All day I've had a flurry of emails talking about this summer's RP Mission team coming to Karamoja. I'm really looking forward to being the team leader and showing some new friends around this place I call home. We're still working out the details: the official dates the team will be here (we're aiming for a 6-week trip) and how many will be on the team. Sounds like we're pretty sure we have four already, possibly seven or eight.
I really enjoy leading mission teams. I've only done it twice (White Lake 2006 and 2012) -- both times were really challenging but rewarding experiences. I'd say this past summer I worked with the best mission team I've ever been on, and would rate it the best mission trip experience I've ever had. Our team really clicked, we had so much fun together, we encouraged each other, genuinely enjoyed each other's company, and were constantly pointing each other back to Christ. I was a few years older than most of my teammates -- I was 24, most of them were around 19 -- and many of my teammates had just made the switch from camper to counselor. It was so encouraging to see a new generation rising up to serve the church.
I like the "mother hen" aspect of being a team leader. I love showing people around, encouraging them, trying to keep spirits up, helping such an eclectic group of people not just get along for six weeks, but become friends and truly approach things as a team. I've still got a lot to learn; I made plenty of mistakes at White Lake. I decided from the start that I wanted to lead by example, so I worked hard, whether that meant gathering firewood, cooking, cleaning, planning lessons, or taking over cabins and activities. My teammates were wonderful and they jumped right in alongside me. But I got so exhausted, and then got the sickness that was going around camp; finally I had to go home a week early, which was devastating. But I learned a lot about myself through that experience, and I was so blessed to see my wonderful teammates stepping up to make sure things would keep running smoothly even without a team leader. I'm sad I missed that last week of camp, but I'm so thankful for the encouragement the Lord gave me as I watched my friends so willingly carry my load. And I learned that I can't do everything myself!
Leading a team in Karamoja will be quite different, but I'm excited for the challenge. It will be strange to have this place, which is normally so quiet, buzzing with visitors, but the enthusiasm, probing questions, and boundless energy that short-termers bring will be refreshing.
We're still looking for guys for the team to Karamoja this summer! The girls slots are already full, but we have room for 2-3 more guys.
And there's ALWAYS a need for counselors at White Lake Covenanter Camp in the Catskill Mountains of New York. I won't be working at White Lake this year (for the first time in 7 years!) but I'll be at Family Camp, fresh off the plane from Uganda. I couldn't recommend that team highly enough if you enjoy working with kids and teens.
Go to the RP Missions website to learn more about either of these trips (and lots of other trips across the US and around the world!).
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