By Doug Eichhorn, 2016 Trip Member

Getting ready to go to Nigeria has been an interesting adventure. After having many “virtual” meetings getting together with the rest of the team, I am looking forward to traveling half way around the world to actually put a body with the face! What started off as being supportive to Anna (my wife is on staff with A2S) has turned into a deep desire to see God at work in these young people. As the trip begins to take final shape and agenda’s jell together, the opportunities to see impact of our ministry is truly exciting.

So many questions… what is the best way to impact these young people to empower them to change their culture, nation and most importantly themselves to impact their lives? Education, physical needs of food and clothing, bible school or just modeling Christ as a helper at basketball camp, or something totally different and yet undiscovered? What would opportunity look like from their perspective, not my preconceptions?

The trips to the orphanage and internally displaced people camp will prove to be the most impactful, I am sure. Seeing the impact of other’s decisions on the children and families at the camp, knowing that they did not seek or ask for their situation, will be challenging. Meeting the needs of the immediate food, new beds and shoes will be wonderful, but the opportunity to show them the eternal blessings of Jesus will be the most rewarding aspect. I will be despondent at their conditions wanting to meet every physical need to provide improvement, but I am praying that the Lord uses those situations to show me how to minister for the eternal, how I can be used to give them a hand up, not a hand out to better their station.

Some aspects of the trip will be trying no doubt: long flights, heat and humidity, food that I am not use to, no internet (actually might be a blessing!), group travel. With a little help from the Holy Spirit giving me increasing amounts of love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control, all should be fine. I hope to be a great traveling companion to my teammates, serving them so that they can better enjoy the experiences of Nigeria. Looking forward to new friends, activities and adventures in the Lord!