Student Teams and Parties

As I was inviting a student to our team, I got the chance to sit down and talk about the trip with him and his parents. Like I wrote about in a previous post, I have found it really is the ideal situation when making these sort of invitations. One action I have learned this year - for each invitation, a face to face conversation is something I need to make the effort for.

Our main ministry tasks will revolve around building and catalyzing relationships with Cameroonian high school kids - if you think it sounds very similiar to our Brasil trip last summer, you are right. Somehow, I think I might be getting a reputation of planning party-centric mission trips. Last summer a Fusion team spent 4 weeks digging rock for a basketball court in Guatamala while our Brasil team went to the mall and movies, hosted a karoke night, went bowling and had a party with the Pizza Man.

Our hosts this summer are involved in building local, indigenous youth workers in Cameroon. Much of their long term success will lie in relationships with high schoolers and calling these high schoolers into some kind of ministry leadership. And part of the excitement for them this summer is having a team of American students come visit them. We aren't all that, but it is a draw for them.

During the conversation last night, as we were talking about what this trip really is about, it hit me: This type of trip is perfect. Ministry to other students, in another country, with the long term goal of discpleship, serving and engaging other students, takes total advantage of the gifts, talents and natural context for our high schoolers. Traditional building projects, childrens Bible clubs and street evangelism are all valid depending on their context. But I can't help but love what we did last summer and what we are going to do this summer.

Party on.

Technorati tags:: student+missions, Cameroon