OMP Observations 2012

The Ozark Mission Project is a unique Summer Camp experience with a huge missions component and impact for those in need all over Arkansas. The impact in the lives of the campers, both youth and adults, who serve and do the work is equally powerful. My first OMP, and now second mission trip, was God wrecking my life all over again.

It's interesting how many get into youth ministry for selfish reasons. It's even more surprising to note that this is actually justified and quite acceptable. Do youth ministry to see young lives changed, and God will change your life about 110% of the time.

My Family Group was amazing. My co-driver and I had our fair share of complaints, but I cannot recall one complaint from Mackenzie, Thomas, or Anna, even after we learned that our house painting project was the hardest and most tedious project of the week. With the help of another Family Group, we just barely completed the project in four (out of five work) days.

Too be honest, I approached the week thinking I would need to set the pace. Drink plenty of water and take breaks, yes, but help our young people to see how to work hard through my example. I'll be darned if the complete opposite was true! Getting older and heavier and forgetting about all the hard work I was raised doing meant I needed frequent breaks and found myself trying to follow their pace!

We were touched and humbled by the response of the entire camp and our neighbor Mr. White himself who had called our Major Groups Leader to thank us. Honestly, his house needed a complete face lift but we were able to at least give it a cosmetic touch. He was blown away that we were able to accomplish what we did in such a short amount of time including one mostly rainy day. He wanted to know what our group was doing on Friday to accomplish miracles for someone else.

As I put my hands on the doorpost of his home and wept and prayed before we left for the last time, God addressed me very clearly and met me even within my own self-centered nature and insecurities. I identify with youth so much because I am still a big kid at heart and struggle with the same issues they do and I did as a teenager. I want to be loved, to be accepted, to know I am significant and have purpose, to know I matter to someone.

I want so desperately to be loved, admired, and respected by my youth and my new church. I want them to come to me with their hurts, habits, and hang-ups. I want to be their hero (when so often they turn out to be my hero). It was as if God told me, "Look at your hands." And it hit me. God is my hero. God is their hero. Not much else matters than this... God said to me, "Look at your hands. Have them look at their hands. Look at what you have done for the least of these. Andrew, you are My hero. Tell them they are my heroes, too."