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Monday, September 23, 2013

"A Heart Like His" By Christina T.


This past summer, I was blessed with the opportunity to go on a two-week mission’s trip to the nation of Latvia. Bordering the western edge of Russia, Latvia is a small country with a large percentage of unreached population. So, on July 11th, I, along with a group of five other people, prepared to travel half-way across the globe in hopes of sharing the hope of Jesus Christ with these people.
            Arriving in the small, rural town of Ropazi on a Saturday afternoon, our team was introduced to the members of the town’s church and instantly began assisting with preparations for the Vacation Bible School which would begin the next day. As we worked to transform the local cultural center into a vibrant VBS, we fell in love with the Latvian people. Falling asleep that night, I still remember my sensation of giddy anticipation as I thought of all the precious children I would get to meet the following day.
            Less than twelve hours later, I stood on a wide grassy field watching the first group of children making their way to the game station. Welcoming them with waves and smiles, my partner and I began to explain the rules of kickball to them. But, due to the language barrier, the children had no idea what we were saying and were thus utterly confused. Improvising, we attempted to demonstrate the game, but this also proved to be a complete failure. Recognizing that the kids were still not grasping the concept, I decided to simply interact with them. Walking up to one of the little girls, I began to tickle her and as her soft peals of laughter filled the morning air, the other children joined in. Within minutes, their expressions of bored confusion had changed to beaming smiles as we all proceeded to dance, make funny faces, and tickle one another. From that moment on, every minute I spent with the kids was filled with hugs, piggy-back rides, tickle-fights, and endless laughter. As the days passed, I was continually shocked as my love for the children continued to grow and grow. It didn’t matter whether we were playing football (soccer), eating lunch together in the town’s only cafĂ©, playing catch (tag), or simply walking hand in hand, our hearts were being knit together.
            One of my fondest memories of the entire trip took place on the last day of VBS. There was a small river which ran alongside the cultural center, and having access to several boats, we decided to take the kids canoeing. Rowing through the dark blue water, four little Latvian girls sat in the boat with me: Paula, Anniea, Anna, and Kitiea. Throughout the week, they had become like younger sisters to me, never straying far from side. As I had done before, I asked them to sing one of the worship songs which they had learned during the VBS. Without hesitation, Paula began to sing the chorus “stipri mes” (which translates to “stand strong”). The other girls eagerly chimed in and for the next few minutes, proceeded to sing loudly and uninhibitedly. Since the lyrics were in Latvian, I knew only portions of the song and sang along whenever I could. But, regardless of whether I was able to sing along with them or not, I was content to merely sit and listen to their beautiful little voices being raised in praise to Jesus. It was through humbling moments like this, and many others like it, that Jesus did a huge work in my heart over the course of the trip.
            Through my relationships with the children, He reminded me of how we are all children in His eyes. Through the heartache I felt in having to say good-bye, he showed me how immeasurably greater His love for us is. Though the lasting friendships I made with the Latvian people, He reminded me of the unity which exists within the family of believers. But most importantly, He reminded me of His own majesty, His own beauty, His own love, and His sacrifice. He showed me the areas in which I had drifted away from Him and provided me with a renewed passion for His name by drawing me to Himself. He picked me up, brushed me off, and whispered in my ear, “Look to me child, because I alone am your satisfaction, your joy, your love, your hope, your peace, your contentment, your salvation, your life.”





40 comments:

  1. Wow Christina, this is great. I'm glad you decided to share this experience with us. Your connection with the children clearly allowed you to be drawn closer to God. Much like you, I helped with VBS, and when you mentioned the theme song, I couldn't help but reflect.

    -Lauren

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  2. Wow great job on your writing and sharing your experience with us, i like how you used imagery in your writing because i can get a very good understanding of what everything looks like. Great job keep up the great work

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  3. Cristina, you have such beautiful heart! This is an amazing experience and am truly grateful that you decided to share it with us.
    Thank you really! Not to mention, I know a significant number of us who can relate as to how He works in us even just through singing with little kids. Oh my goodness..this is just great! Excellent job!

