I am honored and delighted to share a brief recap of the adventures of one of our students who was able to attend a missions trip this summer. Judith, age 16, shared with me some of the details of her trip to Los Angeles, with the Apostolic Youth Corps. Here’s what she had to say:
Dear Brethren:
Greetings in the name of Jesus!! At the beginning of AYC LA 2014, I thought myself to be “spiritually decent”. I followed the rules, prayed the prayers, wore the right clothes, and basically did what I was supposed to do. I loved God (I still do) and felt the call, but I wasn’t really doing anything. When I arrived in Los Angeles, I figured out that that was the problem, I was only doing what I was supposed to.
During this mission trip, my team and I went door knocking in the streets of Glendale. We encountered various types of people. As I invited them to Angeles Church, I could see the yearning in their eyes and the hunger for something more. My heart tore as I could not communicate with some Armenian people, I desperately wanted to share the Good News. But try as I might, I could only hand them a card. During outreach, we also met an elderly lady whose husband was ill. On her porch, for all to see, we pleaded the blood of the Lamb over her husband and home. I believe that’s where it started. There, reaching out and inviting souls to the house of God, a love for souls was awakened. I never truly realized that so many people needed a Savior and Deliverer.
On Sunday night, God moved powerfully amongst the AYCers. During the altar call, we had a humongous Holy Ghost blowout. Crying out to God, I pleaded “God what do I do, I cannot just stand idly by?!” With reprimand he answered, “You don’t have to come all the way to Los Angeles to do something, your city is your mission field for now. So do everything you can right where you’re planted”. With tears in my eyes, I recognized the truth behind His words. I had come all the way to the opposite coast looking for something to do, when I had my own harvest right here in Illinois.
If I learned anything on this trip, I learned this: the world does not need another person who’s unwilling to “get down and get dirty”. This world needs someone to preach Jesus at any cost. I accepted the call; thus, I will no longer be an observer to what everyone else is doing, rather I will be a participant and reach out to my city and school. This must and will be my goal, as Bro. Castillo put it, “defying my world” by allowing His light to shine through me.
I’d like to thank everyone who made this trip a reality: first and foremost, our Lord and Savior, and then my family, First Apostolic Church of Aurora, IL (my sponsors), the General Youth Division, Bro. Gabriel Castillo and Pastor David McGovern. Quite honestly, I could keep writing. My life and walk with God will never be the same…
Many thanks,
Judith M.
For the latest updates, follow us on Twitter @ChurchA2Z.