Two weeks ago, a group of young folks and young at heart adults returned from a week-long journey and mission experience on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee.  We went to do pretty much what Jesus instructed the seventy to do: to say to those whom we served, "the kingdom of God has come near to you."  We said it by coating roofs, building a ramp to a house so the resident in a wheel chair could get in and out of her trailer, by building a 7' by 7' porch so folks who have no air conditioning (often because they have no electricity) can sit and be cool - all for people who could not afford or were unable to provide these things for themselves.  It was a gift - pure grace.  What better way to say, "the Kingdom of God has come near to you" than an act of grace?  We might have conveyed the message in the prayers we offered with those we served before we began our work each day.  We did say it in taking time to talk and listen to their stories.  Some were eager to share, others were not.  Some were bitter, and others who had every reason to be bitter, given what life had dealt them, were not.  Some were joyful, others resigned.  That was no surprise: Jesus said it would be so.

We came back to the mountain top - where our camp was - hot, tired, hungry, and eager to share our experiences with others.  While I was not aware of anyone who shared that they saw demons submit to them, or that they saw Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning that week, they did share joys, stories, reflections of where they saw God that day, or what they learned about serving others.  It was important time.

Many of us tend to understand the Christian faith as something that brings us comfort and peace.  We look to Christianity to enrich our own lives, and look to God to bestow on us gifts and graces that will do that.

Mission trips are exciting, fun and intense to be sure.  But you need not wait a year until the next trip to Baker Mountain.  Use the gifts you have been given to find a way to tell others the truth: the kingdom of God has come near.  Remember, Jesus does not work alone.

Follow the link below to read reflections from the attendees of this trip.

Mission Trip Reflections