    -Michelle Millan

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  4. This must have been an amzing experience for you! having an amazing time with kids can really have an emotional effect on us if we really are into it. I am glad that you shared this with us and that you had an amazing time. I loved how your connection with God got better through singing and having an amazing time with kids. It makes me want to reflect on my relationship with God and with kids. This was simply amazing. Great job Christina!

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  5. This put a huge smile on my face all the way through. :) It was very pleasant to read because you convey your ideas cohesively and you have excellent vocabulary. I loved it because I also went on a mission trip over the summer but I can never find the words to describe the emotions I felt - but you did it so perfectly and eloquently! Good job!

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  6. What a great experience! Definitely a once in a lifetime kind of thing. It's great you were able to go. I can't imagine how happy you and your team made those kids and what kind of impact you made in their life. I hope one day to do something like that and change the lives of people. Very inspiring writing!

    - Hannah Mueller (12) per.5

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  7. You really did a wonderful job of relaying an inspirational message through this personal story. Regardless of the story's topic, you were able to evoke a depth of feeling from your audience. It is wonderful that you were able to experience this, but equally as fantastic is it that you found the ability to communicate these events in a manner of familiarity and eloquence. Thank you for sharing this with us!

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  8. I believe it is so beautiful that you believe so strongly in a cause and that you have a passion for spreading the gospel to people around the worls. The love you felt for the Latvian people, particularly the children, was strongly conveyed throughout your piece. I could feel the emotion and passion through your words and i liked how you used stroong vocabulary as well. Overall, your piece was very well-written and i enjoyed it.

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  9. This was so heartwarming. I love the strong detail as I could clearly visualize your experiences and gain an emotional attachment to your story. This is one of those stories that can easily make people want to volunteer and help out communities outside of their own to gain the experience you were so lucky to get. Good Job Christina!

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  10. Christina, this was absolutely beautiful. The way you depicted the beauty, loving hearts, and innocence of these children brought out the beauty of your own character and personality. Your perception and admiration of God's beauty through his creation honestly had me choked up about to shed a tear. Despite any religious differences, the concept of belief in a higher being is for the most part universal, I am certain this piece would touch the heart of anyone who were to read it. I admire your loving spirit and humble heart, which are clearly exhibited through your writing (even in person too). Wonderful job love :)

    Danieh Abu Alrub

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  11. Christina, this was absolutely beautiful. The way you depicted the beauty, loving hearts, and innocence of these children brought out the beauty of your own character and personality. Your perception and admiration of God's beauty through his creation honestly had me choked up about to shed a tear. Despite any religious differences, the concept of belief in a higher being is for the most part universal, I am certain this piece would touch the heart of anyone who was to read it. I admire your loving spirit and humble heart, which are clearly exhibited through your writing (even in person too). Wonderful job love :)

    Danieh Abu Alrub

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  12. You did a great job of writing about your experience. The way which you wrote was very organized and the end of your story was greatly worded to portray your honest thoughts and feelings. It was interesting reading about such an awesome opportunity to go across the world and positively influence others.

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  13. This is amazing. I love how your details helped me imagine what it was like on the canoe. This story is truly inspirational because you are not only sharing your experience with God, but you are also sharing it in a way that any person can understand and appreciate (which is really hard to pull off).

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  14. You don't even know the extent to which this piece put the biggest smile on my face! For some reason, I had the biggest feeling that you would be the one to write about God. I'm rather jealous that you got to go on a mission's trip, only because I've wanted to go on one for so long! BUT, I am very pleased that you allowed God to enter your heart and allowed Him to use YOU in obedience. The way in which you wrote this piece, was very very heartwarming and personal; it felt as if you were talking to me one-on-one, which allowed me to get a sense of what you went through (though I'll never really know the full extent to the trip you were blessed with!). I also was able to get a sense of what you went through with your use of imagery. I am absolutely in love with the way you incorporated repetition in the very last sentence, to emphasis God's unending love for us.

