A couple weeks ago at this time I was surrounded by at least sixty other teens inside a small church in Cincinnati, Ohio. My youth group spent approximately six days working in a community doing almost everything: gardening, cleaning the streets, working with kids at summer camps, helping inner-city kids with ballet, etc.. If you asked any of my friends, though, they would probably be able to tell you that from the amount of content I posted across all of my social media platforms. Nonetheless, I soon realized there is a downside to plastering these pictures of youth embracing small children, carrying them on their back, or reading to them all over the web: some will see nothing else. One might look at that image and think, "That is a sweet picture," and keep scrolling. What an onlooker does not know is the sincerest of smiles a child would have on their face as walked over and told them good morning. They did not see tears swelling up in my eyes in the darkness of night as the voices of those who rarely speak mentioned what an impact this trip had on them. No one else was in the car belting out the lyrics to "American Pie" as we raced the other church vans to see who would arrive at the church first, except us.
I have personally been on three mission trips alongside my church, with each one having a different significance in my life. As a writer and photographer, I have written numerous blog posts and captured many precious moments as while on these religious excursions, but what many forget is that there are moments too genuine and that happen too quickly for even a professional to capture. You know how they say "pictures or it didn’t happen"? Well, disregard that. Sometimes being so caught up in capturing the moment can serve as a distraction to those on mission trips when the true purpose is to serve the Lord. Do not think I am trying to bash Instagram or any social media. What I am getting at is there are so many people out there who have more stories to share, including those that are not made public. I challenge you to to spark up a conversation with those individuals; if they are anything like the teens at my church, they could talk to you for days about our trips to Ohio or Mississippi. Before I was old enough to go on a senior high mission trip, I relied on hearing the stories of older youth group members. I remember longing for that sense of connectivity with Christ and with the group as a whole. The power of sharing your thoughts, stories, and experiences make more of a difference in the lives of others than you might believe.
Whether you are a teen who just got back from teaching children how to read and write in Africa, building homes in Guatemala, serving in communities in the U.S., or even if you did not leave your own city, your story matters. Post your pictures on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, wherever you want, but do not let the story end there. Tell them about the kid who would not let go of you. Explain the beautiful scenery you were surrounded with each day as you painted the home of a widow. Describe the moment you felt God’s presence as you swayed to the song “How He Loves” during worship in a church with no air conditioning. Let the words you speak be a light in this world that often seems too dark.
“What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.” -Albert Pine
