Enter Missions - CSMP 2016

** Preface **

This was an article my pastor shared with me and others. Calling.  What is our purpose in life?  That hard and deep questions.  As part of the Christian walk, there is an expectation to participate in missions, to share the gospel and do good deeds.  The article is a good reminder of who I am.

What I really enjoyed the article, as it mentions reasons to participate in missions such as X and also the blessings in participating in missions.

I will do my best to blog and write about my time in missions.

For now, I want to share what I will be doing and why.

** Who I will be working with: **

Community Summer Missions Project

This is a prayer card that includes our team members in Austin.  This is not everybody as there is another team up north at Michigan as well.  I look forward in getting to know and working with people I have not met yet.  There will be differences in culture and social demographics.  But despite these differences, I believe it our strength because what talent I lack is what another team member have. And likewise, I have strengths and talents that I can offer to a team.

** What we are doing: **

There are two known organizations that the team will be partnering with: Excel Academy in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Cesar Chavez Academy located in Detroit, Michigan.

At Excel Academy, we will be teaching the gospel to young international students.

At Cesar Chavez Academy, we will be tutoring high school students who need help in their studies.

I expect that larger team to be broken down into smaller teams that we will be responsible for planning different activities.  If I can recall last year’s CSMP, teams would include skits, sports, engineering, crafts, and others.

In addition to being responsible for these two organizations, we will be going out into University of Michigan and Wayne State University to meet students and share the gospel.  In this way, we are participating in the great commission and building the local church.

There will be much more opportunities and activities beyond the general description of this project but I look forward to anything.

** Why: **

I just graduated a year ago and took a few classes to prepare me for the Health IT industry and my career.  I could have chosen the comfortable and secure route, but instead I took a chance to defer work to participate in missions.  I am seeing the bigger picture though and the value of this experience for myself and for other’s.  Once I start working, it would not be likely that I can take an extended time off to participate in this project. Before that window close, I wanted to seize that opportunity.

CSMP is a unique experience where I can devote time to do missions.  From day in and day out, for little over a month, this is what I will be doing. I want to be challenged and stretched and to grow as a person. This is the “ideal Christian life” and I hope to translate these things upon my return.  The values I hope to grow in is to love one another unconditionally, to partner with others, and to serve others.