a look back: 2019 missions review

As my missions travels for the year have come to an end, I would like to take some time to reflect on the experience as a whole. About a month ago I returned to my hometown in Pennsylvania where life began to flow more traditionally. Many times people return home from traveling, school, missions, vacations, etc. and say “back to reality!” But I would argue that these experiences were also a reality, and are real parts of our lives. In my case: I had real experiences and encounters with other real people and with our real God. Real relationships were formed with other real people. All this in tangibly real places where all of us can realistically return to; where other people live their real lives in real time, all the time. Just because an experience doesn’t look like my life traditionally does doesn’t mean it’s an invalid reality… (food for thought!) That rant aside: Here are some other thoughts through which I will share some things I have learned, or am learning, as a result of my most recent 8 weeks of missions...

When I am asked to reflect on the summer it is difficult for me to pick out key things. So much has happened and so much of what went down was significant in my life and relationship with God and others. In Kansas we got to experience community in four main ways. The first was the work we did at Camp Curry. Through this work we partnered with the caretakers and the Filberts, as well as others from the presbytery who came out for a camp work day. Secondly was through the families who hosted us for dinners. Nearly every night of our time in Winchester we were hosted for dinner and fellowship with members of the church. Thirdly, our volunteer-ship with VBS gave us an avenue to interact closely with church and community members. Fourthly, was the opportunity to serve church members in their homes. A few families brought us into their homes to help with projects that they had going. This included things like, washing windows, trimming bushes, moving furniture, and staining sheds and homes. All of these experiences together showed me a really great picture of what the church community should look like. 

In Australia, a key lesson was allowing God to lead me where He wants me, then being present there. There were times when I got caught in conversations I didn’t expect to and/or didn’t initially want to be in at the time. Traditionally, when I find myself in that position my mind wanders and I have trouble being present with whoever I’m speaking with. In the past, this dissonance has lead me to agitation and unsettled interactions with others. This time however, when I found myself being pulled into these unexpected conversations, I was able to enter into and stick with them. I learned to acknowledge that I’d had other expectations for my time, then get over it and be present with the conversation or experience which I then found myself in. Through these experiences I have learned and grown so much more than I could have expected from the ones I’d been looking for inside my comfort (or desire) zone. I have even begun to desire and hope for such encounters with others!

While in Kansas, Pastor Kyle took us through a study on Ecclesiastes using the book “Living Life Backward” by David Gibson. Through this study I learned more about the value of life and death, life’s frailty, and God’s sovereignty over it. I learned that it is okay (good, even!) to follow the crazy hopes and dreams I have. Through this study and other friendships I’m learning that it truly is possible, good, and desirable to prioritize God’s calling over all other things. It’s also more evident than ever that God calls me to care for the little details which make me, me. The way I speak, the way I react, how I wash my dishes, how I love my family, my attitude as a driver on our roads... Oh, the list goes on! God cares about each of these things and our attitude towards them. He cares that I view my experiences as transformative and real, no matter where I am geographically. 

One of the biggest blessings of these trips for me is the opportunity to see Christ’s Church as it is, functioning all over the world! As a Christian in the United States it’s easy to know that there are Christians all around the world - in both western and developing countries. But it’s another thing to know - experientially, realistically - that the Church extends beyond the borders of my own church, state, country, and continent. For many years now I have loved the thought of going to other countries and sharing the gospel, establishing local churches and supports. But I never really thought about the potential of traveling to encourage the Church as it exists around the world. This perspective shift has been beautifully administered through missions experience and remains a perspective I hope to carry with my throughout all future endeavors.

What is the Lord teaching you? How might it affect the way you live out the details of your life?

"The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you." - 2 Timothy 4:22

-Jacqueline Ann