Hey Y'all! This is Chloe Martin, the New Vision Urban Missions Intern. I just wanted to say a few things about this group as they head back to their home in Chicago!

There is something special about a group of people who come on a mission trip for a week & it ends up feeling like a month. And there was part of me that would have hopped on that plane with them just because I can't imagine having to part with them!

You see, this was "my" group from the very beginning... our team shares and leads various groups that come here to serve and learn throughout the year and since my internship is coming to a close, this was 'my' group. And it couldn't have been a bigger blessing in my life!

They went from being the Gloria Dei youth group, to being a family... and I got to be # 23 in that family! We shared meals, testimonies, laughs, and some tears. They continued to go above and beyond what was asked of them, and a few of them even had me take them back out on to the street to pass out more water even though it was time to go back! I saw them go from being timid or unaware of the homeless on the streets of San Diego to calling them brothers and sisters. I saw them move past comfort zones and exhaustion to be the salt and light of the world. And of course we also had some dance breaks and group hugs along the way! So as they board their plane back to Chi Town, I can't help but feel a little piece of me going with them. I'll keep those memories and life lessons learned because of them, with me for many years to come. Oh and remember... YOU NEED TO CUT IT ;)

Love y'all,
Chloe # 23

And... we have returned! It was a busy day of travel and all of us are looking forward to showers and a nice bed. However, everyone already misses being San Diego, working with such the awesome ministry that New Vision Urban Mission is doing. We have learned much, our spirits are soaring, and we have much to unpack from this experience. Our students are already thinking of ways that can get out there and serve, meeting our neighbors and sharing God's love.

Please check out prior blog posts, and come to worship on August 13/14 as our mission trip participants lead worship. Many thanks for reading, your well-wishes, and most importantly, your prayers as we took this journey.

Peace!

Aaron

Today we were blessed with the experience to distribute food to 500 people. In the morning we sorted out all different types of food, and in the afternoon we got to see who the food was going to. This evening we got to sit down with our leaders of the week from New Vision and wrap up our week. We talked about all the things we learned on this trip, and what we are taking back with us. For me, I am taking back the ability to step out of my comfort zone when it comes to openly praying for others. Another thing I am taking back is motivation to do more for others at home, especially our homeless brothers and sisters. This week was wonderful, emotional, challenging, thought-provoking, and something I will never forget. Although I’m sad to leave San Diego, I am beyond excited to return home and share all of our stories. 

God’s Peace,

- Maddie 

Today we took part in a food distribution process at New Vision Church. A particular incident I was effected by today was when we were running short on distributors for watermelons. Suddenly, a man showed up and started passing them out to people for the majority of the time, which we were very grateful for. Little did we know, this man himself was in the same need of food as those in line. We had all thought he was another volunteer and did not realize his needs. That is when I came to acknowledge the ideology of everyone needs help, but the strong ones are those who will give it before getting it. That was the most eye-opening experience for me on this trip.

- Will

Hey everybody! So today was our last day, (crying), and we have been so blessed to spend such an amazing week with such inspiring people. Today we sorted and distributed food, and between the fuzzy cucumbers we smiled and laughed like I have never laughed before. This trip has truly shown me what it means to serve God, because it can be something as small as smiling to a difficult person, or helping teach a small child about the power of Jesus Christ. I want to thank all of you for giving us such an amazing opportunity to come and serve our brothers and sisters in San Diego. Your thoughts and prayers mean more to us than I believe you will ever know, and each and everyone of us thank you from the bottom of our heart. We as a youth group have become a family this week, and it would not have happened without all of you as the congregation. Please put our brothers and sisters in San Diego in your thoughts and prayers, they are so special to us and we can not wait to share our experiences with all of you. 

Love, 

- Cassie :) 

This last day of out mission trip was a great ending to an amazing week! We all got to hang out sorting fruits and vegetables we distributed at the New Vision Church. It might have been the most labor intensive day of the week but it felt the most relaxing in a way. Either way, the day left plenty of time to reflect on our time in San Diego and say our goodbyes. Being on this mission trip has been a blessed experience and I am honored to have been a part of it.

-Nolan

(Some reactions from our experience - evening of July 27)

We went to the Plaza Hotel to worship and to feed the people living there. We split off into groups to go to the different floors to knock on doors to hand out packages of food. We encountered one women who instead of taking the package greeted us with a smile on her face and offered us candy instead.

- Amanda

After the lady offered us the candy, I felt very dumbfounded by the gesture. We were up on floor 6 of a low income hotel and the lady that we were offering food to looked like she really needed it. She was skinny, her teeth were yellow and crooked, yet she was offering to give us something instead of us giving her the food. Some of the smallest things can feel the most impactful.

