One of the requirements to become full member of MI leader’s team is to write an essay, where one should mention 7 reasons “why do I want participate in this project”.

I will share a little about myself. My name is Lidiya. I like to listen to music, dance and spend time with my friends. I am the student of the third year at Cherkasy Humanitarian Legal Lyceum. It is not easy to study at the Lyceum , because there are many requirements that are sometimes difficult to fulfill. I have many home assignments, that is why I often get tired. I spend most of my time on Lyceum, but I want to be well-educated, that is why I study there. I know everything works for good. The fact that I study at that school is not an accident. I play the violin. This year I graduate from musical school. I am 16. My life is far from being perfect, but I cannot say that I have really many problems.

I think now I need more communication with Christian peers. I have many friends, many of whom are unbelievers. That is one of the reasons why my life needs the Mission. I found out about this from David. I was just a participant in MI6. After the camp my life keeps changing. I think I became more patient and secure. The camp taught to rely on God more.

God gives to every person good life, but there is devil who steals it from people. After MI6 I became sure that if there are problems, one should not be angry with God, grumble and be disappointed, vice versa – one should not let problems overcome him or her; if there are some problems in life, it doesn’t mean that it is God’s will for it.

This year I decided to try be a leader in the best Christian camp – Mission Impossible 7.

Why do I want to participate in MI7? Reasons:

1. Serving the Lord.
2. Spiritual growth.
3. Experience as a leader.
4. Revelation about my calling.
5. Strengthening in faith.
6. Meeting new friends.
7. Seeing the old friends.

Now in my life I have many questions and doubts. I am not sure what I am going to do in my nearest future. I will graduate from Lyceum in a year. Now I need to choose my future profession, university and city, where I will study. I don’t want to leave Cherkasy as there are so many things that I am used to. The majority of my classmates have already decided what they would do, but I am not among them. The important thing is that I don’t know what to choose as profession. I don’t know God’s plan for my life. The Bible tells that every person on this Earth has destiny and calling from the Lord. God looks for people, who have the calling to fulfill some sort of work. God needs people, through whom He can touch the hearts of those who are desperate. The world today is waiting for those who will come, being sent by God with a mission. The Lord wants to fulfill his plans and His work on the earth. But sometimes we, people, create problems because we don’t want to accept God’s calling. I want God’s plan to be present in my life. When a person starts doing something that God is calling him to do, then He provides with everything needed to achieve success: knowledge, experience, skills.

We live in a world that is wonderfully made. Despite sufferings and sorrow, there is beauty, sense and order. Without them the life on earth would be chaotic and eventually impossible. God created the universe. He created us as well and gave to each one of us special capacity to enjoy the fellowship with Him and with each other. God wants us to care about this great world, transform it and use it in compliance with such principles as love, justice, truth and beauty. We all look for security, love and appreciation. The Lord alone can give it, that’s why I want to serve Him. God is good and merciful. He answers my prayers, and helps me in everything, that is why I want many more people to get to know that life with God is better, after all modern world may brag of great number of achievements, which however didn’t make life better or safer. We were created to live in fellowship with God. If this kind of fellowship is missing, the emptiness appears which the person tries to fill with something. Jesus Christ should occupy the heart of the person.

I think about the summer a lot, I think a lot and pray a lot about Mission Impossible 7. I really want it to be a great time, fun time spent with friends. I have invited two my good friends to MI7 project. They are not Christians. Sometimes it is difficult to talk to somebody about God, especially when you don’t have enough knowledge. I want to get new knowledge and to consolidate the one I already have.

I have never been a leader of a Christian camp, that’s why it will be an interesting experience in my life. I think Mission is an amazing chance to discover new abilities and capacities in myself. I want to test myself, I want to see if I am purposeful, if I can fulfill all the challenges to be a part of the project. I also want to see how God is going to use me in MI7.

See you soon!

2. To make new friends
Anther great part of MI is the opportunity to spend time with people, to get to know new people and to all have lots of fun together. Great to hang out with new people and to see old friends coming back every time. Its great to have friends in Siberia, America, Tajikistan etc. to see lots of these people at MI. friendship is a great form of fellowship where we can come together and have the opportunity to encourage and support one another with the experiences we have met and challenges we may come across. i also count myself lucky enough to have made what i hope to be some lifelong friends in past mission impossibles in mission impossible seven i would like to not only persevere with these relationships but also make further friends.

