Some reflections from our youth to brighten your day! This past week, 16 students and eight leaders from Browncroft traveled to El Salvador on a mission to live out the hope and joy of Christ through the practical service of work projects, kids camp, and meeting material needs of the community. We asked a few students to share how they saw God at work during their time there and how they had the opportunity to join in what He was doing. We are so proud of how these high schoolers are stepping into their purpose and being a light to their friends, near and far!
Where did you see God at work in El Salvador, and how did you join Him in that work?
“The past week I spent in El Salvador allowed me to see God in so many things that I would miss on a regular day at home. I learned to start looking for God every day. Some of the things we had to do were very physically demanding, or at least the heat was making it seem that way, yet there were so many people looking for positives. I saw God through other people’s uplifting words and actions. I joined God in His work by having a shifted mindset focused on serving others rather than a selfish one focused on my own comfort.” –AJ Morgan, 11th grade
“I saw God work in countless ways during the missions trip to El Salvador, but the biggest was the joy that He provided to my team. It was hot, we were running on little sleep, we were working hard, but every single person had a smile on their face. You couldn’t go ten minutes without hearing someone praying for someone else, or even just offering up words of encouragement. I was privileged enough to join Him in this by simply experiencing the joy He brought me and bringing that to others. Through every hardship I encountered, He showed up in a way that was simply hard to miss, always giving me a reason to smile and tell others about the pure happiness that came from nobody but Him.” –Ella Cassara, 11th grade
You couldn’t go ten minutes without hearing someone praying for someone else, or even just offering up words of encouragement.
“I most greatly saw God at work in the compassion that we all had for each other during the trip. Though we had an amazing week that was fun, productive, encouraging, and unforgettable, we also had some people who struggled with health and anxiety. There was such a quickness to calm people down, sub out people on work sites, ask people if they were okay, and keep our friends’ needs in the front of our minds. I was able to join God in His work by staying consistent in my empathy to serve my peers first and myself after that.” –Brett Cassara, 11th grade
“I saw God at work in how He showed up in relationships. I think it’s one thing to hear that we’re all made in the image of God, but to see His character across so many different people in so many different ways always fascinates me. Throughout the week I saw God’s character of love and patience when people were sick, in how everyone stepped up to help constantly. You didn’t have to ask, we all just did. Or in the people of Taura with how they showed such hospitality and compassion to us. I was able to serve God with how I could be of help to all these people, whether by listening to a friend rant about a burden from home, or offering to take over when the heat was too much. Just putting people first and going from there to find out what was there for you to do.” –Noelle Taylor, 9th grade
