Heather Erdmann - Serving Others

New Orleans. One week in the middle of summer. House-gutting in extremely hot weather, with more than a small taste of southern humidity. When I told people I was interested in going on the missions trip, they looked at me like I was insane. "Why would you want to do that?!" I'd shrug. I wasn't sure then, and I'm still not quite sure exactly what to expect during that approaching week in July-- other than some pretty high temperatures and hopefully growing closer to God and everyone else on the team. I've gotten a better idea of the trip through the few meetings we've had, and all of them have been a little nerve-wracking. I'm psyched to find out what God's going to teach us this summer, but also pretty scared about the actual process. I've grown up watching people close to me go on missions trips-- my dad spent 2 1/2 years as a missionary in South Korea, and each of my sisters spent a week in Guatemala. Something's always interested me in the decision to give up a week, month, or even a year of your time and spend it selflessly, serving others. That's something I'm excited to be able to participate in-- even though I'm pretty nervous. I'm pumped for this trip to impact my future, too. I have no idea what God's going to show me through it, but I'm so excited to find out. God's been working in me already, too; teaching me to give all my nerves and fears to Him, and doing that has already made me more excited for the trip. I'm hoping that through the physical and emotional strain we'll all come away closer to God and our teammates, and that we'll have some amazing memories to show for it.

- Heather Erdmann, Grade 9