    I'm glad to see God working so beautifully in such a beautiful girl; keep up the great work! ☺

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  15. Christina, I almost cried when I finished reading this. It was so touching to read about your experience over the summer and how you were able to spread His word through actions, not just words. Your story had a nice flow to it and was also very pleasing to read along with the other stories I have read today. I really like the significance of the title and how you felt the same love for the Latvian children as He loves us. I feel blessed just getting to read this! You did an amazing job :)
    -Alexandra Aguilar

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  16. Wow! This was amazingly constructed Christina! The way you wrote this gave me a chance to see visually what you experienced, and i only wish i could experience it for myself because it sounded beautiful.

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  17. Just a superb job! You write not only well, but also in a very clear manner. The description of your experience is palpable. I could see the children playing, hear the little girl's laughter, and empathize with your emotions. I also really enjoyed your concluding thoughts and realization and its effectiveness lies in the use of parallelism and repetition. Thank you for sharing this inspiration story; it truly warmed my heart. :)

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  18. Your use of description in order to appeal not only to the reader's sense of sight, but also to the sense of hearing made this such a touching and uplifting story. You described the children in such a way that I wished I was there with you and enjoying their company as well. The structure you kept to throughout your story and the fact that you made sure to give details about when things were happening throughout your trip made your story easy to follow and even easier to visualize. Great Job!

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  19. The way you wrote this let me picture the experience you had with the laughing kids, the canoeing, and the singing. The vocabulary you used and the imagery made the story sound and feel great. Great Job.

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  20. This is absolutely amazing and touching! In such a small amount of writing you were able to share your beautiful experience with the Lativan people, the path in which you were able to strongly reconnect with Jesus Christ, and inspire others to go out and do good, kind acts. You were able to create an imagine of your trip, successfully painting a picutre for me of your experience. It was also clearly written and organized in a chronological order which allowed for an easier flow through the story. I also like the final paragraph, not only in the message you left for us about Jesus Christ, but how it was clearly seen that your trip truly positively affected you in how you were able to refer to Jesus Christ simply by capitalizing He of His. I loved your story, you did an amazing job !

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  21. Christina, this piece made me so happy! I love how you detailed your trip and emphasized the happiness and smiles of you and the children. I also liked how even though you didnt speak the same language, you still found a way to interact with them and make them happy. Really great job!

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  22. Your stay in Latvia sounds like it was very enjoyable. That is really cool that you got to go there for a mission. By reading your experiences, I can sense the enjoyment that you shared with the girls. Your descriptions of playing with the girls reminded me of when I used to baby sit. When I read about Jesus working in your heart, I found myself smiling. I’m glad that you were able to not only strengthen the faith of the people from Latvia, but also yours.

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  23. Your piece is so inspiring!! I am so glad that you shared this because its something that I wish to experience one day and by reading how fulfilling it was for you and your relationship with God this just reassured me how much I want to do the same. I liked that you used so much imagery to describe your trip because as a reader I was fully able to grasp what you witnessed thus get insight on how it positively changed you. I loved the fact that you presented the idea that language is not a barrier in sharing God's love because I found it to be very motivating. I loved your piece, great job! :)

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  24. Wow Christina, this is simply amazing! First off, I would like to congratulate you on taking the time to make a difference in the lives of these children, because in all honesty, that is what you did. Years from now, I bet many of the kids will remember you fondly, and reminisce about the fun that you had together and the love that you shared. I'd also like to acknowledge your courage in writing about something as controversial as religion. With people having all sorts of beliefs and ideals, writing about religion can often be a very delicate process. But the eloquent matter in which you expressed the growing strength of your bond with God was written beautifully and in a way that couldn't possibly offend anyone.Only you and your loving spirit could pull this off in such a touching and personal way. Thank you for sharing this with us all. :)

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  25. I cried. Good going Christina! Just kidding (: I remember you telling your time in Latvia and your smile was so big and you were so happy! I am so glad you shared this story to the rest of the class! It was so detailed and gave me goose bumps and telling us how devastated you were to leave the kids, just shows how amazing you are girl!

