Feb 22, 2023 Cassidy’s First Mission Trip

Everything fell into place for this mission tripÑit was perfect. It was almost effortless. I remember thinking, God organized this trip for me; it was meant for me.

I first learned about Quiet Hour Ministries through Loma Linda University’s night church for teens and young adults. I reached out to some of the elders, Hey, do you know of any mission trips coming up? And that’s how I got connected to QHM. 

I asked if there were any funding options available and Georgia said, “Yeah, actually we had someone donate a full trip to another student, and they weren’t able to make it!” I was almost speechless; God was opening doors.

I knew after graduating that I was going to have some free time, and I wanted to give back. I recognized that I came from a place of privilege, education and opportunities. I come from a very poor family, and in the midst of all my accomplishments, I didn’t want to lose sight of how God blessed me. I felt I needed to reconnect with God and His purpose for my life.

A mission trip felt like a great step towards recentering myself.

As a therapist, my job is to connect with people, so this trip has been nothing but connecting. Being able to use my therapeutic skills while also spreading God’s word has been the perfect combination. The number one takeaway I’ve learned from this trip has been patience. One of the big components of connecting with people is patience.

I had never been on a mission trip, so had absolutely no expectations. This whole opportunity has been such a learning experience. I think I’ve received much more than I’ve been able to give. Just the love and the energy I felt on this tripÑthe feeling of being completely acceptedÑthat feeling really influenced me to join the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and also join this mission trip.

I haven’t laughed and enjoyed myself in so long. I’ve reached a whole new level of happiness; everything with this trip has felt so natural.

I just showed up as my true unapologetic self, and I’ve never felt so welcomed. The relationships that I made were so genuine, so rewarding. It’s something I’ve never experienced here in the States. To be able to just remove myself from the drama, the chaos, and take-everything-for-granted mentality at home, and change my perspective, was so powerful. I am not used to the light I felt here in the Dominican Republic.

Since I moved away from Loma Linda, and the Seventh-Day Adventist community there after graduating and then having that again through the mission trip, I realized how much I have been missing that in my life. That community aspect of coming together through Christ.

A lot of the people on that mission trip were inclusive and accepting because they had Christ behind them.

It made me feel like I needed to get back into that.

I talked with several team members to see what kind of churches were in my area, and Melanie invited me to hers. If I can get back into it physically, mentally, and emotionally it will make me such a better person. Seeing everyone on the trip come together with a such a powerful commonality made me want it; it made me want more of it, and it made me want to be a part of it.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

Will you continue to pray for God to touch hearts to serve and share? Will you consider sponsoring a volunteer like Cassidy and giving another young adult a life-changing experience with God?

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