From January 11, 2014, a team from 1st Presbyterian Church-Midland will be traveling to the Central American country of Belize, and working with The Word at Work ministry. This will be an opportunity to reach out and share the gospel with the people of Belize while working side-by-side with the local community and The Word at Work staff on a much-needed construction project.
Debriefing
As I said before, Friday evening was going to be a debriefing, a team exercise in which each of us would review the past week, looking at ourselves, our teammates, our mission and the community we served.
More than just an assessment of what we've been doing this week, it was also meant to be a springboard, a forum about where we might go from here, and what message we might take home with us.
Tim Tam moderated the evening, which included prayer and music as well as the discussion. This was helped by a set of questions Tim presented us earlier in the day.
Below is a sampler of the questions we were asked, and my responses to them ... not the only or the best answers of the evening ... but the ones I had written down earlier in the day.
1. Has there been any shift or change in the way I think or feel about mission?
A shift rather than a change. This experience has been an affirmation of what I thought or felt about mission. One of my goals, one of my reasons for going on this mission was "illumination" ... and I think I have that. But in addition to this mission's effect on my own, personal thought, I believe there has also been clarification of the goals we should have for mission in general.
4. What questions are you taking home?
How might we encourage others (within our church family, and at other churches) to make this commitment? How might we continue this mission after we have returned home? Will we return to Belize and, if so, when?
5. What did God "awe" you with this week?
On the last construction day (from my blog post) ... "We had two cement-mixing stations today, instead of one ... and each of those stations was making two bags of cement at a time, instead of one. And the bucket brigade that hauled the cement from the mixing stations to the scaffolding, then up the scaffolding to the frames on top of the walls? Wow! Team members and villagers both had a hand in that, and they were fast ... and they way they hoisted those loaded buckets of cement up the scaffolding? Again, wow!"
7. Has God placed something in my heart to do?
Maintain contact with The Word At Work. Maybe contribute to a load of contributions going to Amarillo for TWAW, or drive a load up there myself. Tell others about TWAW, add them to the 'Friends In Mission' list on my "West Texas Missioner" blog, and post updates for them.
8. Where did you see the greatest potential?
I saw potential everywhere ... but at the same time, I am mostly clueless about what challenges must be overcome in order to realize that potential.
9. Who did you meet that you want to stay in touch with?
Tim and Kenny, The Word At Work; Principal Cano, EPGS
10. Where did this trip meet/differ from my expectations?
Some of this is covered in my answer to Question #1. Beyond that ... With only a VERY limited prior experience in Belize (part of one day), I really did not come with many expectations. The same with the eqipment I brought with me for recording our experiences, and sharing them with people back home.' I had come seeking "adventure, discovery and illumination" ... and I found it.
14. Most disturbing?
The plight of Eva, the last woman Dr. Bartha and I visited on the first day of house calls in El Progresso (see my "House Calls" blog post from earlier in the week).
Like I said, NOT the only answers of the evening ... nor the best, really ... but the ones I had written down for my participation. I am sure that if you ask any of our team members, they will be happy to share their own answers and observations with you.
Is there something you'd like to ask any of our mission team members, or our pastor?
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