2025 Mission Trips:
(Click for each trip)
They Became our Friends!
I can remember like yesterday exactly where I was when I hear this sentence, “Ministry is about relationships.” Twenty-seven years later this sentence still has a profound influence on how I engage in ministry. I believe Maya Angelou was on to something when she wrote, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." God has made us to be seen, to be heard and to be loved.
This is the fourth summer our church has sent a team to Catacamas, Honduras to partner with Family Life Mission. This summer we had a team of 12 make the trip to Catacamas, Honduras. What I have grown to appreciate about Family Life Mission is how they value relational ministry through the context of the local church.
Our mornings began by our team leading a devotional for the children who attend school on their property. Without fail after each devotional the children would linger around wanting to give us a hug or a high five. Our team did a phenomenal job making sure every child felt seen, felt heard and felt loved.
Most of our days were spent renovating two different houses in the same neighborhood and leading an afternoon Vacation Bible School for the children in the neighborhood. This summer we helped the Reyes Galeano Family and the Torrez Munoz Family with their house renovations. What you need to know about these families is the local church pastor selects which family receives the help. But that’s not the only encouraging news… both of these families engage in a discipleship process in their local church with their local pastor. And if that was not enough….when we showed up to both houses to help, guess who was there to serve these families? Yep, their pastor and some members of the congregation. These family felt seen, they felt heard, and they felt loved!
What happened on this weeklong trip to Honduras is only something God could accomplish. About mid-week a shift happened. It was no longer us (the Americans) and them (the Hondurans). It was only us because they became our friends. From Rosa the cook, to Dana our translator, to Wilson our team lead, to Louis the construction worker, to Maria the grandmother of the mountain, to the high energy child William running around our construction site it was a beauty picture of the church.
The last day as we were packing up from the construction site, I noticed Louis who was seating in the back of the truck bed. I learned throughout the week Louis speaks pretty good english. I walk over to Louis to tell him bye. He stands up and jumps out of the truck. He says these words to me, “Man, I am going to miss you. I love my friend!” Trying my best to hold back the tears, I responded, “I am going to miss you too and I love you my friend.” Two grown men from completely different cultures embrace each other in friendship. We both felt seen! We both felt heard! We both felt loved! As we were hugging, I whispered in his ear, “I will see you next summer, my friend!
Every year of VBS is different. The curriculum is different, the dynamic of the volunteers is different, and the kids are different. But one thing remains the same every year: God is the One in charge of VBS, and He is in the details.
This year’s VBS helped kids to understand key truths that all of us need to hear:
Each of these truths were things God delighted to show all of us each day. He brought an incredible, faithful, and joyful team of volunteers whose favorite words were, “What can I do to help?” He showered volunteers and campers with treats and delicious snacks that made everyone smile and laugh. He provided a friend to young campers at just the right moment, showing us that He truly does see us. He allowed for meaningful, engaging small group discussions at the end of each day, helping us to explore and talk about His great love for us. He paved the way for Gospel and baptism conversations. He brought dozens of kids who don’t have a church home through our front doors. He filled our auditorium with resounding praise (these kids sang with their whole hearts!). He made church feel like the safest, best place anyone could want to be for hundreds of people, day after day. His Spirit was present every day.
This year the kids learned about Across Nations, an organization that works with the Navajo people in Arizona. Each day our kids learned about the work that Across Nations does and the opportunities that members of our own church have had to serve with them. They saw photos and heard stories and fell in love secondhand with the people on the other side of the country. The kids had a goal of raising $2,000 for a playground renovation project at the school in Arizona, and in just a few short days, they blew that goal out of the water by raising $3,100. The kids were so eager to serve others, and they were deeply impacted.
Since VBS has ended, a parent sent a follow-up message that underscores the lasting impact of the fantastic week shared here at VBS:
“Every night our dinner conversations now start with: Where did you see God today? The (kids) have seen him show up in how characters treat each other in stories, the gift of missing a rainstorm and getting soaked, and friends showing up in some small ways. These have been great conversations all spurred on by what we all learned at VBS.”
He is MAGNIFIED in the smallest of things.
