On August 31, about 7 months ago, I became a part of Mission Year which is a yearlong program where Christian young people live in an urban neighborhood volunteering, worshiping, and loving their neighbors. (An urban neighborhood is usually found in the downtown core of a city and will always be found in the heart of a major metro area (or like the public transportation). The area will typically be ethnically diverse and inclusive of all age ranges. Many usually have higher rates of crime.) Mission Year is an opportunity for anyone 18-29, single or married, to spend a year following Jesus’ command to “Love the Lord your God, and love your neighbor as yourself.” By partnering with a local church, volunteering at a service site, and spending time with neighbors, Mission Year Team Members effectively impact their communities while catching a deeper vision for what the Kingdom of God is like.
Mission Year values relationships, community living, community service, discipleship, church partnership, social justice, and simplicity. Our focus each day is: In this moment, how can I best love both God and people. But you may be wondering what that looks like exactly. Team Members engage in their home and in the community through several concrete ways: Intentional community (getting to know the people you live with), professional service (our service sites where we volunteer during the week), discipleship, neighborhood outreach (intentionally building relationships with neighbors), church partnership, and education and training (reading the weekly curriculum).
Also, each Mission Year team member has a goal to raise $12,000 throughout the year. Mission Year team members live as a volunteer, depending on friends and family and those of our teammates to financially and prayerfully help us get through the year.
My service site that I volunteer at Monday through Thursday is Teen Haven. Philadelphia Teen Haven Center offers programs to help teens grow in their walk with Christ and become leaders in their communities. The mission statement is to advance the kingdom of God by reaching urban youth with the gospel, discipling them to maturity, and equipping them to be leaders in their communities.
Teen Haven has two bible studies, Monday and Tuesday nights; which I attend the Tuesday night girls bible study. Teen Haven also has other activities besides bible studies; such as youth rallies, scavenger hunts throughout the city, and they also have camp on weekends (to spend a weekend with others and God).
We have Fridays off for our Sabbath, where we can go pretty much anywhere in the city, taking Septa (public transportation). Saturday’s are spent with our neighbors and just being out in the community. Sunday’s we attend church, do laundry and grocery shopping and end the day with a family night where we play games, watch movies, and just do things to bring us closer together and spend time together
I realize that was a lot of information, but now I’ll go into my personal experience.
I just want to start off by saying that right now, in my life, is the closest I’ve ever been with God and it is awesome just seeing His good works and how He is working in my life and it’s been a constantly growing relationship. So far, I’ve had a great journey being a part of Mission Year. I have experienced many things in Philadelphia, with the neighborhood, my church, and my Mission Year family that I would not have experienced in other situations. I remember the very first day just like it was yesterday. I walked in with my parents and my bags and took everything to the 3rd floor apartment where I would be living for the next 11 months. It was a hot day! Not really knowing anyone around me, I sort of just followed my parents and finished taking everything upstairs. I remember standing outside the door saying goodbye to my parents and my dad saying, “Now, you know you’re going to have to go back in there and actually talk to people right?” I decided right then that I would have to face my fears and go back into the building I dreaded walking into and talk to people I had never met before.
The first couple of weeks, living with 6 other people that you don’t know is quite awkward and uncomfortable. But, as we say in North Philly, “Embrace the awkwardness.” We’ve come a long way since then and I absolutely love my Mission Year team.
I’ve come to realize that since I’ve been in Philadelphia, I’ve learned a lot about myself. A lot of the time, people would ask me “what has God been saying to you lately”, or “what has God been teaching you?” and I never knew how to answer because I wasn’t listening for Him. Now, I feel like all I ever do is sit and listen to what God has to say to me because He has marvelous things to teach me and He has taught me so many things from my just listening to Him in these past 7 months. I’ve learned to face my fears and do things that make me “comfortably uncomfortable”, as one of my friends here says.
I’ve done a lot of things that I wouldn’t normally like to do or want to do, but do anyways because I know it will help me grow. This connects with confidence, which I lack most of the time, but God’s love gives us confidence. To be confident does not mean we never feel fear; it simply means that no matter how we feel, we magnify God above all else and step out in faith to do whatever He asks us to do. The Bible tells us to come “fearlessly and confidently and boldly” to the thrown of grace and make our requests known (Heb. 4:16). We cannot operate in boldness and fear at the same time. We may “feel” fear, but we must not bow down or give in to it; we can approach God with confidence. The world is full of people who lack confidence and our confidence is to be placed in Christ alone and in His love for us.
Another big thing that God has been speaking to me about is Surrender; to give oneself up completely, as into the power of another; or submit. This meaning, letting go of what I want; my worldly desires. Giving up those things to let God handle them takes a lot of trust. I’ve learned that when you fully surrender everything, taking delight in the Lord, He will give you what you what, the desires of your heart. My favorite and most evident verse in my life right now is Psalm 37:4 - “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Sometimes it takes a while to realize what you need to do in order to grow closer to God. I’ve come to realize that letting go of what I want is one of the hardest, but most important priorities to be able to grow. I know it is going to be an everyday struggle, but I also know how strong of a person God has made me to be. “Once we surrender our self to God completely, He will take care of us in every way.” Proverbs 23:26 says - My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways. Do you want everything God has for you? Be willing to do everything He asks of you. And a quote I like to remind myself of is; “We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us”
Seeing how God has been answering my prayers and just really experiencing God moving and working in every aspect of my life these past couple months has been amazing and motivating to get to know Him even more everyday. I’ve had many experiences in Philadelphia that I probably wouldn’t have had other places; experiences that help me grow as a person and in my walk with Christ daily. It’s so awesome to have a lifestyle that completely focuses on God all of the time and seeing how He works. I encourage you to lean on God and ask Him to help you with all kinds of things, little things as well as big things.
Everything is not always perfect; there are bad days, as well as good days. Some days you don’t want to do anything, and some days you feel like you can conquer the world. There are many struggles and pain, as well as successes and happiness, but you learn how to overcome those and trust God. You have to trust that God will be with you everyday and guide you and take control of your life. Trust in the Lord with all your heart - Proverbs 3:5. Philadelphia is a big city filled with a lot of people, and I’m just one trying to make an impact.
