mission

Last summer I traveled with a group from our church to Addas Ababa, Ethiopia. My daily life here is nothing special. In fact, I live with quite a bit of mental and emotional mess. I have limited abilities and have no history of longing to reach the nations or to minister to orphans. Why would anyone in my ordinary life situation even apply to be part of something like this mission trip?

My husband Kim and I left America in 1992 for Papua New Guinea, a country about as far away as one can get from rural Minnesota, where we grew up and were living. We went so that Kim could serve as the dentist on the largest mission station in the world, a community of more than 1000 men, women, and children.

​This past September, I had the opportunity to join a small team from Greentree Church on a mission trip to London. We were there for ten days supporting Oasis International Church in its outreach to Iranian refugees.

I’ve lived in North Wilmington since I moved here from India eighteen years ago. I was warned not to drive into the city unless strictly necessary, and especially not N. Market Street. This was rightly so, as Wilmington has been dubbed the murder capital of the nation.

Surrendering your plans to follow a call of God can feel scary, thrilling, confusing, and uplifting all at the same time. That is how I felt when God led me to take a break from pursuing my career in order to embark on a five-month mission trip.