As we return to our weekly schedules at the beginning of the school year, we will also gather around those who have returned from the Brazil Mission Trip, as they will share their experiences with us. We will celebrate their work and hear their stories! On Thursday, August 29 at 5:45 p.m., we will share in their experiences.
Leading up to a mission trip, the preparation gives way finally to our excitement and expectations, but returning from mission work always exceeds those expectations. The people we met, the experiences we had, the needs we addressed, and the hope we encountered were more meaningful than we could have ever imagined! We brushed up against God’s Spirit, reminded of what truly matters in this life.
In this way, we never really “return” from a mission trip. Instead, we are reminded that each day is an opportunity to offer the grace of God to others. There is a strand of purpose, or mission, which runs throughout our faith, and lives. The needs we encountered on the mission trip, ranging from poverty and despair to loneliness and grief are found in the places we live as well.
Each week, even in the mundane routines of our lives, we can lean into this calling together! Meals are prepared for Loaves and Fishes. Classes convene for conversational English. Folks volunteer at the Community Market. Nails are hammered at Habitat for Humanity sites. Prayer beads are made. Children gather for choir practice. Youth meet on Sunday night. College students gather on Tuesday night. We use our Benevolence Funds to care for the vulnerable and poor. We share a calling, which layers our lives with purpose!
We never really “return” from the work of missions, and we share this ministry in countless ways. We celebrate these opportunities and give thanks for the grace of God we find within them! As we hear the stories from the Brazil Mission Trip, and we return to the weekly routine of the school year, let us never “return” from the mission of the church. Let us celebrate it and continue to re-imagine it for the days ahead!
-Tripp