"Mission Trip"

Today's message comes from the New Jersey Shore where a group of folks from Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church are working this week to do what little we can in the continuing recovery from last year's hurricane Sandy.   

Yesterday after hanging new doors in the home of an 87 year old man, he and his daughter told one member of our group they wanted to take us out to dinner.  The group member explained that we already had dinner being prepared for us back at the Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church where we were staying.  Then the old man, not to be stopped in his generosity, offered to pay for our work.  The group member said, "That's really generous, but we're volunteering to help you.  If you really want to give your money, find someone in your community who really needs it and give it to them."   The exchanged moved the old man's daughter to tears.

On another job several people were doing some painting for a woman whose home had not only been destroyed but looted after the storm.  She lives alone and is constantly afraid of someone again breaking into her home.   The organizers of our work reported that this woman has problems making decisions and is always changing her mind so that projects just can't seem to come to completion.  Our group members reported that one of them was in constant conversation with the woman while the others worked.  It seems as if she's also afraid of her repairs being completed because when they are - the workers stop coming.

As with most mission trips there is usually confusion as to who is giving or receiving the "mission"  or exactly what that mission is.  In any case, generosity, gratitude, and comfort flow freely in all directions.