Franco Fridays: The Mission Trip

I've been wanting to share more about what our team will be doing on our mission trip, but I've been a little afraid that in trying to give a lot of details about people and places, I would get a lot of details wrong.  Also, in thinking about how the trip came about I first think about Parker and KJ, then back to the University of Mobile, then to all the other relationships and friendships forged there, and I'm afraid I'll become long-winded.  Without stopping to think about it too long, I can think of 5 people I went to school with at UM who are on staff with churches in our city, and that doesn't count two of their wives who are also UM graduates.  

Meet Parker.

These were taken his last night with the Mission Community before he left in October to serve as Youth Pastor at Emmanuel International Church in Paris. 

 

Parker was at UM during the same years KJ and I were, but somehow we missed out on being friends, though when KJ's parents first came to Open Door and said, "Do you remember going to school with Parker Windle?  His parents have joined our church." we knew exactly who they were talking about.  We're thankful for the Providence that made our paths cross again.

Parker lived in Paris for 3 years working for the International Mission Board, and after spending most of last year at home, is now back in his other home in the City of Lights.  From the moment KJ knew Parker was returning he started talking about planning a trip to Paris.  So what will we be doing?  In KJ's words, the four pillars of the trip are:  youth discipleship, unreached people group engagement, relationship evangelism, and prayer-walking.

I'd be lying if I said some of those things didn't make me nervous.  I have done these type of things before, but incredibly, it has been A LONG TIME ago now.  The past 6 1/2 years, to be specific, I can go days without talking to an adult.  Motherhood does that to you.  So I think this will be stretching for me, but I reminded myself of these verses, and things didn't seem so bad.

Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider

anything as coming from ourselves, 

but our adequacy is from God,

who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant,

not of the letter but of the Spirit;

for the letter kills, 

but the Spirit gives life.

- 2 Corinthians 3:5-6 -

Join me in praying that the Spirit would give life to many

and that our trip would be fruitful!