I recently sent out this email to members of Amor’s National Advisory Board:

On Sunday, I will be on a missions panel for a local church. One of the questions I will be asked is:

“Many of us here have been the beneficiaries of seeing our teenagers affected positively by volunteering their spring break to go to Mexico to build an Amor house. How have you seen God change hearts of volunteers or recipients through Amor’s ministry?”

Since a great many of our stories are your stories also, I thought I would pose this question to you as well. If you had two minutes to tell a story about how an Amor trip has changed the heart of someone you know, what would you say?

The responses have been amazing. What I began to see with fresh eyes was a theme of a deeper commitment to act, serve, and change stemming from eyes and ears being opened to the suffering all around us and a true grasp that we can and must do something about it.  Please check out these responses to that question and then tell us what you are doing.

Jason Barger of Columbus, OH responded with this:

I remember standing in the Amor campsite late one night with Drew. He was a high school student who was having a profound week. He could barely spit the words out with his heart beating so deeply. As we processed that night what we thought it meant to serve out God’s love in the world, you knew it was a sacred moment. Since then, Drew has carried that spirit into another journey.  I have no doubt his experience with Amor that week was a catalyst to even more committed service.

Love is Free Trailer from Homeless Drew.

Steve Ensz of Garden City, KS sent us this:

I have to say that the Amor experiences have had a profound impact on all of our students over the past 19 years.  I have seen individuals go on into ministry in a variety of ways and I believe the Amor trips were key to these career choices.  Missionaries, Youth Pastors, Worship leaders, Health care, Foster care work…the list goes on.  These trips have instilled a heart of compassion and God has been able to work in their lives in amazing ways.  One story stands out among the others: Luis, a little boy crippled up from birth defects, just melted the hearts of our students.  This song was written and recorded by these youth, and I couldn’t put it any better:

We are so excited that God has used what we do as a catalyst into full-time service for so many. To our core we desire to see the Kingdom of God revealed more and more through the love, joy and compassion of those working and serving in His name.  So what are your stories? How has this or any other act of  service changed your or someone else’s heart?