Latest / Missions & Miles | Mission Trips, Group Travel, Missionary Stories, Travel Tips / How to Lead Short-Term Mission Trips with Teens | Stacy Peterson
Transcript
- Joy Owens: Hello and welcome to Missions and Miles. I'm your host Joy. Today on the show I have the privilege of speaking with Stacy Peterson. He has led several short-term mission groups with an organization called Marinatha. Welcome to the show. To get started, could you just introduce yourself to the listeners, let them know your background, where you live, what you do? Stacy Peterson: Absolutely. Yeah. My name is Stacy Peterson. I am a high school science teacher and Bible teacher part-time at Amazing Grace Academy in Palmer, Alaska. And I also work in my wife's pediatric clinic in Wasilla, Alaska. full-time for the rest of the time. and in the meantime, we love to lead and go on Marinatha mission trips. we've lived in Alaska for about twenty-one years now, I believe it is. And just love it up here. It's a great country and that's where we knew Joy and Nick. It was kinda fun. Joy Owens: That's right. Yes, we do know each other from Alaska. And Alaska is pretty far away from where most short term mission trips go. you're not going locally usually. Stacy Peterson: yeah, it's quite an adventure just to get out of Anchorage down to Seattle where you can connect to go on what other people would consider a short term mission trip at that point, Joy Owens: I mean, even if you're going into the village to do a mission trip, it's still an adventure just getting there usually. Stacy Peterson: That is true. We've had some students from our school several years ago go to various villages and yeah, just to get out. Most of the villages are not on the road system, so there's airline flights involved and it's quite an adventure. Joy Owens: How did you first get involved in doing Marinatha mission trips? Stacy Peterson: man, yeah. So several years ago, actually shortly after we moved to Alaska, a friend of ours, named George Alder from Palmer, he'd been going on mission trips for years and years and years, and he suggested that we do the same. He's like, You would probably really like that. and we said, Yeah, we would. I had done an A Marinatha mission trip my high school year from Gem State Academy. We had gone down to Mexico back when Marinatha had first started. But hadn't done anything since and George said, You should, you should, you should and we kept saying, Yeah, maybe someday, maybe someday, maybe someday. but then our school, Amazing Grace Academy, started leading or going on trips. and Rick Jordan was the leader at that time and he invited us to attend one and it just snowballed from there. Joy Owens: Nice. Yeah, it's kinda you get a taste for one and then you're like, ooh, I wanna keep doing this. What challenges have you encountered working with teams of teenagers versus adults? Stacy Peterson: well, the logistics and just the herding cats idea can kind of be a challenge sometimes. the expense is probably a big challenge. Most adults have a way of budgeting a trip if they prioritize it, but for teens, especially if they're trying to raise money on their own, that can be a challenge and so we do a lot of fundraising for our teen trips. and then of course just finding Things that teens would enjoy, and be safe doing. That that can be fun. One of the things we've appreciated just taking teens places though is just seeing their eyes open when they see something totally new. So if you go overseas and a child has not been out of Alaska for many years, going overseas is just an eye opening experience and that's really refreshing to see. Joy Owens: Yeah, there's a lot of cultural differences just leaving Alaska and cutting to the lower 48, but then also going beyond that to another country, definitely a big culture change and opening their eyes. As a leader, or as a participant on trips, how have you prepared the team for the cultural differences or how has your leader prepared you for the cultural differences that you might Encounter. Stacy Peterson: more you go on the easier it is, obviously. but when I lead a trip, especially with teens, many of them, this is their first trip. And so we we do a couple of different meetings at our house. We'll have some food and have some videos that we watch of past trips. We'll talk a little bit about culture. we'll kinda give an expectation of what they might see or what they might do or what they might experience just to kind of set the stage a little, but boy, even then you you can't do it justice. You just kinda have to experience but we do our best to kind of introduce them to what's an option, what they might see. Joy Owens: Is there something that just like comes up every single time you lead this trip that like people are really surprised about or hard for them to to do or like I don't know. I have something in mind Stacy Peterson: yes, I bet you do. And the first thing that comes to my mind is the the bathroom situations, right? Exactly. Joy Owens: Yes, that's what I was