Reflections from the 2009 Summer Ministry Experience team

Belle Plaine, MN—“From my perspective, the only sad thing about this program is that I can’t do it next summer.”

“I’ve traveled to a lot of places in my life and have a lot of very cool experiences. However, this past summer was the single most amazing experience that I’ve ever had.”

“I don’t know where to begin. I am so blessed to have been given such an incredible opportunity.”

These are just a few of the thoughts from the six students involved in The Lutheran Home Association’s (TLHA) 2009 Summer Ministry Experience (SME) program. They traveled around the Midwest and to Washington state, often working with or helping start Jesus Cares Ministries (JCM) programs throughout the summer. JCM is TLHA’s outreach ministry that serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families and communities.

By the end of the summer, the students were full of stories about their experiences. The faith of the people they served this summer had a powerful impact on the SME participants. One student told how a gentleman asked her to help him with his craft, a “In the Lord’s Army” hat, at one event. When they were done with the craft, they began to leave, but he turned to her and said, “I do believe in Jesus. I know I’m going to heaven.” She states, “He said it with such sincerity, I couldn’t help but start to cry. I told him how wonderful it was to hear him say that, and told him how blessed he was to have such a strong faith.”

Another student shares how a JCM participant encouraged her. She was speaking with an elderly lady she had met earlier in the year. This woman was sad about her parents’ deaths, missing them. The SME member reminded her that they would be reunited in heaven someday. The woman responded, “Yes, I can’t wait to get to heaven!” For this SME participant, this conversation had a great impact on her the rest of the summer. She states, “No matter how nervous or scared I was, that story reminded me that we were doing God’s work and what a privilege and blessing that is.”

The SME participants also learn that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, who are often forgotten by society, are people who are valuable to God and society. One student states, “It was simply eye-opening. As a society, we call them people with developmental disabilities, but sometimes it makes me think that we are all “disabled” in our own ways. To me, their faith is so vibrant and their attitude about life is so positive… .”

The six college students who were part of 2009 SME are thankful for the blessings of this program. As one of them stated, “We served God and had fun doing it. … The joy that I saw on our students' faces after we taught them that Jesus loves them and died to save them from their sins is what makes this experience so memorable."

SME is funded entirely through private donations. We thank those who make this experience possible. The program is sponsored by TLHA and its JCM, based in Belle Plaine, Minnesota. For more information about our ministry and our JCM, call 1-888-600-TLHA (8542) or e-mail info@tlha.org.