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Talk to a Pirate or a Skater: Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

If you sign up for a trip to Denver with Adventures Youth (youth or school group trips), you will have the opportunity to be stretched in your faith. We challenge our mission trip participants to go outside of their comfort zones. If we stay in the familiar, we limit what God can use us for. If we are willing to follow Him, God is able to open up our world. Our founder Seth Barnes writes about this in his book Kingdom Journeys: Rediscovering the Lost Spiritual Discipline. Seth says:

"If we never get out of our comfort zones, we can't grow into the places God has prepared for us." 

On an Adventures Youth trip, we dare our Youth and their leaders to step out of the normal and try something different. For example, if you are usually quiet, we ask you to speak up for the week.

Last year, one of our AY participants in Chicago, nicknamed DeDe, accepted this challenge. At the start of the week-long trip, she was one of the quietest people in the group. We encouraged the group members to do something different for the week, to push themselves beyond their natural tendencies: for the introverts to speak more and the extroverts to listen more. DeDe was willing to see what God could do if she was willing to submit to His will by doing this. By the end of the week, she was talking to everyone about God–including a pirate, people on the street or at a park, and a lady on the Elevated Train!


DeDe talking to a pirate at the Chicago Navy Pier

DeDe spoke with a lady on the Elevated Train named Veronica Chaide. She was so moved that she e-mailed Pastor Robert Belfort of New Life Pilsen, the church we were partnering with in ministry. Here is her testimonial:

Hello there.
 
I am writing to tell you how amazing I found a particular student who was visiting with a group from Canada last week. I happened to hop on a train when this 8th grade girl spotted me and as friendly and joyful as ever just began talking with me. I was skeptical at first, but she just had this amazing warm presence. After a nice conversation about her visit, she asked if there was a prayer she could say for me. Not wanting to dump on such a bright girl about all the troubles my family and I have been going through these last few weeks (when it rains it pours) I said "sure, things have been tough with my family I just want to pray for them and for our health". 
 
I don't know if I've witnessed many miracles happen in my life – but the next day, my mother called me. I had a doctor appointment and was supposed to visit another day center after. My sister with Down's Syndrome goes to a day program and they were supposed to close at the end of this month.  My doctor ran late and I missed the appointment to visit the other center. My mother says, "That's okay! You don't have to go. Her center is staying open! Some one bought the building and is going to keep programs running!" Miracle. As I was anxiously awaiting results from my doctor – he replied that all was in the clear. And that morning I had been feeling better than ever. To me, this was a Miracle.
 
All in all – that little girl (her name started with a D – Dayamara? something like that) is my little Angel and I thank God and pray for her everyday. She was visiting your church and I think that whatever is going on in that house is certainly something special.
 
Sincerely,
 
Veronica Chaide

In Denver, you have a chance to impact the people in the same way. You will have the chance to work with the overlooked, ignored, and less fortunate. We will go to a skate park to interact with the local skaters. We will also work with low income people.

By signing up for an Adventures Youth mission trip, you give your Youth or School Group the opportunity to get outside their comfort zones and see God in a new, personal way. If you would like to sign up for an Adventures Youth trip to Denver, sign up here.