3. To tell others about God
The last command of Jesus before he left the earth, Therefore go and make disciples of all nations. And Mission Impossible is a great place to obey this command, the main purpose for doing MI is because we have something everyone else is missing out on, Gods love and promises for us are too great to keep to ourselves, It makes God sad, it makes me sad to see people and know that they don’t have God walking along side them and caring for them. The knowledge that someone truly cares about you can change your entire outlook on life. in fulfilling our mission to tell others about God we are giving them the chance to grasp hold of eternal life.

4. To have fun
I like to have fun, God likes us to have fun, and Misson Impossible is fun. or it’d better be otherwise im going to regret writing these seven points

5. To find some more of God
I think one of the great parts of MI is to see God working in new ways, doing different things. Every year is different and we see God doing new things. mission impossible teaches us not only new ways to experience Gods word but also gives us the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of what God wants to fulfil in our lives and those of the lives around us. I’m always suprised that the things i learn in mission impossible change and shape my thinking in the year that follows, therefore i think mi is a great way of helping me to gain more of God’s power and wisdom. I hope it will challenge my perceptions and outlooks and give me a better idea of what God wants to do in my life this coming year.

6. To Serve people
One of Christs most admirable traits was his constancy. he served everyone with an open heart. bringing Gods light to the world in human form. His actions enlighten us as Christians to follow his example and serve. service comes in all kinds of forms, and mission impossible seven will give me the opportunity to serve in any way i can. There is no service to great or small when we are fulfilling God’s purpose and this is a lesson i beleive we should never forget because it is surely a key aspect of our faith.

7. To Praise God

And counting out the days I was waiting and…waiting when the telephone would ring and I would hear that there would be the first meeting in order to start preparation for ‘Mission Impossible 7’. When talking to one of the team’s leaders, that took part in prior preparation, the intrigue grew in me. “What so awesome and extraordinary” will be in the 7th mission that wasn’t in previous projects.

God was guiding me through this year, giving me tests, through them He developed new qualities of mine, qualities of a leader. He blessed me, answered my prayers, helped in my life and ministry. Summer will be soon and I’ll have a wonderful opportunity to prove with my deeds how much I am grateful to Him, that He is always near and always helps. I want to show how much I love Him.

I also have a desire to make new friends, to see the old ones once again. Despite the fact that it is so difficult to say “goodbye” to your friends after the project, still the wounded heart rejoices at the thought that next year I’ll definitely be able to see them again! Although the project hasn’t started yet, I’ve already had few trials in my life, which I had successfully overcome with God’s help. I really wanted to give up and refuse to take part in the project, to loose my blessing. But I hear that God is calling me to do it. That is why I don’t want to search for excuses as Moses did. If God calls I need to follow. Because at the end if we fulfill our mission, there will be a crown waiting for us.

I have some problems in my life that are because of my age. This period is very important in the life of every person: the one has to decide what profession to choose, which way to go through the life, who to have as friends, who to avoid. Everyone has the destiny from God. Not a single person is on the Earth by accident. God has predestination for my life as well. I was born not simply to exist, God wants to use me. I also want to know how to fulfill God’s calling in my life. Many people live in this world without joy, without enjoying life, because they don’t see the goal, they don’t understand why they live, what the sense of their being is. They all need help – help from a friend, help from the person who cares for them, help from God. And He is close to everyone who calls Him as it is written in the Bible.

I think not by chance I started attending David’s English club, then went to the MI6 camp and finally came to the leader’s meeting. Perhaps it is a part of my calling. I am only 15, I have never been a leader before, because I wasn’t ready (I wasn’t independent enough, strong in faith). And now the Lord is calling me to serve Him.

Last year I participated in Mission Impossible for the first time. This project really changed my life. One of the crucial moments in my life happened at that camp. I was changing little by little. I became closer to God. I don’t want stop at this point, because everyone needs spiritual growth. I want to know God more, I need His further guidance. That is why I decided to take part in MI7 as leader. I want to see what God can do through me, how He will change my life and lives of other people. I also want to help people who don’t know the Lord to find peace and joy, to be filled with God’s love. Besides I am going to see whether I am able to overcome all obstacles on my way, achieve the goal, fulfill my calling.

I consider communication to be very important part of people’s lives. Communication is one of the factors that impacts life. It is the right time to remember the proverb: “Tell me who your friend is and I’ll tell you who you are”. When spending time with family and friends, we have an impact on each other and we change. That is why it is important to watch who our friends are, as we may change for the better or for the worse. It is needed to spend as much time as possible with God and believers. Exactly this kind of communication helped me in spiritual growth. But because I have many non-Christian friends, classmates it is difficult to stay with God in many situations. During the MI6 camp I met many wonderful people. Their stories about themselves and their lives helped me much. Through them God revealed me that in most challenging situations God helps to find the way out. I really want to meet all friends from the MI6 camp, to share with them, how God is changing me. I also hope that they will be not only in my past but also in my future.

