Kirilee Luxford - STUMP 2009

Hi! I'm Kirilee, just your average teenage girl from Campsie, and I survived STUMP!

STUMP is a Short Term Urban Mission Project. It is run from The Salvation Army's Streetlevel Community Centre, in Surry Hills, in the heart of Sydney. The mission trip lasted only a week, but has left an everlasting imprint on my heart.

There were six of us staying at STUMP together. Most of us had never met before, so it was a great opportunity to meet other Christian young people who had a heart for the homeless. I learnt so much about myself through the five people God had sent to STUMP with me.

On the Tuesday of STUMP, we all headed out for a Street Walk. We had dinner at a food van, met plenty of homeless people and went to Kings Cross, which has the reputation of being Sydney's "red light district". I personally met a sex worker, who was one of the nicest people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. She was lovely, and only working the streets because she didn't know how else to get money. It was so sad and eye opening.

The journey wasn't just about me; it was about the people who belong to the Streetlevel community, the people who had some amazing stories of hardship to tell. They taught me so much about what life is really about.

Going into STUMP I had a pretty rocky relationship with God; it'd be a good week if I remembered to pray, a miracle if I went a day without swearing. But now I'm proud to say that I pray every single day, even if it's just one sentence prayers. I'm getting better at biting my tongue and I'm living day to day, trying to be a better Christian. I really think that if this is something God wants you to do, don't put it off!

Contact the Edify team and secure your place at next holiday's STUMP. =)

• Tags: 

• community,
• mission,
• salvation-army