing? 10 pounds.

So, you have more than 100 pounds of supplies _just for yourself_ to lug around destroyed streets, in 80+ degree heat, surrounded by stinking, rotting corpses.

Don’t expect a motor vehicle to transport you.

Your health insurance is not valid in Haiti. If you break a limb, you would go to the end of the line for treatment. If it were an open break and became infected, the current treatment of choice is _amputation_, because of the lack of antibiotics.

hey =)

Over spring break i would like to go on another missions trip. Does anyone have suggestions on where to go? or with what organization?

if ya have any stories, feel free to share! God Bless =)

Did several of those which were organized by students at the university. In Seattle and St Louis we worked with internship programs which train "vocational missionaries" to locate in areas where churches are weak and build up the local church…

I looked at YWAM and Global Expeditions but I want to know how these compare to others safety-wise and cost-wise. Preferably a Christian organization. Im looking for a trip possibly this winter outside of the US
I already sponsor a boy in Uganda. It is as much as I can afford being 16 years old. I want to be a missionary and am interested in spreading God’s love. Im not looking for anything glamorous. But Im having a hard time finding affordable mission trips. Most are around a $1000. And I also want to be sure that it focuses more on helping people than sight seeing. I just dont have the connections to organize my own trip.

One organization to consider is Global Outreach, based in Bramwell, WVa. I don’t know the costs, but they have trips to many places. Their website is http://wegoglobal-com.web20.winsvr.net/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx#SlideFrame_1

If it all doesn’t fit, copy and paste into your browser.

Another couple are Teen Missions and International Crusades. Google for them and see if they have websites.

One real precaution is your age. Because you’re 16, I don’t know how far outside the US you can legally go.

Don’t forget to speak with your pastor and/or youth leader. He or she or they may have a wealth of guidance and suggestions. I dare say you will get better results with them than from anything you’ll find here on this forum.

Where would a good place be for a mission trip? Describe the experiances I would have there. I truly want to help. What would I have to do in preperation for a trip like this? How would anyone benefit? What would I do there? Just wondering. Gathering crucial information. Thanks.

May I suggest that you visit this site:

http://www.adventures.org/

It has a tremendous amount of information about mission trips. Good for you – I think that is great and I hope you are able to do it. My wife and I went on a 2 week mission trip 2 years ago to West Virginia – the area in the Appalachians where they were flooded and many homes were lost in the poorer areas. Seems like a lot of times in natural disasters that it is the poor who seem to get hit the worst.
Anyway, we worked on rebuilding homes and it was absolutely one of the best experiences of my life!! The people I met – both the people we worked with and the people we worked to help were fantastic. The people we were helping were so grateful and they worked right along side of us. We made several friends for life.

Good luck and I hope you can find a mission that you are able to participate in – you will be richer for the experience!!!

It’s with my youth group, and I was wondering if any one knows if it’s cool over there.

As to whether or not you should go is something that only you can answer. First of all, I strongly suggest that you consult the Lonely Planet web site: www.lonelyplanet.com and read up all you can about this Central American country.

Secondly, check out or buy a Lonely Planet travel guide book for this country too. The information contained therein is truly remarkable. I am assuming that you are quite young – no insult – and inexperienced in international travel. It is wise to be going there with a guide and a group as I would not recommend visiting this country alone, and especially a female(?) at your age.

Do be prepared that Guatemala is a very, very poor country and Americans are viewed as being rich which makes tourists targets for thefts and rip-offs. Keep a watchful eye on your surroundings at all times as you cannot afford to be unattentative.

The huge difference in cleanliness standards will probably be quite shocking, and always take/carry with you your own stock of toilet paper. Toilets there – and throughtout all of Central and South America for that matter do NOT handle the paper and
CANNOT be flushed down. A basket for your used paper will be on the floor nearby. Also, they do not have hot running water. Showers are usually equipped with a very scarry device that heats the water as it runs through the head. Electrical wires dangle above – so do not touch them, and do not change the temperature switch while the water is running.

Since I have no idea where you will be staying for your mission, the standards there will still be very different from what you are used to….as will be the food. But this exposure will broaden you immensely and give you a far greater appreciation for what you and for what most Americans take for granted.

DO NOT DRINK THE WATER or eat any salad or fruit washed with the local water either. Without a doubt, Guatemala will be a shock for you. The country has huge jade deposits and jewellry and sculptures made out of jade are beautiful and economically priced as well.

The standard dress of the indigenous people are very colorful and can be purchased. These hand-embroidered poncho-like tops are exquisite and many travelers use them as wall hangings.

So do some research. A visit to the Tekal National Park is well worth it to see the Myan ruins. You can also whizz across the canopy for about $35.00 and private tour companies offer these services.

Hope this helps……Sandy

This summer I am going on a mission trip with my youth group to guatamala that will cost about $1200

I am also going on a people to people student ambassador trip to australia, which I’m thinking will end up costing me about $5000

And then during spring break, my french class is going to france and that will cost $1800-$2300

That’s about 9000 dollars I have to raise on my own! [well, I'm sure my parents will pitch in a little, but right now they are saying I have to do it all myself] and I need some GOOD ideas on how to make it.

I know that I can do things like bakesales, but I don’t know how to get started on anything.
Can you please explain how to get started and how much I will make with each fundraiser you include? Thank you!

Oh, and if I’m going to ask for donations from businesses, what kind of businesses would be best to ask, and how do I go about asking?

Thank you!!!

I’ve been in this situation, I actually went on a people to people trip to the UK a couple years ago and it was quite a challenge. Ask your friends’ parents, teachers, anyone who has a heart will help you out! Go to a Sam’s Club and buy bulks of candy, and sell them to kids at school, you’ll be surprised how fast people will buy. If the meetings for your people to people trip haven’t started yet, the parents talk about those things! Don’t fret, people will help! If you want to know some more about what to expect from the trip, email me!