thinking, yeah. Stacy Peterson: Kids kids up here are not used to putting their toilet tissue into a wastebasket beside the toilet, right? And so Joy Owens: Yeah. Stacy Peterson: just dealing with that whole dynamic is a little bit different and kind of surprising, but they get used to it. Joy Owens: Yeah, every time I go to South America, it's always an adjustment to remember. I know Stacy Peterson: Right. Joy Owens: that traveling with other people that is something that's always like very surprising. More than the food or anything else. Stacy Peterson: Yep. Yep. Joy Owens: Do you have any stories of how you saw God work miracles or really open doors while you're on a trip? Stacy Peterson: yeah, several actually. Each each trip is a little bit different, but each trip usually has something that happens that you just have to step back and say, You know what? I wasn't ready for that, but wow, look how that worked out. to start with just in seeing how some of the kids are able to even go. suddenly the money comes, suddenly the paperwork comes, suddenly the passport comes. we had one student who wanted to go on a trip and the passport arrived the day before they flew out. but they were committed to go and Joy Owens: wow. Stacy Peterson: cutting it really short, right? But just seeing how things like that work. And then once you're in country, your eyes can be open to just, you know, the needs that are there and seeing how God works in people's lives there. really, really cool. Joy Owens: Yeah, we participated in a a family marinath trip. So this for families family friendly. They have like a day camp for the younger kids who can't actually like build churches or anything like that. one of the leaders said that every single time he went on a trip there was something where it was Stacy Peterson: Mm-hmm. Joy Owens: like, This is not going to work, but then God opens the doors. definitely a good faith building experience. Stacy Peterson: Yeah, yeah, there's Joy Owens: Go ahead. Stacy Peterson: there's some of the typical miracles like, you know, keeping you safe and something could have happened or not, right? But just seeing the way God works things out is really kind of fun. and it's enlightening for many of our participants, students and adults alike, to see how suddenly, hey, you know what? That bus wasn't working and now it is and we can go home tonight or something like that. Joy Owens: Yeah. Stacy Peterson: just really cool. Joy Owens: Yeah, on our trip it was the weather was going to Stacy Peterson: Mm-hmm. Joy Owens: be really bad and it just they wanted to finish the church. It was like the last day of work and and the rain went around where everybody was working. Stacy Peterson: Absolutely. Joy Owens: I'm sure there's lots of times where there's things like that. How has leading or participating in mission trips shaped your everyday life back at home? Stacy Peterson: Wow, that's a question we ask all our participants in the debrief afterwards also. how has that experience impacted how you deal with life now? and for me, I think it's just a calmer appreciation for what happens. I think I'm less stressed about many things after mission trips, Joy Owens: Ha ha ha ha. Stacy Peterson: to be honest with you, because you realize, you know, we have a lot of expectations in the United States. a a lot of high high expectations and when you can live more simply and just see how God works things out in everyday life for just people all over the world, you really don't need to worry quite as much as you do. And I think that's what I'm taking out of it. I'm a lot more laid back and just kind of trusting in God to deal with things and not stressing over minutiae as much as I used to. Joy Owens: Mhm. And and when you are visiting a country where there's just s they have so much less, it it kinda for me is always like, well, why I need to be a lot more grateful for what I do have as opposed to just frustrated about the things I do not have or things that I want. And having that that attitude of of gratitude. Stacy Peterson: Yeah, that that hit me on my very first trip. I think I was a senior in Academy, Gem State Academy, went down to Mexico and came back and just realized, wow, I thought we were a little bit poor in Idaho. It's like, Joy Owens: Ha ha ha. Stacy Peterson: no, you know, we're we're doing pretty good. but just being happy for what you got and just seeing how God works through y everything. I that's just really cool. Joy Owens: Yeah. how far in advance do you start planning? Stacy Peterson: well we lead a trip. I my wife and I lead a trip for Amazing Grace Academy now. We took over from Rick Jordan when he passed a few years back, but we lead a trip every two years and we honestly start prepping right after we get back. so we're two years out and we're already starting to raise money and just, you know, touch and base with people that might donate money or or might be interested in going next year and kind of keeping the excitement at the school alive and stuff like that. but then we start working