The Golden Hour, A Mission that Matters

Ask any photographer and they will tell you that the golden hour is their favorite time of day. There is something different about it – those few minutes at the end of the day when the sun is setting and everything appears to turn golden. Those few moments are unique, never to be duplicated or recreated. It provides photographers with the ideal light and results in images guaranteed to take your breath away.

We all experience “golden hours” in life – those times that, like a photo, are frozen, perfect moments you never want to forget.  Those who have gone on a mission trip have experienced many of these “golden moments.”

After all, mission trips provide experiences that are unattainable in a classroom.  They allow students to step out of everyday life and into the heart of a stranger’s world –  a life that is most likely the complete opposite of their own.  They are challenged, encouraged and inspired as they unintentionally create memories not only in their own lives, but in the lives of every other person they touch.

Zoom in on culture

Some of the most famous photos feature a close-up image of everyday life, such as drops of rain on a single blade of grass.  When you see something in this unique way, it alters your perspective on things you once believed you understood clearly.

Mission trips provide students with a unique perspective on other cultures and their ways of life. In a different country, city, or continent you are quickly introduced to a unique style of living, completely unlike your own. The skills needed to build a home or paint a wall can easily be taught. The respect and passion for helping others, who have become your friends, is unteachable. This new understanding, found through mission work, is not something that disappears after students return home.

These opportunities are difficult to find in public school, but Northside Christian Academy finds it to be an essential building block in the education and development of their students.

Say cheese!

Using a camera’s flash can make a dramatic impact on how each image turns out.  It could bring light to a dark room or wash out an image entirely.  The same goes for the impact students make on others.  They, just like a flash, can bring light into a difficult or dark area of the world.

The impact resulting from a trip is the heart of mission work and why it matters.  The influence that students have on others as well as themselves is the foundation for building character and confidence individually.  Influence does not have an age or location, but can be attained anywhere with direction and focus.  Any student can make a powerful impact in the lives of others.  Whether they are feeding the hungry or building a garden for a community in need, mission work takes private school education to a new level. It brings an incredible “flash” to the lives of everyone they impact.

Focus

For many, it is difficult to find focus in a world of big (and seemingly endless) opportunities. Any picture must be focused before it can be taken, or it will be so blurry you cannot see the image’s true potential.  Mission trips through private Christian schools provide a unique sense of focus for students’ education and future life goals.   New friendships are formed and ideas are created through this unforgettable experience, as well as a dependence on God and his path for the future.

A golden life

The golden hour is an incredible moment for photographers, but unfortunately it only lasts a few minutes.  While many people only experience a few “golden hours,” others choose to live a “golden life.” Mission trips through Northside Christian can be the first steps toward beginning a “golden life” focused on helping others through education and dedicated mission work. Interested in learning more about mission work through Northside Christian Academy? Visit https://prodcltknights.wpengine.com/ or call (704) 596.3365 for more information!