June and July are months when many churches send their teens to places where they serve other communities. For many young people, it’s their first experience working with power tools, refurbishing homes, and leading worship services. While each denomination might run their mission trips differently, the goal is pretty much the same: to teach kids what service to God looks like. They might hear about it from the pulpit, but rolling up their sleeves, participating fully in work projects gives them a real-world view about what serving others looks like.
Kids need to be rewarded for their hard work, so one year, our RCP (Reformed Church of Plano) sent the kids to a YMCA camp where they enjoyed a week of Christian fellowship. The most endearing thing about that camp was that upon arriving, we were all greeted by an adorable little skunk (whose stinky part had been removed) named Pepe Le Pew. The little critter followed us around like a puppy as we unpacked our bags.
On the very last night, we all participated in a communion service. One of the sponsors set up a huge wooden cross. A trough was carved in part of a section where some bread and grape juice sat. Following a very emotional church service, each participant walked up to the cross and dipped some bread into the container holding the grape juice. But as meticulously planned as this communion service was, it backfired.
Early the following morning, sponsors were told that Pepe had suffered a tragedy during the night. The poor skunk had smelled the bread and run up the cross, perhaps intent on having his own little communion service. The huge, wooden cross fell on Pepe and killed him instantly. If you’re a kid who attended this mission trip, you might not have even known about Pepe’s quick ascension into animal heaven. We sponsors did try to spare the kids and, in most cases, not tell them. Although, the rumor mill was flying that day. I suspect the kids who knew received a painful lesson regarding how difficult losing a beloved pet can be. At any rate, that mission trip will forever stand out in my mind.
For the adult women serving as sponsors, one of the most memorable trips was one we took to Ponca City, Oklahoma. We refurbished a Nazarene church there: painting, stripping, sanding, and refinishing the wooden pulpit, as well as other items. The heat and humidity were unbearable, but the Native American women assisting us continued cooking constantly, preparing delicious meals and snacks for all the workers. There was a team of crafters who made all the adult women sponsors a set of earrings. My earrings are thirty years old, but I cherish them dearly. They are a reminder of our time spent in Ponca City. The kids enjoyed serving a community vastly different than the affluent suburb they lived in. Truth be told, I think those kids liked what they saw: the love that community felt for each other; a simpler lifestyle in which they appreciated things our kids took for granted.
May be all work together as a country, focusing on how similar we are, rather than languishing over our differences; some of which, to our Creator, probably look a bit petty.
Wishing you all a carefree, fabulous summer. If you live locally, I hope you’ll head over to The Literary Fest in McKinney, Texas. I’ll be participating in this event on Saturday, August 17th, and Sunday, August 18th. I’d love to see a familiar face. I'll be posting more about this next month but mark it on your calendar right now!
Gay Ann
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