Reflections on Latvia

Porfirio with his drum students

Here is a guest post from Porfirio Caldera who was a part of the Latvia Mission Team:

I received an email about the Latvia Mission trip a few months before my summer began. At first I disregarded it thinking “ I can not afford this” and quickly decided I was not going to go. I found out God had a different plan for me. Before I knew it, everything had come together in a matter weeks and I was part of the Latvia team. I did not know what to expect, I have been a youth leader for multiple junior high summer camps before, 

but this was going to be something completely new. 

The camp experience was one I had never experienced before. Using music as a tool we were all building relationships with the Latvian youth and connecting in ways I had never imagined. I saw one of the campers was so touched by us that everyday he would make sure to tell us that he was our best friend. He felt especially close to one of the MVFC team leaders that even during the most unexpected times he would make sure to tell him in his broken english “Hey man, you my best friend.” 

One thing that really amazed me was the hunger the campers had for Christ. They were like sponges, soaking up every message, always wanting to know more. It was amazing to know that us as a team were all making a difference in the daily lives of these kids. It was a feeling that only through God’s work could be felt and nothing else in the world could compare. Through this trip I felt myself grow in areas that needed work. For example I found myself trusting in god with things I had trouble letting go of before. I realized that if I put not 75% in him but 100% of my trust in him, even in the smallest of things, I was well taken care of and everything would turn out for the best. 

There is something different we each took from the mission trip but I think that as a whole team we learned how much of an impact we could all really make. We all realized how important it is to do mission trips. The Latvia Mission Trip 2011 wasn’t just about helping out at youth camp. It was about changing lives, future generations and a whole nation, one youth at a time.