**This article was originally published in July, 2023.

At the end of June, nine of us from New Haven UMC traveled from New Haven, Indiana to Birmingham, Alabama to work with the organization Next Step STORM. This non-profit group primarily works with local organizations in Birmingham to help repair and rebuild after natural disaster storms pass through the area.

I learned so much on this trip. So much about each person in our group, about mission work, about myself, and especially about God.

And I wanted to share a few of the lessons I learned on this transformative experience. Here’s a taste of what I learned while serving on the NHUMC mission trip team.

Serving Jesus is about serving people…period.

When we were preparing for the trip, we spent time talking about our skills, experience, and desires for the trip. I’m not exactly a handyman, but I’m also not completely useless either (sometimes). My only (literally, my one and only) request was that I not paint. I’m horrible at painting and I hate painting. Actually, “loathe” might be a better word.

We served for five days – Monday through Friday. Well, believe it or not, we painted for four out of those five days. I pouted and even complained (just a little). Literally the ONE thing I can’t stand doing is what we did for more than half of the time we were in Birmingham.

But this served as a reminder for me. Serving isn’t about me. It’s not what I want, that is why it’s called serving. I was reminded that serving Jesus through serving people isn’t about my own expectations and wants and needs. It’s about serving…period.

2. Not everybody is like me

Okay, so I already know that not everyone is just like me. But this can be hard for some people to accept. In the south, life moves at a different pace than what I am used to experiencing. My grandmother is from the south, and she always told me that some people think southerners are lazy. But really, they just know how to pace themselves in the heat. Well, I learned firsthand that she was not kidding.

There were times on the trip when everything moved so slowly. But by mid-afternoon I was so glad we moved slowly. I guess they must know what they’re doing down there! Who knew? (just kidding haha)

3. “Good enough” and “I’m just a volunteer” doesn’t cut it.

It’s so easy to “call it good enough” when it really isn’t. The easy way out is just so much simpler than doing things the “right way” or the “hard way.” Even when I have a great excuse as to why it’s “good enough” or I’m “just a volunteer”, but the fact remains, that’s not what it is all about.

This wasn’t something we talked about as a team, it’s just something I experienced independently throughout our time together. Doing my best, even if my best isn’t that great, is still the point. I’m not just a volunteer who is doing something that will suffice. I’m a follower of Jesus who is serving Jesus through serving people – and I will do my very best!

I experienced a shift in myself and watched our team put forth their best work. It was an incredible thing to witness!

4. God is at work even when I don’t feel it.

During the week, Amy and I learned some difficult news – my step-mom was in her final days and it wouldn’t be very long at all until she passed. Here’s the crazy part: my stepmom lives in Atlanta, Georgia. We were in Birmingham, Alabama. That’s less than a two-hour drive!

Had we received that news while at home, it would have been nearly impossible to get there in time. We live New Haven, so it would have taken us around ten hours to drive to her. But we were so close, which was an unexpected blessing. One of the volunteers at Next Step STORM let us borrow his vehicle and we were able to make the quick trip. We made it to visit my stepmom and she passed less than eight hours later. God was at work and I had no idea.

5. Use the right tools

I already knew that using the right tools was important, but this rang true even more for me throughout the mission trip experience. From painting (the right brush and correct roller) to repairing the deck (the right saw and screw gun), the right tools make all the difference.

The leader of our mission team from Next Step STORM spent his life as a carpenter. And he definitely knows his stuff! We started chatting about screw guns and I shared with him about the one I have at home. He very kindly let me know that the one in my garage was not of the greatest quality. He showed me the tools that we would be using that day to rebuild a deck and demonstrated why it was the best tool.

The bottom line is that both of the screw guns do their job – they are getting the screws where they need to be. However, one tool was going to do the job better, faster, and last much longer.

Using the right tools is important to do the job correctly – and I think this is important to carry on into our “real life.”

6. Always have fun

Life is not about being miserable. Jesus wants us to enjoy our life and enjoy what we are doing. Maybe not always, and everything won’t be easy, but we are meant to love our life.

Even when the work is hard, when the days are long, and when the heat is overwhelming, you can still find the fun. This is usually my motto in life anyway! But this became evidently clear to me throughout the mission trip. We put in a lot of tough manual labor, but we almost always had smiles on our faces.

Remember to try and find the fun throughout your day – especially when you are serving Jesus.

Questions About the Trip?

Our trip to Birmingham was incredible! I had a great time with our NHUMC team and we all learned so much about each other while serving Jesus in a new place. If you have any questions about the trip, feel free to send me a text!

6 Things I Learned on Our Church Mission Trip