It Made A Difference 2

Here are just a few excerpts about how trips in college made a difference for people:

In the summer in 1990, I went to Haiti with a group led by our CCO staff person. Also on that trip was Lynette, my girlfriend at the time who is now my wife of 16 years. The trip served us in an unexpected way.
A small residential college is something of a "relationship incubator." That is, when we met and started dating there, things always happened in the warm fuzzy confines of the campus. We got to know each other well, but only in that context. To know how a girl experiences the stress of finals is, though interesting, not that useful in the rest of life. The mission trip was one thing that broke us out of that. We were with a group, in a foreign country doing tasks that we NEVER did in the college setting. We got to see one another in a new context that was challenging and revealing. If I am ever tempted to disrespect my wife, there is always the knowledge that she can lay brick better than most men.
On other fronts, the impact of the trips are hard to measure. I can remind myself daily what poverty really looks like. I can know that I don't know what suffering is. My job now is about helping others and treating them with dignity while I do so. All things I learned on those trips. Ken '93

I went on two mission trips with Messiah – they all made a difference!
Not that I was very material-driven to begin with, but these experiences made me even less so. I became appreciative of hot water, cold milk, and lettuce – and basically all of the luxuries that we in America have. I’ve encouraged others to LEAVE THE COUNTRY AND VISIT A 3RD WORLD COUNTRY. I think EVERYONE should.
Now that I have 3 kids under age 4, I won’t travel, but I do support folks who are going on missions trips. I believe in it so strongly that I can’t so no to someone raising funds so that they can attend a trip. Stephanie '99

I attended the Haiti trip in 1991 via Issachar’s Loft. The trip made a profound impact on my life and I still to this day remember some of the commitments I made to serve Lord. During that time by God’s grace and the faithfulness of many Godly ministers the Lord gave me an opportunity to help in starting a Classical Christian School in New Jersey. This school has over 50% minority representation and we never intentionally planned that but we are very grateful for the ethnic diversity in Christ represented at the academy. Ralph, '95

Its funny that I just received this email from you. I was just commenting the other day how thankful I am for running water and hot water. I often think about the challeges people face where I served in Honduras with no portable or hot water. I am often reminded of the simple things that we take for granted like taking a hot shower every day or drinking water out of a sink. Nora '99