Let Go & Let God..

For those of you who don't know, I am leaving in less than 5 days for a mission trip called the Ultimate Workout run by Maranatha Volunteers International. Although I joined in on the trip last year, this year will be, and already has been so different for me in more ways than one.

Unlike last year, this year I will return as a staff member playing the roles of a Pastor, Music Leader, as well as a Photo Journalist for Insight Magazine. The preparation for this trip so far has been far greater than anything I have ever prepared for in so many areas of my life. At least, that is what I would like to think right now. ;)

Physically, I have been training and exercising every day to build strength to be ready for whatever terrain I am to face in Mexico. The first week, I will be working hard physical labor in building a church where both strength and stamina is needed.

Mental preparation for this trip has been the hardest part so far. I will be living a very primitive life for the latter two of three weeks there and the thoughts of simplistic things I have in my daily life in the United States will turn into items of luxury. The weather will be tough to coupe with. Eating, showering, and the overall living conditions I will go through will be totally different than what I am used to at home. There is the fear of missing my friends and family back home while I am in Mexico. The biggest challenging thought however, is whether or not I will be ready. It has been haunting me this whole week. Being a pastor and a leader to a site of about 26 or so teenagers is a bit intimidating. Although I am a youth leader at my church, this group I will be pastoring is a group of total teenaged strangers. I don't have any hesitations, fears, or doubts about the youth I lead and interact with at my home church because I know them. I grew up with them, know what to expect and how to approach them with certain matters. But this group I will help lead, is different. It's hard to prepare to teach a group you don't know how to teach. It's hard to prepare answers for questions you don't know will be asked. How will they react to how I act and teach? Will I be ready?

There's a thought inside of me that says I won't be ready.
A thought that screams out

"How can you prepare for this? You don't even know what you are preparing for!"

Spiritually, I can feel God's transformation in me more and more every morning when I wake up. I feel THIS is what He has called me to do. THIS is what He has been preparing me for. THIS is the will of the Lord. How do I know? When you are reading The Word more and fully understanding it, when your prayer life is growing, and when you are witnessing to others, YOU KNOW you are growing in the Lord.

But the doubt still lingers...

I have been preparing my bible lesson studies day after day and to be honest, I haven't studied my bible this much ever! Being the Pastor of a group means I am the spiritual leader of the group. And aside from teaching & leading out in the evening worships as well as leading morning worships. I am in charge of the relationships of the participants with each other as well as with God. I have been training and studying to be at the highest point in my spiritual life I can possibly prepare for and although Satan continues to fight to place that big doubt in my mind about being ready for my mission trip and my responsibilities, I remember of a bible passage I received when I woke up one morning via a text message from one of my friends named Lauren. It referred to the "Do Not Worry" passage found in Matthew 6:25-34.

The passage encourages me whenever that hint of a doubt starts to sneak into my thoughts as my last minutes of preparations are upon me now. It tells me not to worry about my life or even about tomorrow. God will take care of it.

In 1 Corinthians 10:13, God tells us He will not give us more than what we can bear and He will always show us a way out of our troubles. So why worry? There is no need to. Think of these verses when you are in times of worry.

There is only so much we can do to prepare for in life and for me, there is only so much that I can prepare for my mission trip. But it takes Faith in Jesus Christ to lift us up from our trials and worries for He knows what our limits are. We just have to understand that His love is never ending, His strength unmeasurable and that He is a God with no limits. There are some things you just have to let go of and let God take the lead.

Until Next time, May God continue to shower you with blessings.

-AaronNak

Honored & Humbled

It is not just over 7 days until I leave for my mission trip to Mexico and it is now starting to hit me!

I am excited to do God's work through spreading the gospel to others yet I am also a tad nervous for there is still much to do before I leave! I've been preparing my lessons and still have many that I need to prepare for. Each and every day I feel that God has been blessing me more and more with the elements that I will need to be ready for this trip. I am thankful and humble that God has called me to be a Pastor and Music Leader to a group of about 27 teenagers in which I was once a part of just last year. Not only that, but God has given me the awesome opportunity to play another big role. I will also be a reporting photo journalist for Insight Magazine doing another thing I have as a great passion for, writing & photography.

Music, writing, and photography. These are items I love doing and being a part of in life yet being a student, having many other activities and responsibilities, I often times do not have the time to focus and enjoy these passions. This is why I am so glad and thankful that God has given me this great big opportunity.

