Amelia Mack has been on multiple World Hope trips and has been raised around World Hope. Join us in getting to know her a little bit better following her joining us in Detroit this month.
Who is Amelia Mack?
I am 19 years old and a sophomore in college. My major is Advertising & Public Relations and my minor is Journalism. Writing is something I recently fell in love with, and I write mostly for my blog, which you can find by clicking here. I have three sisters that are my best friends, and three nieces and nephews that I’m obsessed with. My family moved to Ohio about two and a half years ago so that my dad could pastor at Grace Fellowship Church. We love it here, but I also love to travel around to see new places.
Do you have a verse that is significant for this point in your life? Why is it significant?
2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
This verse has been important for me lately because it’s such a great reminder that we never have to feel inadequate. We have God’s power working within us. Our weakness is where He gets to show His power and grace to us.
Why World Hope? How did you get involved?
World Hope has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. My parents met Dr. Janney before I was even born and our families have been friends ever since. My dad has been on the board of World Hope since the start, and it’s been so cool to see how it has grown. God has so blessed everything that World Hope has done and my family feels blessed to be part of it in any way.
What is your experience with missions?
My parents have taught me and my sisters the importance of missions since we were young. In 2009 my whole family took a trip to the Hope Center in Nairobi and got to stay for a month. I was only 12 at the time, but we really did feel like we were missionaries for that month. We got to hang out at the schools every day and get to know all the students. We were so blessed to get to stay that extended time and really get a sense of what it’s like to live in that city.
I got the opportunity to return to Kenya the past two years with a team from my church. Seeing how much the Hope Center had grown and changed in those five years was unbelievable. These past two summers I got to be a part of the medical clinic and teach Sunday School. Getting to love on and encourage the kids and the staff of the church and the school is by far the best part.
Just a few weeks ago I got to visit the K-Love Hope Center in Detroit for the first time. I was blown away by how much has already begun happening there in the short amount of time it’s been open. Everyone on The Hope staff is so unbelievably kind and welcoming. I was reminded while I was there how at home you can feel in a place you’ve never been to before when you are surrounded by other believers. I know God is going to do really big things through World Hope for the people of Detroit.
What unique quality did you bring to your trip? Or what did you hope to bring?
This is a cool question because I have no idea how to answer it. I don’t know how to pinpoint exactly what I brought to the team on our trips, but I’m sure I brought something because everyone did. The bond created in our team of people by these trips is one of the coolest things to be a part of. You can tell how God worked and orchestrated bringing together each team so that everyone’s talents are being used and no job goes unfilled.
What has been your most meaningful moment on a missions trip, or with World Hope in general?
On my trip to Kenya last summer I was so excited to see everyone after not visiting for so many years. On the first day our group was walking to the school and we could hear all this music because the students were getting ready to perform songs for us. When we got closer some kids were coming and taking us individually into the courtyard. As soon as the students inside the school saw all of us they started cheering like crazy and had the biggest smiles I had ever seen. The joy in that moment was something I will never forget. The little girl that had led me inside was dancing with me and spinning me around while I was crying these huge fat tears because I was so overwhelmed and filled with this contagious joy. That moment is special to me now because that joy is something God wants to give us all the time. Those kids are blessed just like I am because we all get to know God and be loved by Him.
How did your idea(s) of what a mission trip would be like differ from the reality of going on one?
I always assumed that you go on these mission trips to help other people and just try to be a blessing to them for the time that you’re there. My assumption was 100% true, but I end up feeling just as blessed by them every time I go.
Describe a memorable relationship formed on a trip or with World Hope?
Rahab, Susan, Evocalyn, and Devin are four children that I have spent some time with on all three trips. I love talking to them about what they want to do with their futures. World Hope has made it possible for them to dream of being doctors and teachers. They are some of the most appreciative and fun kids I have ever been around.
What are your next steps? How has your life changed since traveling with World Hope?
These trips are always a reminder of how blessed we are, and how we should never take anything for granted. The Kenyan people have taught me so much about the importance of being content in Christ, no matter what you do or don’t have.
Traveling with World Hope has also made me desire to always be involved whether it be as far away as Kenya or as close as Detroit. Missions is important to God and it should be important to us. The World Hope family is something we all get to be a part of, and that may be my favorite thing about it. We are World Hope because we pray, give, and go.
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