“If you’ve gotten
anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in
your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you
have a heart, if you care – then… forget yourselves long enough to lend a
helping hand.”
(Philippians 2:1-2 & 4, THE MESSAGE)
As
you read this article, I and seven others from our church and community are representing
LaGrange First UMC on a mission trip in Ahuachapan, El Salvador (about 2 hours
west of the capital of San Salvador). And though we’ve had members and friends in
the past who’ve participated in the mission trips of other churches, groups, and organizations, to my knowledge this is
the first time in recent history that our church has sponsored a mission trip on its own -- that’s something to
celebrate!
While
there, we’ll be doing construction work helping to build a new Methodist
church, we’ll lead a children’s Bible school, and will participate in a feeding
and evangelism ministry. All of this will be coordinated through the “SalvadoranMission Projects”,
a ministry partnership between the Evangelical Methodist Church in El Salvador and
United Methodist Volunteers in Mission in the United States, and who’s purpose
is to improve the spiritual and physical lives of economically disadvantaged
people living there.
Many
of you have donated financially and otherwise over the last year to help make
this trip possible -- thank you!!!
Please mark your calendars for July
9th, where trip participants will be sharing testimony during
all our worship services about the work that God accomplished through the team
(and they’ll be available after that for Sunday School and other group programs,
as well).
In
the meantime, however, please continue to be in prayer not only for our team’s
safety and safe travels, but most importantly for the work we’re doing there as
your (and God’s) representatives.
Always
remember that God loves you and I do, too!
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