It wasn’t complicated to find seven reasons why I want participate in MI7, because I have more than that. But because only seven should be mentioned I decided to choose the most substantial ones. Seven reasons why I want to participate in the project MI7:

1. To serve the Lord.
2. To grow in my faith.
3. To find my calling.
4. To try to be a leader.
5. To meet old friends.
6. To get to know the new ones.
7. To feel the friendly atmosphere of the camp once more.

Every time when God wants to do something on this earth, He seeks for the person through whom He can do what He planned. God needs people so that the work on the earth will be done. Every time when God has some intentions, He needs vessels, through which He will fulfill them. I think young generation is called to fulfill many God’s intentions.

In spite of the fact that representatives of different countries participate in the project, we speak different languages, still we are united by one goal – serving God. Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”

2. Leadership – for me this project is all about empowering leaders. And therefore my focus is on the leadership team, that group of young people who have agreed to sacrifice their time and money for the better good of others. I want to see them develop as a team, and see them draw closer to God. Many of them are so young, some have taken part nearly every year. But each one is special and chosen, and it is my responsibility to nuture and empower them to do complete their tasks.

3. Passion – Maybe its in my blood, the passion that fuels the desire to go and make disciples of all nations. Some are called to go, and I originally was called to go. Travelling to Siberia as part of Mission Impossible 2 was a mission trip that nearly eclipsed the first trip to Ukraine I did in 1994. God changed my life through that trip. And now my life is dedicated to this missionary commandment. I cannot escape it, I cannot ignore or deny it. Now I am called to assist others in fulfilling that commandment, in giving them the opportunities to be missionaries at home and abroad.

4. Faith – I love Jesus Christ and I want to serve Him. I serve Him by obeying His commandments, not because I have to, but because I love Him. Through my faith, I believe that God can use me as an instrument in His hands. I’m not perfect, and far from it, but God can use me and mould me with all my imperfections. Through His sacrifice I am made complete. What other reason do I need to live other than to share this great fact with others?

5. Anticipation – Every year is full of surprises. Each project is a combination of blood, sweat and tears, sometimes literally. There are arguments and conflicts, the type of stuff that happens whenever you get put more than one of us human beings together in one place. And yet through it all we learn more about ourselves and about God. So there is the anticipation of what God is going to teach me this year. What part of my life is He going to show me that needs changing. What amazing miracles are going to be achieved. That is all ahead of us now.

6. Socialisation – Probably not the right word for it, but something to do with being sociable. Through this project I am able to meet many different people from different countries and backgrounds. There’s the team from Great Britain that remind me of my roots, or the team from USA that so appreciate my accent. Other teams from countries we can’t talk about with their funny dances and funny Russian accents. And of course the Ukrainian team, more like family to me but still fun to be around. Most of the time.

7. Unemployment – Not quite what it seems. In fact, technically, this is just my job, this is what I get paid for, doing projects like this. But I didn’t mean that, I meant that the labourers are few, and, you guessed it, the harvest is plentiful. People are searching for the Truth, looking for a way out of this hope-less world. And so few people capture the vision of mission, in the way that I think Jesus intended. What are the statistics again? Less than 0.0005% of Christians are involved in foreign mission? How will the 28% of the world who have never heard the name ‘Jesus Christ’ ever get to hear it?

So there it is, a few random and not so random reasons as to why I’m involved for another year. If you are reading this, and you’ve read this far, either you are already involved in mission work or God is calling you to get involved. Are you ready? Time to answer the call? Time is running out.

My first acquaintance with the project happened in 2004. It was a blessed time, when the first truths of Jesus were revealed to me. But at the time I wasn’t ready to accept new for me truth, because it was necessary to have strength and courage for such an important step as everyone who wanted to go on the way of truth should have strength, wisdom, knowledge, and bravery so that do it with dignity, without turning, without doubts in the faith.

Last year I was a participant of the project again. This time not the truth was revealed to me but God Himself. I heard Him speaking through the people who surrounded me, I realized that God was talking to me that way, he was answering my questions. During the time I spent in the camp I learned to hear Him. I am grateful to God that He gathered around me new people who opened my eyes and I saw a different world, world with God. This year God gave me an opportunity to become even closer to Him. I will be a leader in Mission Impossible 7. Before I made this decision I thought a lot, asked for advice, couldn’t be sure, but I know that many people will help me; more important is that the Lord will be with me. I will fulfill His will, because His part is in me, in my heart. I want to share it with other people, I want to be strong, I would really like to see somebody who needed God and after meeting with me would take a first step on his/her way. Me, I am going to take my ‘first step’, I’ll take three highest truths – faith, hope and love, I’ll go toward the goal that my Lord prepared for me.

