Mission Trip Highlights

      Here are some of the reflections and thoughts expressed by my wife, Debbie, from our recent mission trip.

      “I would like to share just some of the highlights that I will always cherish from our trip to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in northwest Montana .....definitely a highlight of my Christian walk! I will be forever grateful to Long's Chapel UMC for allowing Leah Mehaffey the privilege of heading this family mission trip and preparing our team with tools of prayer, journaling, compassion and service as a powerful outreach for each of us!

Each night, after a day of services rendered to the community, the team would gather around the tables to share “God stories” from the day. We shared tears, laughter, concerns and devotions as prayers and hugs were given and received.

      Each day there were new “God moments” for us. The scenery alone was a big God moment as we saw wild horses roaming the terrain and the mountain formations with their definition in some ways similar to our Smokey Mountains. Glacier National Park was breathing taking, while words do not seem adequate to describe their splendor. God, and only God, could have handcrafted such a canvas!

      The Blackfeet Nation Pow-Wow was another stand-out for me as village children gathered around our mission table and painted plain river rocks with special flowers and rainbows while using their own imaginative creations … humming as they painted. All were blessed who witnessed these small gifts from the Lord.

      Having come hundreds of miles to serve others and share the love of Jesus with unknown children, I was blessed to get to spend time with my grandson "Huck" and Kendall, a third grade member of our team. I was delighted that I had a few hours of special moments to spend with Huck and Kendall. I was honored to have quality devotion time with this precious child Kendall that I had just come to know on the mission. We read from the “Upper Room” and the devotion was talking about exactly what we were doing on the mission trip! Huck was peacefully sleeping as we prayed over him and talked about the importance of having a daily devotion.

      Saturday came and we headed back home. A bucket of emotions flooded my soul and I thought my ministry had stayed in Montana. This ministry that I had been preparing for almost a year was over! But soon I realized our GOD is bigger than just one mission, and he knew that our team was still in the business of serving.

      We now had safely landed in Atlanta and were actually on our last leg of the trek. We had to load on a trans-rail to take us to our shuttle bus. Most people had to stand, but I was fortunate enough to get a seat. There was plenty of room comfortably for two more people. The doors were slowly shutting when a beautiful, young, Spanish woman quickly stepped in followed by her male companion. She had her luggage and he had his. He spoke roughly to her and slapped her across her neck. She flinched and he abruptly grabbed his luggage and fled out the door, leaving her behind. She was visibly shaken. Those close by were staring at her. She was humiliated and embarrassed as well as wounded. I felt the Lord nudge me to scoot over to her and ask her if she was alright? She looked into my eyes with tears in hers and wept uncontrollably saying ... “He doesn’t love me.” I put my arm around her and pulled her tight to me and told her, “But God loves you and you are worth more than what he (her companion) ..just did to you.” I told her, “You are beautiful and God is with you!” She laid her head in my lap and cried as I stroked her hair. The train stopped at our destination. I asked her, “Are you going to be alright?” and she said "yes" with a shy smile and we hugged. Her name is Dora. I have prayed many times for her, and I praise our God for allowing me to do as Matthew teaches us using Jesus’ words—“If you do for the least of these, you have done it for me.”

      There is no end to the mission trip that God has planned for his disciples. We are always “sent.”

By God's Grace,

Debbie McConnell

We have many pictures of our Family Mission Trip to Montana back in August 2012. You may go to the link below to access more of these great pictures.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.387966241271309.80293.100001738084271&type=1&l=efe3c2d26f

Surprised By God

      Have there been moments in your life when you just knew with certainty that God had shown up? Maybe in recent days or weeks you have had one of these “God moments” as he surprised you with his presence. Many times we find ourselves expecting God’s “big surprises” while overlooking the smaller ones.

      God’s “big surprises” includes the use of a flood to destroy the world that he had created, dividing the Red Sea so that his people could escape, and then coming to earth as one of us so we could be reconciled with him again.

      Then there are the “little surprises.” God telling Abraham what he was about to do with Sodom as they walked along the road. God getting Moses’ attention with the burning bush in the desert, and showing up in a cave with Elijah. Jesus finding Zacchaeus in a tree and then going to supper with him. Jesus sitting beside the well talking to a Sumerian woman.

      If we look at the beginning of Abraham’s story, maybe we can hear God say, “I want you to go from your home and I will go with you. Through your faith and trust I will establish the real way of salvation. I will use you to build my kingdom.” What a surprise this must have been to Abram! Five chapters later Abram and his wife have another surprise. (Genesis 17:15-19) God surprised Abraham and Sarah by changing their names and announcing that Sarah would have a baby at ninety years old. We see Abraham falling down on the ground from laughing so hard.

      Does God ever surprise us today with tests of our faith? I believe our lives too are filled with “God moments,” surprises both big and small. Maybe the most important “God moment” for us is similar to the one Nicodemus had in his encounter with Jesus in John 3:1-17. When Nicodemus asked what he must do to be part of Jesus’ kingdom, Jesus’ surprising answer was, “You must be born again. Your life must start over and be radically changed.” What a surprise that must have been to Nicodemus!

      Imagine the surprise of Paul when he found out that the God whom he so faithfully served was the same person as Jesus whom he so faithfully opposed and persecuted.

      C.S. Lewis, who went from atheist to believer, wrote in his book Surprised by Joy; “Picture me alone in my room, night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. That which I greatly feared came upon me…I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed; perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all of England…a prodigal was brought in God’s kingdom kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance to escape.” Lewis goes on to say that the biggest surprise of all was the realization that in all the years of resisting salvation, Jesus was there all the time.

      God sends his Spirit to convict us, he leads us along a journey when we don’t know the way, he opens doors of opportunity which seem impossible to us, and he makes serious demands on our lives. And he makes available to each of us the gift of “new birth.” God is full of surprises. Has he surprised you lately?

Rev. Tim McConnell, Long’s Chapel UMC, September 16,2012