|
|  FIRST WORD, by Pastor Linda VanEatonEver consider going on a mission trip? Below are some silly—and some not so silly—ponderings as I participated in Mission Jamaica 2010 to Garland Hall, an orphanage serving 34 children in the Montego Bay area.
10. A vacation with a purpose. This is a great opportunity, especially going to Jamaica during MN winter. No problem, mon! Three days are spent in service, one day worshipping and celebrating with the children and two days relaxing and reflecting while preparing to return home.
9. Sunset Beach Resort and Spa is a wonderful place to stay. Home away from home is an all-inclusive resort that caters to your every need and most every want.
8. Have some fun! Two days to investigate Jamaica or just sit on the beach pondering the meaning of life. Jamaica is the third largest island and the forth largest country in the Caribbean. The island is home to the Blue Mountains (yep, this is where Blue Mountain Coffee comes from) and is surrounded by a narrow coastal plain. The climate in Jamaica is tropical.
7. Remember why you are Lutheran! We worshipped with a Baptist congregation for two-plus hours and the sermon still wasn’t done! Being Lutheran we remember that we are saved by grace, and because of this we go out and serve in God’s name.
6. Grow closer to God. Nightly devotions on the beach—could it get any better than this?
5. Did I mention warm weather in February!
4. Learn a new skill. Teams are formed to do the work needed to maintain Garland Hall. A team leader organizes the work day, leaving each morning at 7:50am and returning by 5pm. Projects include painting, constructing, roofing, and many repairs.
3. The kids. Kids are kids no matter where they live! On day one the kids are a bit skeptical of who we are and why we are there. The children who have been at Garland Hall for many years remember who we are, the new children are curious but uncertain. By the final day the children have opened their hearts to us and we have opened our hearts to them. Smiles and laughter arise. We worship together, have some fun, share a meal and hold hands. The question to us as we leave- will you come back again? Many return year after year.
2. Gain a new perspective. Needs and wants are two different things. A clean uniform so that you can go to school, rice, beans and chicken for lunch, your own bed with a sheet and pillow (in a room with many other beds), a roof over your head, flushing toilets, and a basketball to use in the cement courtyard with hoops and no backboards are all good things.
1. A refresher on what it means to trust God. Trust- to have confidence or hope; to rely or depend on; reliance on the integrity, strength or ability of a person or thing. My faith can be an “optional extra” in my life. I need not trust in God for my daily needs because I can surely provide for them. At Garland Hall trust in God means holding on to something beyond yourself- holding on to God- with a sure and certain hope that God will make all things new.
Why Mission Jamaica? Jesus said,
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Mark 12:30-31
Plans are being made for Mission Jamaica 2011. Be part of the team! Contact me if you are interested in learning more!
Pastor Linda
Note: PDF reader required to open files below. Available from Adobe.com.
|
