Signing up for and going on a Royal Servants missions trip is an exciting opportunity. It is a great chance for you to grow in your faith and be a light for the Gospel. Currently, you are in the midst of gathering supplies and raising support. Before you know it, you'll be packing up and heading off to Training Camp in June. While this can be an exciting time, it can also be a time when Satan will try to discourage you. He may whisper lies about the impossibility of raising support or that you are not qualified. He may even try to discourage you about things you may miss out on back home. You have a great opportunity to shout back at the evil one and declare how big our God is. God can easily provide the funds you need this summer, He can easily shine through your weakness, and He will most certainly replace those things you may miss out on with awesome experiences as you step out in faith.
My encouragement would be that you not focus on the things that you might miss out on, but rather focus on the awesome new opportunity God has planned. I personally can look back on my years of going on Royal Servants mission trips when I was in high school, and even college, and list so many experiences and opportunities that changed my life. There are things that I got to experience, places I was able to go, ministry I was blessed to be a part of, and cultures I interacted with and learned about that never would have happened had I not gone on a Royal Servants mission trip. God used those summers in my life to grow me in ways that I can honestly say would never have happened if I had stayed home.
As you head out this summer, I challenge you to approach it with your eyes wide open to the things God wants to teach you. Allow yourself to fully experience the summer and ministry you will get to be part of without focusing on what might be going on back home. God has you going this summer for a specific reason. Maybe there is a divine appointment that He has planned just for you. There could be a specific person you are there to encourage and pray for. God's design for you is perfect. Honestly, yes, there may be some things you miss out on back home, but I am sure you will be able to look back on your summer mission trip and say, "It was well worth it."
I want to end with a passage from Ephesians 3:20-21. It says, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
May God work in ways and give you experiences far beyond what you could ever ask or imagine this summer, so much so that you will look back and praise Him for who He is and know it was well worth it.
Important Information
FORMS PAST DUE
The forms that we sent you in your Prep Packet were due May 15th. Make sure to look through the material you were sent to be sure you don’t miss a thing, especially the Reference Sheet. Be sure to read through the forms and instructions carefully, and pay special attention to what forms we can take copies of and which we HAVE to have the original document. If documents are filled out incorrectly, we may need to send them back to you to be redone. If you have any questions about any of the forms, please contact us and we will be happy to help!
Final Payment
The final payment for your trip is due on June 26th. For all the details about how final payment works, see page 10 of the Prep Packet.
Managed Missions: Checking Your Forms & Support
By now you have been sent an invitation email to ManagedMissions.com (it was sent to the main email address you gave on your registration. Check your spam folder if you haven't seen it). ManagedMissions.com is the online financial reporting site that we use to let you know who has donated to you. The Finance Department will upload your support donations 2-3 times each week. This is not an automatic process. If you donate online today, you may not see it in your account for 2-3 business days. Once you log into your account you will be able to see the complete cost of the mission trip, who has sent a gift, and calculate how much is still needed to be raised. You will also be able to download donor information so thank you notes can be sent. If you need the invite email resent to access your ManagedMissions.com account, just let me know!
In the "Tasks" tab, you will see a list of forms that we need. Please note, at this time of year we are getting a TON of forms in all at once. It takes us a few days to get the task marked complete once we receive the form. So please, once you put your forms in the mail, wait at least 10 days before calling to see if we received your forms. If you are missing any of the forms we are requesting, you can download them from the MyMissionTrip page of the website, or email me and I'll send it to you again.
Email Note
Email will be a main source of communication for you this summer. To avoid any frustration in accessing it overseas, make sure your personal email is set up and you know your sign in and password. Make sure your parents have your email info and be sure to remove the two-step authentication requirement since you won’t have your cell phone to receive codes.
Packing Tips
Ziploc brand freezer bags (NOT the slider): Yes, you'll pay a little bit more over store brands, but they hold up much better, so it's worth it. We call these "zippies."
Zippy Surprise: Put 1 outfit (shorts, shirt, underwear) into a gallon size zippy, put it at the bottom of your blue pack and take it out during the summer when you really need a "fresh" day.
Dryer Sheets: Put part of a nice smelling dryer sheet into every zippy with your clothes. Keeps those clothes smelling fresh all summer. I recommend only using about ¼ sheet per bag, otherwise it can be overpowering.