with Maranatha a lot more closely about a year out when they start to have sites that they might send us to that we might be able to attend. it really gets going about a year out. Joy Owens: Mm-hmm. Yeah, and that's a good timeline to also like obviously two years out you can't figure out what your plane tickets are or things like that. So at least Stacy Peterson: Right. Right. Joy Owens: within a a one year that gives you a good idea to know what the prices are going to be to really have that fundraising and have a really long lead up to the fundraising. in terms of fundraising, what do you find to be l most successful? Stacy Peterson: Well, in our situation, it's interesting up here in Alaska, our school is right next to the state fairgrounds. And so we have a large grass field that borders the fairground property. And so during fair season we open that field to people to park. They can park in that field and walk across the fair parking lot and get into the fair and we use that as a donation, a fundraiser for our mission trips. We've done that for many, many years. And we can raise a fair amount of money just from donations of people that want to park on our property instead of waiting in line on the street to drive around to park at the fair property. So that's been helpful. We've also done most recently a lot of Facebook marketplace selling of donated goods, which is takes a little bit of work, but that's been useful. We've done a couple of rummage sales. for the community and the school and church selling stuff and that's been useful and helpful. And then of course we support the students in whatever fundraising they want to do as well. If they're doing typical bake sales or letter Joy Owens: Yeah. Stacy Peterson: writing campaigns or whatever. You know, we'll give some ideas and help out with that. Joy Owens: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Well it's nice that you have like as a gr a group fundraiser that's going on and then also having some form of like personal fundraising as well and supporting them in that. Stacy Peterson: Right, because I mean the the big group expenses if we can keep the participation fee reasonable for each student, then that helps them raise their own money and and not have to raise quite as much. Joy Owens: Yeah. So what advice do you have for people in terms of packing for a a mission trip? Stacy Peterson: Our packing has changed a lot over the years. we've realized we can get by with a whole lot less than we normally take. clothes wise anyway. Joy Owens: Mm-hmm. Stacy Peterson: it's easy enough to to wash your socks in a sink, right? wash a couple of shirts in a sink and dry somewhere. then if you're on a mission trip working outside you're dirty all the time anyway. So packing light is good. Packing medication is very, very helpful. knowing what you might encounter medicine wise is is a good idea. and then we always try to take some gifts or something to share. That's just kind of fun. The kids there that we meet love little trinkets and things, especially being from Alaska. they know a lot about Alaska or they've heard about it somewhere and it's fun just to be able to share little stuff postcards, whatever from Alaska that they can see. Joy Owens: So they know it's not just all snow and polar bears. Stacy Peterson: Exactly. Yeah. Right. Right. Right. We do have a Walmart. Joy Owens: what is something that you've seen like a common thing that somebody might pack but is actually like not useful or needed? Stacy Peterson: Hm. we actually encourage electronics to stay home. a lot of kids will bring multiple electronic things and those generally are not very useful on a mission trip. that's a tough one because every person thinks they have something that's valuable that they need, right? so like we don't often take warm coats because where we go from Alaska we're used to a little bit cooler weather and We don't need heavy coats, but a lot of other people will. Yeah, I don't I'd have to think about that one a bit more. Joy Owens: So one thing I've seen is is people bringing their hair dryers but not realizing that the Stacy Peterson: Ha ha ha. Joy Owens: the electricity is different and so then then they can't use Stacy Peterson: That is true. Joy Owens: is there any logistical mistakes you've made that you hopefully have not repeated again? Or maybe don't want to repeat? Stacy Peterson: yeah, I think the biggest thing we've learned is to try not to make really, really, really tight layovers or even in country, try not to pack too much into a day. 