Customer Spotlight: Aaron Arnold

In our October newsletter, we shined a spotlight on Aaron Arnold, who works in Engineering, Equipment & Sales for AA Mill Works in Visalia, CA. We wanted to use our website to go into a little more detail about his annual mission trip to Uruapan Baja California, Mexico to the Mount of Olives Children’s Village since there’s only so much we can put into our newsletter before some people quit reading! He started doing this years ago through his church for the purpose exposing young people to the reality of spiritual and physical poverty not found in the relative comfort most of us live in. Now his family typically co-leads a group of 8-10 families of all ages from their church.

It is their hope that the Holy Spirit will use these trips to bend people’s hearts in the direction of missions ministry, creating a much needed generation of missionaries, as well as folks who may not be able to go to the mission field but who are willing to support missionaries. Aaron stated, “there has been concern about who the next generation of missionaries will be.  My wife and I think there is not a more noble profession and we hope we are helping to raise that next generation.”

Aaron & his wife does as much preparation as they can before they leave California. Their time there centers around serving whoever, whenever, and however needed.  As Aaron put it, “it might be spending time with youth or adults teaching bible lessons, playing games or doing crafts.  It might be working by the moonlight on top of a roof.  Often we fill light construction needs and provide food and clothing. Usually our activities involve physical work and play.  We burn a ton of calories and eat well to make up for it!  As the day winds down we always come back together at the lodge and enjoy an evening of games and relaxation before we roll into the next day.  Every day is an adventure!”

Mount of Olives Children’s Ministry is very unique: there are no fences.  These kids are truly loved.  It is so amazing to see the places where these children come from and to dream about their future.  Recently they added a lodge on the mountain top to host short-term missionary groups.   If you would like to know more about Aaron’s family trip or about how Mount of Olives Children’s Ministry can host your group, visit http://missions-network.org/ or email Heather here at TSS and she will forward your email on to Aaron! We hope you enjoy a few more pictures from his trip!