A Will Found a Way

by Mackenzi Greene ‘17

In order to represent the hands and feet of Jesus, Danielle Gutierrez ‘17 knew she would have to put her hands and feet to work.

Gutierrez is in her senior year at Orange Lutheran. She has seen the value of mission trips firsthand by not only traveling with the Missions team, but by personally funding her own travels.

Her Missions experience began freshman year. Originally, Gutierrez was not signed up for Missions class, but wanted to fill her free period. Counselor Lisa Ehret and Missions class teacher Jessica Heim arranged for her to take part in the Missions class.

“I absolutely loved it right away,” Gutierrez said. “The seniors were so excited to lead the freshmen and to show us what it was like to pursue Jesus.”

Gutierrez went on her first ever mission trip to Appalachia in November of 2013 and was amazed by the authentic worship and community.

“I grew tremendously on the trip. I had never been comfortable praying for people, but was encouraged to step out of my comfort zone. I was able to pray over a lady whose granddaughter died the night before, which was a significant moment in my own faith.”

After seeing firsthand how impactful mission trips could be, Gutierrez knew that she wanted to participate in more. However, she also knew that mission trips were expensive, and that she would need a way to fundraise.

“My aunt had breast cancer 25 years ago, and now every year, she does the Avon Walk to raise money for cancer research. She makes tamales to raise money, and when she heard that I was looking to raise money for trips, she said that she would do a double fundraiser with me.”

Gutierrez, affectionately known as ‘Dig’ amongst her peers, made over 700 tamales for her first fundraiser during her sophomore year. She also participated in the Missions Program’s recycling program to raise money.

Due to her fundraising efforts, Danielle was able to go on the program’s three-week Romania trip the summer before her junior year. There, she worked at local churches with other teenagers who she is still in contact with. Gutierrez also shared her testimony before a Romanian congregation while an interpreter translated.

“I got to visit an older lady named Rosie who is confined to her bed due to terrible pain in her legs,” Gutierrez said of the experience. “As soon as we showed up she started crying and said we were a gift from God. Her bed frame was covered in socks that she told us she knitted ‘with her tears’ for kids in Africa who don’t have socks. Rosie gave each of us a pair of socks and we prayed over her. That was such a moving experience.”

Danielle and other students received handmade socks during their time in Romania and prayed over the woman who knit them.

Gutierrez also spoke about a significant experience during one of the VBS camps that her group ran. There is a large social divide between the white and gypsy Romanian children. The first few days of camp she noticed that they played separately and that the gypsy kids were left out a lot.

However, the volunteers encouraged all of the kids to play together, and there was a gradual, but tremendous, change. By the end of the week, all of them were playing together.

“There was a huge transformation in the gypsy kids,” Gutierrez said. “Heads hung low turned into bright smiles, and they interacted with everyone so much more. It showed me so much about the reality of prejudice and how they all found common ground more easily than they thought possible. I loved to see their joy.”

Gutierrez did a second tamale fundraiser for this summer’s Australia trip, once again making and selling hundreds of tamales. On this three week trip, Lancer students and chaperones worked with an Australian high school at locations across the continent.

Gutierrez was taken aback when the Australian students began participating in OLu’s nightly devotions and started to ask questions about having a relationship with Jesus.

“It was incredible to see them step into that and make it a priority. They had never done anything like that.”

In total, Gutierrez has been on seven mission trips. And with each experience, new friendships, connections, and memories are formed.

"Being able to share God’s love is the sweetest thing ever,” Gutierrez said. “There are so many people who are hopeless and don’t understand that they are loved. Showing them that they are worthy of my attention, and more importantly of God’s attention, is one of the most rewarding things. It is really encouraging to be on these trips and see God’s power work."

Gutierrez’s love for those she comes in contact with has not only left an impression globally, but on the Missions Program as a whole.

“Dig has a passion for Christ that affects everyone she meets,” said Director of Missions Mark Maietta. “She is honest, faithful and sincere in all that she does and has been a tremendous blessing to the Missions Program. She plays a vital role in the leadership of our program, and I love Dig’s heart for Jesus and for those we have the opportunity to serve.”

Moving forward, Gutierrez will be president of a Missions class this year, and plans to participate in multiple trips in her final year at OLu. The Missions Program has had a profound impact on her high school experience.

“I never expected to be so impacted by Missions,” Gutierrez said. “The fundraising and effort beforehand was always so worth it. The Lord used it in so many ways to shape and mold who I am, and I could never replace it with anything.”