I suppose an update is in order ...

If you know my family, you know we really enjoy missions work. We help. We visit. We go. Well earlier this year we decide that it was time for my husband and 14 year old first born to go on his first trip. The opportunity just happens to coincide with the need for missionaries Isaac and Clea Wootton to be encouraged by a visit from friends from the States.

When I reflect on how we got here I realized that not many know what we do or why we do it.

I'll start with my story and let Kent share his on his blog.

As a youth my pastor led our group on short term missions to the United States poorest region, The Cumberland Gap. We spent two weeks working until we dropped then listening to teaching and worshipping God until we just couldn't go on every night. Then getting up to do it again. By the end of two weeks we were a changed group and changed individuals.

Fast forward to college and I had a chance to go overseas. We went to southern India. I had never experienced such different culture and extreme poverty. Before that journey, we had practiced pantomime drama and studied a book about cross cultural missions. We had to learn what was cultural and thus nonessential. This training would prove valuable. Following the lead of our Translators and team guides, sometimes we performed and departed quickly. Other times we performed and lingered to pray with natives who responded to the preaching. The message from my pastor? "Love God. Love folks." I've been working to heed that command ever since.

It wasn't until nearly 10 years later before I would have a chance to go again. This time it was a five (5) days in Haiti. I nearly brought home a precious baby. (I would have failed and been stuck forever.) To have a baby with fever and parasites and have no help for them, breaks a mothers heart. I had a son at home whom I missed. I carried the baby to our clinic and got her the help she needed. Now there is a flourishing church there and a school. I've been there at least three times. Each time constructing on the conference center and helping in the medical clinics.

Having established a pattern in my life we have since partnered with dear friends who have given up their lives to train young pastors to study the Bible and sustain themselves while going to the farthest reaches of Africa to share the gospel. Not often enough some have gone to visit them and serve with them. We are the ones who stay behind with the stuff (verse 2-25) and meet those needs the Woottons have which they cannot take care of from the African continent. We are honored to be so trusted.

How can you be involved?

Read about world missions.

Read about culture.

Take a missions training class. It's not just foreign. Missions is right here right now.

Find out who your church supports and build relationships with them.

Ask your church what you can do to serve.

Pray for missionaries in your life.