jordannichphoto- Instagram
Why am I going on this mission trip? That question has stayed with me as I have thought about McDowell County and what it means to say yes to this invitation.
I have been on a number of mission trips, some local—South Carolina, North Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia—and some international—Guatemala, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Namibia. Every one of them has taught me something, and the people there, without exception, did more for me than I did for them. My view of God’s world and the grace of Christ has expanded because of them. Those experiences have also made me ask what it means not just to visit a place, but to belong to people over time.
PBS- The Mine Wars
Over time, I have found myself wanting more than a brief encounter with some other place or some other group of people who were not like me. The best of these trips, it seems to me, have been reciprocal. We begin to see ourselves as belonging to a community not defined by geographical, political, economic, or even religious boundaries. Instead, we live together in a mutual love of God and this world. That is why this particular trip has drawn me in a deeper way.
My sister, Paula, and her husband, David, have been joining their church in developing that kind of long-term friendship with the people of McDowell County in West Virginia. She has been going there for the last five years during their summer mission trip, and David has also gone in the fall to help people winterize their homes. It has made a real difference in Paula’s life. Paula and I have become fairly close over the last few years, and I have discovered that I would like to spend time with her and see what this friendship and service have formed in her life. So when the opportunity came to go to McDowell County this year with her and her church, I volunteered.
So, why am I doing this? I am going to be with my sister, to witness what God is doing among the people of that part of West Virginia, and to offer whatever small skills I have in service. But more than that, I am going because I want to make new friends and to be changed by them. If grace allows it, I hope this is not simply a trip, but the beginning of a friendship that lasts for the long run.
Michael Henderson 