Article 1: More Than I Expected
by Daron Mackie

Coming up into the high school youth group as a ninth grader I didn’t quite know what to expect from our mission trip to Pasadena, California, but man did it live up to everything I could have hoped it would be.

All (roughly) 40 of us split up into separate groups and worked in different ministries throughout the Pasadena area. All week long, my group worked at Door of Hope- a ministry that houses several homeless families of the area. I’m still amazed at the work God did in us and through us at Door of Hope.

We were assigned a work project right away- to paint all the walls inside a small apartment in 5 days. The man that lived in the apartment was so grateful for our willingness to help someone out like him, thanking us just about every time we crossed paths with him. It reminded me of how sometimes we all forget to show people we care, even if we say we really do.

You go into places like this expecting to give to others, and you come back having been given something much more than what you could ever give to them. Giving my time for other people, and showing Christ’s love is definitely the most rewarding thing that I’ll ever do.

Whether it was the conversations that tightened my friendships with people, or being able to serve someone who really deserved it- I can’t honestly tell you what my favorite part of this trip was. I really am in awe of how the things said and done on this trip changed my mindset about being a Christian. For that, I am grateful, and am looking forward to what God has in store for my life - now more than ever.

Article 2: A View from the Outside
by Charlie Allen

I want to give you some inside scoop on the Youth Mission Trip to Pasadena. Dave Pearson and I had an amazing experience while cooking and preparing meals for the youth and leaders on the trip. It was a unique experience in the “trenches of youth ministry.” 

If you have experienced an event like this you know how often, in the midst of serving others, you find God ministering to you. Being able to see a totally different economic/social environment and watch people love and serve Jesus is an honor in and of itself. We were able to watch our youth touch many lives and see them have a wonderful attitude the entire time. 

This was really a lot more than one trip to one location. Since the John Perkins Harambee Center only needed ¼ of our team to assist in their children’s program, Scott and the leaders found a way to touch 3 other wonderful ministries in the Los Angeles area. It really was like leading 4 trips with 4 times the coordination and details. Besides that, they also found people of faith and dedicated service for our youth to get to know.

This amazing week was flawless and many lives were touched because of it. We couldn’t have been more impressed with Scott’s leadership and how he served our youth and leaders. I doubt many of us could have so gracefully endured hot nights sleeping in a group of 40 in a large room that had to be cleared each morning at 6:30 am. It was a joy for us to represent Bethany on this trip. As the “old guys,” we got the rare chance to see how God is at work in our youth group. Knowing the quality of our youth and their leaders makes us excited for the year to come.

[The Good News is that Dave and I returned to Seattle still good friends, though we will not be shopping at Costco any time soon.]