Author: Abigail Stoudt
Coming to the end of a dream fulfilled, I am not ready for it to end. Yet, as Eccl. 3:1 says, There is a season and a time for everything. God granted many blessings on this trip from making new friends, and praising God through music to seeing historical sights and morning devotions in the quiet of His creation. The frenzied rush of leaving for the next adventure to traveling mercies and people encouragement. Sometimes, i think that missions is one foreign field. Through this trip, God has shown me that missions is not only on a foreign field, but also in everyday life through the mundane and the ordinary. My job is to stay faithful with my eyes up focused on the Creator who made me, and rest in the One who holds me in His hands. As Pastor Josh said, “with a quiet heart and nothing left to prove.” Psalm 121:8 “The Lord shall preserve thy going out and coming in from this time forth and even forevermore.”
Author: Nelson Santos
Today was the last day of our mission trip to Europe. A trip that lasted 18 very exciting, emotional, and inspiring days. On this trip, we had the opportunity to get to know each other, the missionaries, and the ministries that they are associated or partnered with in Spain, France, andItaly. As we traveled to thirteen concerts in three countries, thirteen cities and venues, and five languages, there are three things that summarize this trip—the work of the mission team, the blessings at the concerts, and the needs of the local ministries.
As a mission team that focused on musical outreach, we were a tool in these countries that churches used to reach and touch people that are not part of the congregations or who would have never entered a church. We were also used as an encouragement for their own church members. These brethren were able to see brothers and sisters in Christ come to their churches and towns to help them reach the lost.
As we traveled city to city, the blessings that we received were numerous (from the hospitality received from the church members and their leaders, to some of the people that we met that were able to attend the concerts, or the people singing hymns in their own languages).
And finally, we met some of the needs that these ministries had not only for prayer and support, but also for workers. These churches need people working hand to hand with the missionaries to create different outreach ministries.
We pray that God would move the hearts of our team members, leaders, those reading these updates, and those that will hear about these ministries from our team members’ reports. We also pray that many laborers would rise up and decide to go to these European countries and help promote the Gospel.