1. Service

These days every person is engaged in something, tries to be in time everywhere, do everything. There is no precious time that is already scheduled for spiritual values. I am not an exception… I also have days when I have to refuse from something because of the lack of time. And now I have an opportunity to write one more detail in my schedule which is constant meetings with leaders of the mission…

I really like that ‘Mission Impossible’ is totally committed to serving Our Saviour , and it’s honour for me to be among those people who have organized such projects before. Therefore if I have opportunity to serve and glorify God this summer, I am not going to miss it and I will do my best to make it good.

2. Friends

During the last ‘MI6’ I met a lot of friends who became my friends. ‘MI7’ is one more opportunity to get to know nice people…Plus I will be able to see friends whom I haven’t talked to for a year. It is always fun and interesting for me to meet new people. I expect that new “mission” will be will bigger and greater in number: there will be more leaders, more participants, more communication and acquaintances. More people means more new ideas, opinions and propositions – I think that in ‘MI7’ every day will be different from the previous. Let’s expect unforgettable impressions!

3. Challenge myself.

It is always difficult to lead something, the one should have talent… When I was offered to become a leader, the first thought I had was “if I can do it, if I cope with all the tasks”, but I hadn’t much to think about as I didn’t know what I would have to do. Still I thought: “Why not?” These days there are not many opportunities to try oneself as a leader.

Duties and extraordinary responsibility doesn’t frighten me. Now I am ready to fulfill all the challenges and assignments needed for the project. Still I count on my friends and especially leaders’ support that already have experience in this field…

In general organize something, help somebody, to do something out of nothing – these kinds of activity always attracted me. Therefore if I am the leader this summer, it’ll become unforgettable…So I am totally ready to leader’s work, I will fulfill all my responsibilities and try not to let down…

4. Last time in ‘MI6’ everyone spent great time… It was really fun and interesting to be around people of the same views. We had our own schedule, in which everything was written minute by minute, we had many duties, prohibitions and had to follow many rules…But everything was very interesting, we had a wonderful relaxing time during ‘MI6’. It may even be said we had useful time. And this “benefit” may also mean “joy” which can be felt today, almost a year after the project.

After ‘MI6’ I went to the seaside, but I didn’t like the monotony there…Just to sit, relax, do nothing – that is not for me. I’m a big fan of sports and adventure holidays. ‘MI6’ is probably also its fan, and that is why I liked there. Therefore I’m looking forward to new mission, new joy, new benefit and adventure holiday with fun people.

5. Probably the big zest of all mission projects is that a lot of foreigners take part in them. It is always interesting for me to commune with people who have different from mine world outlook. People from other countries have other habits, other characters, other emotions, they speak their language, they are difficult to predict. All of that is extraordinary interesting and exciting. Therefore when talking to a foreigner I receive not only knowledge about their society but also pleasure.

When I participate in ‘MI7’ I will have a chance to meet friends from the USA, the UK and other countries. And that is not the reason why I take part in ‘MI7’, it is one of the pleasant rights I get.

If I become the leader of ‘MI7’, I will be able to communicate with foreign leaders, which is very useful for me. In any case it is important for me, although it may sound a little bit selfish. Practice of English is the other pleasant thing that will be in ‘MI7’

Therefore ‘MI7’ will give me a lot of useful information about the world, also maybe the professional practice of communication with foreigners.

6. Society

The human being and society are two notions that cannot exist without each other. In ‘MI6’ there were a lot of participants and leaders that created their own society or community, where it was so pleasant to be. So, maybe it sounds illogical, but I think that more people will participate in ‘MI7’, our society will become more pleasant and diversicolored.

The joy depends on mutual respect, communication and good surrounding. I’m sure of the fact that ‘MI7’ will create even warmer atmosphere for communication than the one in ‘MI6’. And when I think that I can be a part of the society, it makes me glad. Therefore being in a healthy society has health-improving impact on the person, which is so important these days. To partake in such a project is a pleasure.

7. …………………..

The challenge for each person is to help other people… That is why when I understood that I could help somebody this summer, and then I gladly accepted the news.

Well, I’ll try to help good people to organize new grandiose project once more. All the leaders have to do almost impossible, because of purpose and number of people, but we can do it by common efforts, and if I am allowed I will be doing it and I will help with everything I can.

Different people will participate in the project. Maybe I will help somebody to find the true way that all people need to follow…

Therefore love for the neighbour may be expressed through help. So if I have the opportunity to help leaders, I will help…