Written by Marissa Pfingsten,17 – Alaska Mission Trip Participant
When I stepped out of the van into downtown Anchorage, I was more than a little nervous. I knew that the plan was to hand out blessing bags to people who are homeless due to various struggles, but I didn’t know what to expect.
We split into groups of three, and I was with two fellow mission trip participants: Alan and Jason. Each of us carried bags with supplies that had been prayed over. Just a day before, we had been at Walmart buying everything we needed for these blessing bags. As we assembled the bags, I didn’t fully realize how meaningful and moving this ministry would become.
Alan, Jason, and I started walking the streets of Anchorage. Approaching people I didn’t know and offering them a blessing bag was totally outside my comfort zone. As we started talking to people and hearing their stories, however, my nerves went away. I had the opportunity to pray over multiple homeless people, which was such a cool experience! I felt like God gave me the right words to say when I was praying.
What started as something I was scared to do ended up being one of my favorite experiences from the entire trip.
This experience taught me that sometimes God can put you through uncomfortable situations because He wants something inside you to grow. If I had let fear take over me, I would have missed one of the most meaningful parts of the trip.
I learned that I don’t have to know exactly what’s happening or feel 100% comfortable to be used by God. I just have to be willing to trust Him with all of my heart and mind.
This experience also taught me that everyone goes through their own struggles in life. I think it’s very easy to get caught up in what you are going through and focus only on yourself. But when you go on a mission trip, you see people’s struggles, which is very eye opening.
I learned that I love hearing people’s stories through having a genuine conversation with someone. Without this Alaska Mission Trip, I don’t think I would have realized that.
Marissa is a High School Senior, and the daughter of Thirst Missions Founder and President, Jason and Addie Pfingsten. The Pfingsten Family lives in Forest Lake, MN.