    -Taylor Robles

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  26. Christina Tapia! This is so precious! I didn't even realize that I was smiling throughout the whole time until my friend asked me why I was smiling. Your vivid description of your experience and your usage of organizing the piece chronologically allowed me to feel as if I was there with you the whole time. I'm so glad that you were given the opportunity to go through a once in a lifetime experience; it sounds like you had the time of your life helping these children. Thank you so much for sharing. It was a WONDERFUL piece to read!

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  27. Sorry Mrs Cogswell! I didn't realize using my Google account will make my name show as "grawrjenny"...
    -Ji Eun Shin

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  28. Christina, this was a beautiful piece that really demonstrated who you are as a person. As I was reading it, I felt like you were talking to me. Your voice was portrayed very well. Also, I loved your use of imagery as well as the story you told. Good job!

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  29. Christina you are such an amazing girl! This story truely shows how sweet and kind you are. Your story drew me in and made me want to help others in any way possible! I loved how you were able to explain every part of your trip and include the little events that truely meant the most to you. I can feel how much you loved these kids and how much emotion you put into this piece of writing! Grat job!!!

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  30. Christina, this was so amazing and touching! I can totally just imagine you in the canoe with the cute little children, with your beautiful smile as you look to them in endearment... Your piece was so vivid and I would like to thank you for allowing us to have even just a little piece of happiness gained from your experience. We are usually instructed to not write about religion because it is so "controversial", but I feel like anybody, from any religion, can relate to this piece in their relationship with their own God, and feel the emotions of sheer joy and contentment found from the children!

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  31. Christina, your piece truely touched me. Your usage of imagery with you and the children made me feel as if i was right along there with you guys. I felt like a weight load was lifted off of me, while reading. I loved how you incooporated spirtual aspects towards the end. I think everyone needs to be reminded how much God loves each and every one of us. You also demonstrated the unity that we all have amongst eachother which made it heart warming. Im glad you shared your experience with us, and I hope you continue to share it with the rest of the world. Great job.

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  32. Christina, your story brought so much joy to my heart. Knowing what you accomplished and learned on your mission about spreading the word of Jesus is something that I admire very much. Your portrayed through your writing, such a beautiful experience. I seemed like something straight out of a movie it was so interesting! Great job

    -Alexis Santiago

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  33. This is so amazing Christina! This piece really shows what kind of person you are, which is kind and sweet. Your use of imagery gave me the ability to see you and these children as you laughed and played. I wish I can have the opportunity to do something as amazing as what you did one day. I could tell how much you loved your trip and how you were able strengthen your relationship with God even further. Good job :)

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  34. THIS WAS AMAZING ! I'm literally speechles. I love how close you are with God and how you openly exexpress your love for Him. That must have been an experience of a lifetime.

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  35. Your piece was absolutely beautiful in so many ways! Your use of imagery and ethos when describing the children and your interactions with them really made me experience the joy and happiness this experience had on you. I loved how you described the meaning of the “stipri mes” song and how it impacted you. Also I loved the risk you took when sharing your testimony about God and how this trip was more than the opportunity to share his love, but to also learn more about him.

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  36. Its really good to help people and the best way is to help others is to tell them about Jesus Christ

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  37. that was pretty cool how you just put in a relation towards god /jakob cadena

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  38. This was very nicely done. Your writing was really great. Your concluding sentence was the best, with the repitition emphasizing the overarching idea of the story. I'm really glad that you were able to have such an experience, and that you were able to gain something so valuable from it. I was also able to better see and understand how great of a person you are.

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  39. Christina, after reading your personal story I have to give you an AMEN, sister!!! :) Your missions trip to Latvia sounds like a total blessing; not just for the children, but for you and your team as well. What an awesome experience. Your interactions with the Latvian children melted my heart, because I have a passion for serving children as well. I can't wait to go on my first mission trip now, girl! Wonderful testimony.

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  40. This is such a lovely story and I'm glad you shared it with us! I really loved the descriptive way you described your interactions with the children; I felt like I was really there! The imagery was fantastic as well!

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