- Tyler

Güten Tag! When we went to the Plaza Hotel, I had the most interesting time. I had met a man that I have some very mixed feelings about meeting. All of my memories from the past few days have been positive. The man I had met shared with me his views about what we were doing around San Diego. He sat down with me and told me how he disagreed with our attempts to help the homeless, and  shared some pretty strong material. It terrified me, and yet opened my eyes. We knew coming into this that some people disagreed with our views. It made me feel conflicted, but I am thankful. The positive and negative memories we made have created us and these days have been incredible and inspiring. 

- Jillian 

Star Date 7.28.2016

Today we took the kids from VBS over to the San Diego Zoo. We had a lot of fun taking these kids to the zoo, some of which had never been before. Whether it was stopping for breaks because of the heat -or- seeing animals the kids had never seen, everyone always had a smile on their face. Their smiles made us smile with them even when the animals weren’t moving or doing anything exciting, they were still amazed and happy to see these animals for the first time and that made us happy. After the kids left the zoo at 1 pm our group had a little bit of free time. From 1-5 pm the whole group did some group bonding and developed a great connection with each other. We concluded the night with devotions going over how we saw God in the kids we worked with and sharing stories about the kids that filled our hearts with joy.  The joy we saw in the kids, remind us to appreciate the little things, like finding so much in watching a bear a bathe, and all the little joys continue to remind us that God is all around us.

- Lane, Amanda, Tom, Hannah, Ron

Hello friends! Today was another busy day of VBS in the morning (our last one for the week). What a wonderful program and the faces of the kids really tell the story of what we have done with them this week. These kids have taught us much about faith as well as many of them volunteered to pray without even being asked several times throughout the week. And what a joy it is to be bringing several of these children (and even some of their parents) to the zoo for the first time.

This afternoon, we visited Old Town and did some touristy stuff, followed by the serving a meal and engaging with the residents and neighbors of a low-income hotel in downtown San Diego. Our students will share more about that experience in tomorrow's blog post as it is late tonight and we are needing some sleep. In the meantime, enjoy some pictures and check back tomorrow!

Hello again everyone. Today in San Diego, we walked the streets of the inner city tending to the homeless. We brought them all baggies of snacks and water. It was a very interesting experience. I felt that I stepped out of my comfort zone when I said a prayer in a group circle around the first homeless man we came across. We spoke to every homeless person we came across and it was very interesting listening to their stories/struggles. One man we came across had a broken hip and was very weak. When we approached him, he was laid out on the ground with his head underneath a wheelchair trying to take shade from the sun. We prayed for him holding hands by holding hands around him. We had many more encounters with the homeless that were indescribable and breathtaking.

- Tyler

Salut! Today we were embraced into the world of our homeless ministry. The things we went through today changed us even more than the day before, which may be for the better or worse in some people's minds. We had met one very special lady, who hadn't been on the streets for long. She shared with us a little of her story and how she has a job interview, but no clothes to wear there. The street guide that was with us assured her that she would bring clothes and help her. It was eye opening of how she seemed so grateful and compassionate. We also met another lady with two animals. As soon as we handed her a baggy of goodies, she immediately poured the water into a bowl for the dogs. It brought tears to my eyes and had a huge emotional impact on me. The whole day was full of amazing activities and I can't wait to see what this mission trip brings us next. 

-Jillian 

(Pictures are from the VBS and Youth Group time, only. No pictures are posted from our afternoon care & prayer walk because we want to respect our sisters and brothers we encountered.)

Hello everyone, today we started the first day of VBS. It was a dandy time and all of the kids were very fun to be around and it was all around a successful day. After VBS, we started a homeless experiment. In the experiment, we were only provided with cardboard & a marker. We were required to walk around San Diego and had certain objectives that we had to do to simulate the day of a homeless person. Such things were dumpster diving, begging for money, asking for a job application at a local business, and making an attempt to find food and water. It really taught us the struggle that a homeless person goes through from day to day. My perspective on the homeless has most definitely changed and I’m sure everyone else has changed perspectives now as well. 

- Tyler 

Today was a very eye opening day! Not only were we able to shower and clean but we also got to hang out with some pretty cool kids at VBS.  We, personally, were in charge of arts and crafts, yay! We made cute little camels which everyone had a creative name for! It was amazing being able to spend our day interacting with the younger generation of San Diegans. Next we started with our insightful experience of being homeless for around two hours. It threw us into a rainbow of emotions that we never imagined we could have. The people we talked to shared stories, and our struggles to find resources were definitely interesting. One of the people we talked to shared where to find resources and were willing to just sit down and share their stories. We know this has changed us all in different ways, but it brought a flame of overwhelming emotions on our souls and is amazing. Finding the resources to even attempt to accomplish one of our assigned tasks was overwhelming and flabbergasting. After taking a scenic drive we made it to the lookout (War Veteran's Memorial Cross) and it was absolutely breathtaking! Overall it was a very exhausting day but I can’t wait till tomorrow! :)

- Jillian and Erica