I always welcome and get excited for the mission trips we lead during the other 42 weeks of the year. The ones that fall outside of our 10 weeks of summer trips.

These trips are an incredible way for participating groups to have an opportunity to meet a community for the first time, or possibly return to a community after recently visiting in the summer months. These trips offer a unique opportunity to see communities in the middle of somewhat normal activities, set apart from our usual schedule of trips during the summer. These trips are special for the community themselves, and us as staff.

September kicked off the fall, winter, and spring trip schedule for us as we welcomed St John’s from Kenton, OH back to Rosedale, West Virginia. This trip was especially unique, because this same group joined us during the summer, but had actually scheduled this trip long before their summer trip. They knew even a shorter weekend trip was worth the same planning, and time set apart in their schedule to spend time with their neighbors one state away.

It was evident the Lord was at work during this weekend trip.

A few days prior to the trip I called one of my co-workers. We recognized that the point in the process had arrived where we had checked all of the to-do boxes. All that was left was to wait. We talked about how when planning trips, and when planning really anything, as Christians, we know there is only so much within our control.

This can be a really hard thing to process, but in the end, it’s usually a comfort to me. We are so quick to think we have everything under control, but I am always pleasantly surprised at the plans the Lord shows us in the midst of our schedule.

Through our lunch devotions, prayer as a group, afternoon meetings with community members, the entire day on the worksite, nightly worship, and everything in between, it was evident God was at work.

We are thankful God allowed for such a wonderful trip to take place and that we were able to serve again in such a wonderful community.