After month of months, I am finally ready to share memories from our summer mission trip to Kingfield Maine. The majority of this blog entry was started in July, after we returned home, however I just couldn`t finish it until recently. You know who`s in charge of this blog,----- is surely not me!
We`re finally packed and ready to begin our journey; for me to being going on this trip is such a gift from God. Last year with tears in my eyes I bid farewell to Rick, as he left for Maine without me. For the first time in our 20 years together, Rick was stepping out of his comfort zone without me, on his own walk with God. Last year I didn`t feel the strong calling that Rick was responding to, not to mention the obligations of my Little Debbie job.
In the pouring rain on Saturday morning, 12 members of our 19 member team met for breakfast at Jack and Helen`s Restaurant; concluding in a prayer circle that filled the small dining area, we departed with God`s blessing. Thanks to Deb Forysthe`s brother ,Mark and his family we were welcomed to split our travel time;we spent our first night on the road at Mark`s church in Manchester, NH.
Air mattresses covered the floor as with shared our first night, as this new family on a mission. Danny blessed our evening devotions with song and praise, Amy read scripture and I closed in prayer. Our first day on the road was coming to an end.
We enjoyed our morning in the beauty of this lovely facility, after embracing the message of their first morning worship service, we set out on our final leg of our trip to Kingfield MA just a short 3 hours away.
By dinner time on Sunday evening, all 19 members of our team had arrived and began to claim sleeping spots for the week. Several people chose to set up and sleep in tents in the back yard, while the majority of the team shared the 3 bedroom 2 bathroom house. Bathroom privileges and showering proved to be a time of patience and huge concern for one another. Cold quick showers became the norm.
As everyone was settling in for our first night in Maine, pastor Amy received a text from a friend requesting prayer for her mission team that was involved in an explosion in Uganda. Again this loving team formed a prayer circle that was lead by Amy.
Monday morning, WAY BEYOND HIS COMFORT ZONE, Rick lead the team in morning devotions as he read from Isaiah 48:17-19 This is what the Lord says-your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:" I am the Lord your God, who teaches what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea. Your descendants would have been like the sand, your children like its numberless grains; their name would never be cut off nor destroyed from before me."
Today, Adam one of our young team members, would be leaving us, his 59 year grandfather passed away. We kept Adam and his family in our prayer throughout the week.
Again, I closed in prayer and we where on our way. We traveled to the Economic Ministry facility for our welcome and details of our first job. Again this year we were returning to the home of Miss Thelma, this year our job was to sand, scrape, caulk, replace clap boards and paint the entire 2 story house.
Monday morning was someone hectic, we had some difficulty finding a job, and placement for the entire team at Miss Thelma`s. Soon plans were underway for inspection and plans for a second job, building a deck.
I was the official goo-fer, go for this go for that, an assignment that I rather enjoyed. Seems that I do better with wheels under my feet, this allows me to reach more people, if the moment is right, I have the privilege of offering prayer! Nothing at the hardware story, tomorrow is another day!
As we were leaving dinner, Ashley one of our young team members, received a call from her mom that her aunt Tara had just miscarried, ending her 12 week pregnancy. I was in the right place at the right time, to offer Ashley much needed support. Brigitte and I shared hugs and prayer with Ashley, in an effort to comfort her.
Ashley confessed that she didn`t know why she was so upset, she didn`t even know the baby! I explained that she was upset because of the love and compassion that she felt for her Aunt Tara and her unborn cousin. I thank God for His perfect timing, I was in that right place at the exact moment of needed prayer.
For the second time, I rolled off of my air mattress early to join several people who decided to walk for an hour before starting our daily duties. Unlike yesterday, today felt a little different, it seemed that we might each need our own space.
Is 3 nights together, the time which produces the feelings of having our personal space compromised? It was for me, I was struggling with to much kum- by- ya time. I was beginning to miss the peace and quiet of my Little Debbie job, oops am I losing it!!!
No, I just needed a little private time, which I chose to share alone with God at the rivers edge, in view of the gently falling water. I desperately needed time to commune with God in this spot of tranquility.
Sue lead our morning devotions with Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
How did Sue know, that these where the exact words, that so many of us would need to hear today? That`s so silly, we all know who is in total control...
This unfinished draft has been idle for many months, until this Sunday I had no real clue why I just couldn`t finish sharing the experience of this mission week. Today as our praise band sang our favorite Mission trip song, it hit me!
The intimacy of life shared over 800 miles from home is merely too personal to write for all to read. Today I truly identified, with the bonds of love and friendship that I had missed out on, from the first visit to Maine.
It took traveling 800 miles from home, to really get to know one another. Plain and simple, what is shared in Maine, stays in Maine. Today as the words, "Oh no he`ll never let go," echoed in church, I searched the room to find someone from the mission trip to connect with. Sonya and I made our way to one another, embraced and held tight as we proudly sang together. The bonds formed in one week, reaching out in God`s Love to others, is an experience that no words can truly do justice.
I thank God for the experience and opportunity to serve as the Hand and feet of Jesus in the small town of Kingfield, Maine, where our group was lovingly referred to as "those church people."
If the occasion arises, I strongly suggest that you step-out of your comfort zone and become know as, "those church people." Our group lift Chesapeake City,MD as a team and returned home as a family!
Galation 5:13-14 You, my brother, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Amen, thank you God, for allowing me the time to truly understand the beauty of one week in July!
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