Thursday - 6/17/10 - by Phillip

WHY DO WE SERVE? WHY DO WE GO ON MISSION TRIPS? I found myself asking myself these questions throughout the week. This week, this place, and these people have finally answered these questions for me.

I have become very close to this one family in particular here at Wherry Housing. The children's names are Hser Nay, Hser Mu, Paw, and Hser Reya. I had no clude that I would get this close to anybody that I would mission to this week, but I have gotten this close to an entire family. While the other guys are taking naps before our sports camp, I am at this family's house with them playing for hours. Also, when I come back to our living quarters after working on houses all morning, Hser Mu (a nine-year-old soccer phenom) is waiting for me and we hang out all day, playing soccer and ninja (one of the best games EVER). Hser Mu has become one of my closest friends on this trip and he is an incredible kid. It will be SO hard to leave Smyrna, Tennessee after building such strong relationships with this family and especially Hser Mu.

I do not want anybody to take this the wrong way, but I think that I have a special bond with the people at Wherry that no one else in our group has. The residents and I all LOVE soccer and we have been playing it 24/7. Each day they allow me to become a bigger part of their groups after I prove my worth on a soccer pitch. I love that it does not matter what your age or race is, soccer brings all the residents at Wherry together. This is true in places all over the world. And for this, I am truly grateful. I truly believe that the simple game called soccer has given me the greatest opportunity to shine the light of Christ to the people of Wherry, and also to everyone back home.

I know that it might be hard to believe after reading this, but to be honest, I was not looking forward to this mission trip at all. I really don't know why I wasn't, but I just didn't have the same excitement and anticipation for this trip as I have for all of our other mission trips. But I am SO glad that I came. This trip has been absolutely amazing for me. It has moved me so much that I don't want to leave and I am actually contemplating trying to become an intern here. I will always remember all of the people, the work, and the things that God has shown me through out this week. And I will ALWAYS remember Hser Mu and his family.

Phillip Rawson