Exhausted - But Changed!

Mission trips are designed to help others, and that was our intent when we left on Thursday 7/31 with a group of youth, young adults and ‘slightly older’ young adults, but we all found ourselves equally blessed when we returned that Sunday. 

We had one day of sight-seeing in St. Louis, and loved every minute.  It was good fellowship together walking through the city under the Arch and walking by the beautiful fountains and city gardens.  Some of us even waded into the fountain water – to my surprise, it was Bro. Benjamin of the ‘slightly older’ bunch that lead that initiative!

Friday morning started out with a few obstacles (locked church, rain, lack of parking, a church van pulling a trailer, and a steep hill), but when does anything ever go exactly according to plan?  We met with the Pastor of the Pentecostals of Louisiana, and right away saw his passion for the people of the community and his church.  Excited to get started, we divided into groups and set out in the community to talk with people and invite them to Saturday’s block party.  Some doors I knocked on was met with skepticism, others with indifference, but occasionally I would run across an individual who would comment that they had grown up in a Pentecostal church, or comment that they used to attend that little white church on the corner.  It was true that many of the houses we approached were vacant or disinterested, and many of them would likely toss the flyer into the trash, but what about those houses that read it a little closer or reminisced about what used to be when God touched their live so long ago. That made all the difference and our efforts worthwhile.   Door knocking, which is normally met with a feeling of apprehension (at least for me!), was surprisingly rewarding and left us looking forward to those that would come the next day. 

 

Everyone had a part in putting together the block party for Saturday - moonwalks, kids games, clowns, free food, gift card and prize giveaways, and a puppet show!  We had the honor of putting everything together and serving while the Pastor and other members of the Pentecostals of Louisiana church mingled and connected with the guests from the community who came.  Multiple connections were made and doors opened.  It was exciting to watch, and see people we talked with the day before!

Saturday was a full day and we were ready for Sunday morning's service to see the fruit of our labor, and answered prayers.  Such a sweet presence of God filled that little white church building on Sunday morning as the songs began, but a twinge of disappointment when no visitors were to be seen.  Our group was determined to worship God regardless of the attending audience, giving Him our all.  After a while, we began to notice one family come in to sit in the back, followed by another lady and her grandchild, then another, and another.  The visitors rivaled the congregational members in number by the end of the service to the glory of God.  Not only were they there, but one glance over in the middle of the preaching revealed a smile and tears streaming down the face of one of the visitors.  God moved in our midst and made us hungry for souls.  We were able to be witness God's touch on someone else's life made possible by our prayers, and the making ourselves available as vessels for his purpose.  

We left exhausted....we left changed.