I’ll never forget my first mission experience. My older brother was taking
a group of college students on a mission trip to Colorado and invited me.
I agreed to go, initially motivated by the planned day of snowboarding,
but God had much more for me. I distinctly remember that it was there,
surrounded by mountains and caught up in the presence of God during
worship, that my faith became real. It became personal. My prayer is that
in some way, your mission experience can be as formative as mine was.
Your week of mission and ministry is right around the corner. You’ve
met, planned, fundraised, prayed, and prepared. Many of the details
have been planned, and yet, I can promise you that if you are willing,
God has much more in store for you this week. Before you this week is
an opportunity to support and encourage the local Church. I want to
encourage you to take your experience deeper than a service project,
and see how God can use you to bring encouragement to the people you
will meet.
I believe that relationships shape us. God created in us a desire to know
and be known. We long to be a part of something bigger than ourselves;
something we believe in, something that has significance. This is the
essence of what we call the Pelican Life. It’s a willingness to trust God by
putting ourselves out there with a heart to sacrificially serve people. For
you, it may start this week on a mission trip, but my hope and prayer is
that your eyes will be opened to the mission field in your
own community.
Take the time to listen to and encourage the other members of your
team. This is a shared journey and the people on your team need your
love, care, and prayers. Take the time to reach out and connect with the
people of the community that surrounds you on this trip. They desire
your bold love and attention. Take the time to listen to the heart of your
host pastor and those in the church community. They need to know they
aren’t alone, that people care, and that you will continue to pray for them
long after your week together is over.
Thank you for giving your time, energy, and resources to serve this week.
May the Lord bless you and your team as you strive to represent Jesus
to the people who have opened their doors to you during your trip! It is
my sincere hope that if you do, God will bless you with an experience as
transformational as my trip to the mountains of Colorado.
Yours in Christ,
Jason Swartz
Vice President of Operations