Deciding to follow Jesus in Slovenia is not an easy decision. Many people who do this experience rejection from their families and friends. Less than 1% of Slovenes are believers. Because of this, it typically takes a long time for a teen to make this decision and, when it happens, it is in the context of a community of friends who are believers and who walk alongside the teen steadily over the months and years. With this in mind, it's easy to see why the primary goal at camp is not to convert someone to Christianity, but to get the students who come to camp to begin coming to the local church's youth group, where they can develop relationships with Christians who can pour into them over time. (The youth group is led by the same Slovenian team that runs the camp.)
We think the thing that will make kids want to come to the youth group is seeing Jesus in, and feeling loved by, the people who are leading the camp. Our team did a great job at this. We had a good mix of people, including some strong extraverts, some strong introverts, a few older wiser adults, and a lot of young, strong adults. Everyone worked hard and served humbly. We taught 6 English classes, led music, organized sports and games, and threw theme parties. The Slovenia team commented several times that they couldn't find a single kid standing by themselves or feeling left out during the camp.
In years past, it has taken a couple of days at camp before the students began to relax and interact with the staff in an authentic way but this year these relationships took off from day one. This was, no doubt, because half our team (6 of 12), all of the Slovenia team (6 long term missionaries, 4 interns, and a pastor), and two-thirds of the 42 students that came to camp had all been to this camp before. With so many people having experienced the culture and flow of a previous camp, everything just picked up from where we left it at the end of camp last year. This allowed for deeper conversations and more meaningful connections to be made during the 5 days of camp.
Over the last 3 years, about 15 students who have come to a camp have joined the youth group, and 4 of those have become followers of Jesus. I'm hopeful that many more students who came to camp for a second time this year will make the leap and start coming to the youth group as well. The Slovenia team had a follow-up day Monday where they invited students to come to the sea and hang out, and a lot of the students came. I also heard from the lead missionary over there that their team had been really encouraged by our team. I think the trip was a huge success!
Thank you for locking arms with us as we launch out into God’s redemptive mission in Scotland.
Please pray for …
- Safe travel and timely flights. We’re asking for God’s grace in arrivals, layovers and departures. In addition, we will travel by train and minibus in country. Praying for protection and an attitude of patience every step of the way.
- Team unity. Asking the Lord to knit our hearts together despite our differences and whatever tension might arise over the course of the trip. Truly hoping we will love and serve one another.
- Open doors for the gospel. Asking God for opportunity and receptivity around the good news about Jesus. Praying that the light of Christ would shine brightly in the spiritual darkness of Scotland.
- Mutual encouragement. Hopeful that our team can be a great encouragement to the believers serving full time in the region of Fife. Praying that our team will be encouraged by the joyful perseverance we encounter among the staff and volunteers at camp.
- Spiritual growth. Asking the Lord to transform our lives as we follow hard after him throughout our trip. Hoping that we will return with a compelling vision for living on mission in our own community.
Fellowship Bible Church is hosting just under 50 students for the first-ever "Pickleboro" Mini Camp. This three day experience will not only teach the fundamentals of pickleball, but will also encourage students though our "partnership is the way to win" theme. We have amazing community speakers including famous Professional pickleball athlete Stephanie Lane and MTSU Head Tennis Coach Jimmy Borendame.
- Pray for the hearts of these kids, that they see Jesus as the true partner in their life.
- Pray for the volunteers, that the camp runs smoothly and there are no injuries or anything
- Pray that God will use this camp to do some great and unexpected things!
Click here for more information
The Arizona/New Mexico mission trip is a one-week trip to serve with the Across Nations ministry. Across Nations' mission is to equip Native Americans to exalt Jesus, encounter His goodness, and extend His kingdom.
We will partner with Hope Force International in their response to disaster events that surround us at home and abroad, reaching out to those who experience suffering and lost.
This is an outreach opportunity to make connections with the children and families in your community. By hosting a Club, you will be able to engage in gospel centered conversations, stories and activities while building relationships.
tangible expression of God’s love for all people and of our desire to help fulfill God’s mission to make disciples of all nations.