Words cannot even begin to explain how honored I feel to be called back by God to be a part of the Ultimate Workout Mission trip again. I feel honored and humbled. Emotions of excitement and nervousness are also running through me as I am entering the last stages of packing my equipment and preparing my lesson studies. You can read my previous blog to see a more detailed description of just what it is I will be doing on this coming mission trip and as the trip gets closer, I will be posting a more detailed description on my website.

Until next time, please keep me in your prayers!

-Aaron

The Countdown Has Started!

It is now just 13 days or 2 weeks to the day until I leave for The Ultimate Workout Mission teen mission trip in Mexico at which, I will be staffing at (The official countdown clock to the time my flight takes off is on my website). If you aren't aware already, I will be a pastor at one of six different sites, each with about 24-28 high school-aged teenagers.The team of staff members at my site and I make up six members each, with a different main role: The Project Coordinator, Construction Superintendent, Pastor, Head Cook, and Medic/Nurse.

The countdown craze started this past weekend. I've slowly been pulling needed things out of their places around the house and placing them next to my giant brand new duffle bag. Today, I visited Walmart for some needed supplies while Big 5 Sporting Goods and Home Depot are to be visited soon. The checklist is out and the things still to be bought are highlighted. Although it's still two whole weeks until I leave, I already feel behind and as much as I want to relax and take a breather, there is so much to be done for this mission trip or for other things I need to take care of before I leave.

Once I arrive in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico on the afternoon of July 5th, my mission work almost starts immediately. My first project is a Reunion project with participants from any of the previous 19 Ultimate Workout Mission trips. This project starts the next morning and has two options for us participants to choose from. I don't know the full in-depth details yet, but both options are to build a church in 3 days which will be tough! We will be staying in a hotel for this project however, when I say we will just be in our rooms to shower and sleep, I mean just that! Plus, I'm almost completely positive that the hotel we will be staying in will be nothing compared to our American hotels here. :)

July 9-11 is Alumni Reunion Weekend. Everyone in attendance has been on an Ultimate Workout mission trip. Hanging out, reminiscing, catching up, and celebrating what God has done in missions as well as in our lives will all take place here. This will also be happening at a hotel about 90 minutes from Tuxtla Gutierrez in the colonial town of San Cristobel.

July 11-13 I take a 90 minute travel back to Tuxtla Gutierrez for staff orientation and training. Here we'll meet with our staffing groups to get oriented with our sites, various disciplines, worshipping together, covering logistics, and getting on the same page as we prepare for the big Ultimate Workout 20! There will also be some down time for us to get ready and eager for the arrival of the teenaged participants.

July 13-26 is UW20. 6 sites full of teenagers. 6 churches to be built. Very primitive living conditions. 6 Vacation Bible School (VBS) programs for the local children. Some sites will be doing other ministry programs as well.

Again, right now where I stand, I'm placing everything I need to pack near by huge duffle bag. The things I need to get at stores are soon to be gotten. The lesson studies and activities I will be teaching are being preparing. I also should get started in practicing some of the praise music I will be using to lead out in praise at the site I will be at huh?

ALSO, on top of being a pastor and music leader, I will be a photo journalist for Insight Magazine. This requires me to take MANY pictures. I will also need to interview every participant at my site and write about the site and how it will have affected me by the end of the trip.

This is the update so far. Two weeks from today right now, I will be in Mexico. Stay tuned for more updates!

-AaronNak
www.aaronnakamura.com

Three Weeks & Emotions

It is now less than three weeks until my Ultimate Mission trip and multiple emotions have been running through me these past couple of weeks. Nervousness, fear, and excitement. Positive feelings and nerve wrecking feelings have been clashing within me. Preparation has been in full motion for me. Spiritually, I have been more God focused. Not to say that I'm usually not when not preparing for something big like this, but the impact of focus is definitely greater. Physically, I've been exercising daily. Running, weight training, and floor exercises are part of my daily routine. I've been eating healthier and I feel better. Less meat and more vegetables have been a key. Mentally, I'm not going to lie, it's been tough lately. "Will I be ready?" is the main question that is puzzling my mind. I just have to remember to stay focused on God and listen to Him in guiding me to do His will and He will not lead me astray. But like I said, that part has been tough.

At church, leading the youth has been helping me greatly prepare for pastoring this summer for the Ultimate Workout. I don't want to say that they are my group of guinea pigs, but they are; in the sense that I have been testing topics and activities I plan to use this summer with them. God has packed my summer ahead full of exciting and interesting opportunities that I plan to utilize to the fullest, each and every one to help me grow in every aspect of life possible.

I thank God for giving me these many skills, talents, and opportunities and it is my prayer that they will mold me into someone that can use them to glorify the Lord and carry out His words...