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Summer on Mission

How do you spend your summer time off?  I know many of you have children and wait all year to go on the family vacation.  Those of you without children also wait all year to go on the family vacation.  Steve and I have never planned a regular summer vacation.  We have always, just sporadically planned something.  Our anniversary falls in late August and we have taken a couple of trips to celebrate - one to St. Lucia and one to South Carolina.  We also love to camp with my brother/sister-in-law.  The camping trips happen all year long, weather permitting, whenever we have some free time.

OASIS Pastors on Mission in Honduras
What about mission trips?  They are already in full swing this year.  My boss is currently in Africa.  My cousin is in Haiti.  My last mission trip was to Haiti.  It was not my favorite place.  I respectfully ask God not to send me back if at all possible.  It was perhaps the most oppressive place I have ever been.  My husband has been on quite a few.  He went Nashville to work on our sister church, Axis.  He traveled to Nicaragua/Honduras 4 times in the last 2 years.  He worked with Carpenters for Christ on a church in Massachusetts.  Together we went on mission with the Florida Baptists' chainsaw crew to take down trees after one of the hurricanes.  My husband was called by his Honduran Pastor friend, Mario, just 2 days ago.  Mario asked Steve if he was coming to the Pastors' training in Honduras - this week!  Steve regretfully answered no and explained our current move.  He promised Mario, the Pastors Consilio was not forgotten and when settled in Florida, he would be planning a trip.

OASIS Nicaragua Mission Team
Steve, stickers and Nica kids
Jenn Ping and nica baby
Ken Spratt painting nica nails
Nica radio station where you share your testimony
Pastor Mario - Honduras
Steve and Mario - Honduran Pastors Conference
Steve teaching Honduran Pastors'
There are tons of people who go on mission and never know they are on it.  People who do not attend church, don't know Christ, but still serve in their communities.  Those people work at soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and free clinics.  There are others who mow their elderly neighbor's yard or run them to the grocery or pharmacy.  Even others have tons of children over to swim, play and "fellowship" with other children.  All of these people are "on mission".  I started playing the harp because two teenagers were on mission at the hospital.  They were going from room to room on the oncology floor, playing for the patients.  The harp is owned by the hospital so the only thing it cost them was their time!  They are in some way ministering to someone in need.  How awesome it that!  People think going on a mission trip means leaving the country and spending a lot of money to do it.  But in actually, mission can be in your own back yard or community.  Just giving of your time and talents is all that is needed to have a successful mission trip.

My co-worker was planning a mission trip out west to minister to a Native American group.  She has, at God's direction decided not to go this year.  When we talked about the trip, we were reminded she can still do mission here this summer.  She plays the guitar and sings and music is a huge way to minister to people.  Several months ago she went to a homeless shelter and allowed the children, greasy hands and all, to strum the guitar and make up their own songs.  It seems like a such a small thing, but you don't know what carries someone from one moment to the next.  Young children typically hear a lot of "No, don't touch that!"  Melissa went home with a guitar full of little fingerprints.  Those fingerprints are also imbedded on her heart.  

God's directive in the bible is for us to "Go!".  His wants us to tell everyone about the love and saving grace of Christ.  That is typically the purpose of going on mission; people are changed by God's word and Christ's love.  However, people are also changed by your actions.  Hearts are softened, lines of communication are opened and lives are forever touched when you take time to minister to someone in need.  They will see Christ through you and one day will ask "Why are you doing this?"  

Find somewhere to go on mission this summer!

In His service
Mally




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