by Kellie Weaver
I want to first take a moment to appreciate all the staff and leaders that helped and or attended this 2015 mission trip to Taiwan. I can confidently say I have learned many life lessons and skilling from just one week of emerging myself in Chaiyi.
I got the opportunity of truly placing myself into the culture of the Taiwanese locals. Without a doubt I made many new friends and reconnected with old ones, but that wasn’t even the best part. Stepping up and being that mentor for the children in Chaiyi and slowly seeing their lives change in that short amount of time was truly astounding and a miraculous testimony itself.
Being a part of that transformation for the students is an honor, and to be one of the first generation Bread of life youth, to attend the VGM Bilingual Camp is grace! This trip is just another declaration of just how profound God is and how much he loves each and every one through their chaotic lives. He has an assignment for everyone and I believe this mission trip became that bridge for me to grow closer to him. Essentially, this whole expedition has humbled me and has showed me how precious I truly am to the Lord.
I want to specifically talk about one student that uniquely stood out amongst her peers throughout the whole camp. On the first day, I remember very clearly, Kelly being one of the only students waiting outside patiently for the doors to be opened. It was apparent she had an eager heart and with this, she presented herself with such fanatic leadership it became hard not to feel drawn by her energy. She brought life and spirit to our classroom and was an inspiration for her all her classmates.
My group visited Kelly’s family on the last day, and to my shock learned about their living conditions and about her parents, how she lives with her grandfather, without parents. I realized that, like Kelly many other students who attended this Bilingual camp live in a home with distant families like this. And although I felt grim to realize this, it made me treasure and appreciate the simple fact that, I live with my parents and to get the opportunity to travel the world with them and be this blessing for others seeking for change and encouragement.
Attending this Mission trip has helped me learn to grasp the concept of being truly generous with our time for those children in Chaiyi, and to be a messenger as well as a “safe house” for them. No money could buy the amount of happiness I saw on the student’s faces when we embraced them for the last time.
Ultimately, amend didn’t just occur within the students, I to feel transfigured. For upcoming mission trips, I’m committed to attending more mission trips and I hope to attend this same mission trip and more in the near future overseas and across countries.
Thank you.