“Here’s the thing though… as much love, beauty, trust and adventure played into the feeling of the DR mission trip, one thing about this week that made it all of what it was, was how Holy Spirit filled and breathed it was. Every morning we were praying hand in hand, and in every slight struggle we were whispering thanks, and every day we were proclaiming His name.” – Delynn Harmon, H.S. junior
As we prepared our team of 30 for the Dominican Republic, we made two things clear: first and foremost, we were going to serve and be a blessing to the people in the DR, and second, we were unapologetic about our excitement for what God will do in and through us as a group.
I (Ian) have led more mission trips than I can count; this was my fourth student trip with Eagle Students. Each one brought its own challenges, joys, disappointments, and blessings. Each time we could come back and describe how God had moved. To Him be the glory.
This was different. Everyone who went knows what I mean. Students who had been on trips before confirmed it. This was different. I can’t point to one thing that made the difference. Maybe it was the incredible Envision missionaries that hosted us and set a high bar in how we trained and equipped our students before the trip. Maybe it was the constant opposition and spiritual warfare we felt, causing us to rally together in prayer and sense our need for the Spirit more than usual. Maybe it was the incredible blessing and encouragement of seeing 40+ people come to Christ through our prayer walks and basketball camps. Maybe it was the unexpected trips to the hospital for stitches (with minors… in a foreign country… with bad cell service), seeing the vision for a Christian camp of which we got to help build, or the times of bilingual, Spirit-filled worship.
Here’s what I know, as expressed by King David: “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect” (2 Samuel 22:31-33).
We experienced the Lord’s power, protection, and providence in new ways. We saw students step out in boldness to share their stories and to share the Gospel. We got to see how incredible Christ’s bride is in the DR, and partner with her for one short week. But instead of reading more thoughts from pastors and leaders, take a look at what our students had to say:
“My experience in the DR was nothing short of incredible. Not only did I grow closer to the Lord, but to the team I was serving with and the people I was serving as well. Praying for local people changed my perspective of God, loving on kids changed my perspective of the culture, and being able to worship all together changed my perspective of the global church.” –August Hubbard, H.S. Junior
“The mission trip was the best week of my life, as well as an eye-opening experience of what it’s like to be in a place outside of the US. So many memories were made with team members, as well as people in the community. It is life changing to see all the things God can do.” –Gabriel Swinney, H.S. Freshman
“I went into the trip without a direction, and came back with one. This trip was about stepping out of comfort zones. Getting the opportunity to serve in both familiar and unfamiliar ways. Seeing the Holy Spirit work and being a part of that work. These things informed the direction of my future and gave me something to work towards.” –Evan Bacon, H.S. Junior