'Cause logistically there's Joy Owens: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Stacy Peterson: always delays and so if you leave yourself some flexibility, that's kinda helpful. I don't think we've taken the wrong stuff or missed stuff much, but just planning the trip too tightly initially is that's something we've changed. Joy Owens: Yeah, that's that's really good advice and make sure you have built in buffer time because things do go wrong. And and you don't wanna Stacy Peterson: Right. Yeah. And then the Joy Owens: be stressed. You don't wanna have that stress of like, no, we're not gonna catch her flight or we're Stacy Peterson: Yeah, there's no need for it. Yep. Joy Owens: gonna miss our bus or something like that. Stacy Peterson: Maranatha has a mantra, it's called Flexible, Flexible, Flexible. And that's what we tell our people too. When you go, be flexible, flexible, flexible, because t plans will change. But bigger plans like missed flights and missed buses, those are a little more troubling to be flexible on sometimes. Joy Owens: So you're going I know that you take your s take the students now from AGA, but then you also just participate in mission trips. So why do you use your vacation time to go on mission trips? Stacy Peterson: Yeah. Yeah, we enjoy leading trips, but honestly it's a blast just to go on a trip and maybe see how other leaders work. There's there might be a little bit of that. but just to experience stuff outside of our hometown that's new. we love to see new things. honestly when you're busy teaching or like my wife is a pediatrician. She likes to just go and do something different, lay block. That's not something we do every day, but it's a new experience. And so it does turn into kind of like a vacation where we can just relax and be with like-minded people and do something that's outside the ordinary. Joy Owens: It's funny that you say like she she doesn't actually want to go be part of the medical team, my friend who was also on her family mission trip to Paraguay, he didn't want to be on the medical team either, but because he spoke some Spanish, they put him there. And Stacy Peterson: Right, right. Joy Owens: he was like, I just want to lay block, go Stacy Peterson: she'll do medical stuff for the team. She loves being the team medic and that. And then we've done Ultimate Workouts, which is a teen based worldwide mission trip with Marinatha. and she's worked on the medical team for those. But would we go on just general mission trips? it's enjoyable just to label lock and have some fun. Joy Owens: So where have you gone on these trips and what has been your favorite country? Stacy Peterson: Ooh, most recently we were in Paraguay as well. that was the first time we'd been there. This last March we were down there. I've been to Dominican Republic a couple of times. Peru, Panama, Bolivia, Brazil, Africa, Kenyan, Zambia. think that might wrap it up off the top of my head. my favorite South American country, I'd probably say is Peru. different and interesting and fun. but boy I tell ya I fell in love with with Kenya. Kenya Africa Joy Owens: Mm-hmm. Stacy Peterson: is just a special place. the people are amazing. Just the experience overall is just eye opening and yeah, Kenya's Kenya's kinda fun. Joy Owens: Yeah, I mean th they're very different countries, but definitely Stacy Peterson: They are, yeah. Joy Owens: both have really great things to see and and the people are lovely. Well thank you for taking the time to speak with me. I just to close this up I have some rapid fire questions. Stacy Peterson: Sure. Joy Owens: So the first one is window or ILC on the airplane. Stacy Peterson: Isle. Joy Owens: yeah. I'm a window Stacy Peterson: Yeah. Joy Owens: person, Nick is an aisle person. one item you never travel without besides your passport. Stacy Peterson: binoculars, honestly. Yeah. Joy Owens: Hmm, okay. You're a you're a birder. Stacy Peterson: We do, yeah. And so that's another great reason to travel to another country is see what birds they have. So yeah. Joy Owens: Yeah. do you have a favorite airport? Stacy Peterson: Seattle. I like Seattle Airport for some reason. Just used to it. We travel through it all the time. Joy Owens: do you take snacks or do you just eat the airplane food? Stacy Peterson: we take snacks. Joy Owens: Lastly, one thing you would like to share with someone thinking about taking a mission trip or moving to the mission field. Stacy Peterson: the one thing I'd say is just make a decision and do it. It's I mean, that sounds trite, a lot of people say that a lot, but you just kinda have to jump in, find a friend that will go with you or someone who has experience that will go with you, go on a Marinatha trip that's well run, just do it. Yeah. Joy Owens: Yeah, for sure. And where can our listeners find you? Stacy Peterson: Ooh, like contact wise or? Joy Owens: Yeah. So if you're like on social media or if they had questions about leading a mission trip. Stacy Peterson: I I absolutely I'm happy to leave an email address. I am on Facebook. but email's probably a great way. If you wanted Joy Owens: Okay. Stacy Peterson: to send a message to Stacy S T A C Y dot A G A at Gmail dot com. Joy Owens: Perfect, and we'll leave those in the show notes as well. Stacy Peterson: Sure. Joy Owens: Well, thank you again for sharing your expertise on leading trips and with our audience. Stacy Peterson: You are very welcome and thanks for your help in getting people on those trips. We've relied on you guys for quite a while.