With our experience of our first mission trip we were ready to fully plan our next mission trip. After all we knew just what to expect and could plan for all contingencies. God probably had a good laugh over that notion.
We had several churches from which to choose and we felt like we were being lead to go to a church in Mississippi. But going to Mississippi was a two day drive and we felt we would make better use of our time and resources by going somewhere closer. God had other plans for us. As our Christian sister Ruth wrote about it:
After prayer, some of us felt that the Lord was leading us to Mississippi. Since it was a two-day drive, we felt it would be best to opt for a closer destination. Less than two weeks before we were scheduled to leave, we were informed that the county inspector would not issue the proper permits needed to start construction. We had to cancel those plans. Our contact told us of two churches in progress. One was in Gadsden, South Carolina and tone was in Columbus, Mississippi. since Mississippi was so far, we decided to go to Gadsden. The Sunday before our departure date we got word that the county inspector had halted the building of that church. That left us with the choice of another site in Atlanta, Georgia, or Columbus Mississippi. Again, because of the distance, we decided to go back to Georgia. Monday night the pastor of that church called to say that the church was complete except for painting, and the members of the church wanted to do that themselves as their contribution. The Volunteers in Mission representative now told us that there was a church in Petersburg, Tennessee and one in Columbus, Mississippi that were still in progress. Since Tennessee was closer than Mississippi, we called to see if we were needed there. The pastor was not in, but his wife assured us that we would be welcome. Wednesday morning, three days before we were scheduled to leave, the pastor called and said there was only one day's work left to do on the church. That left one church in Columbus, Mississippi,,,two full day's drive. Pastor Cliff called Pastor Sanders and he said, 'Y'all come down. We'll find a place for you to stay, and we'll feed you. Don't worry, God will provide.' - For the first time, since we set our date to leave, I really felt this was right. God had taken over our plans.
Little did I know how right this really was. God was with us all the way. Each and every member of our team was truly blessed by the experience. We were treated like royalty. Our Lord brought us together with the wonderful people in Columbus.
So much for our plans.
One evening in September 1997 a bigoted thieving arsonist struck another church. His MO was to rob a predominantly black congregation and burn down their church. Fortunately, this time when he brought his loot to a local pawn shop he was apprehended and sent to prison.
The church had started its long history as the First James Creek Church in the 1800s Some five years before the arsonist struck, John Sanders arrived as its newest pastor. The church was showing its age by then and Pastor Sanders lead the parishioners in rebuilding and refurbishing it. The building was brought back to its original grace and beauty. At Pastor Sanders suggestion, in remembrance of the risen Savior and the martyrdom of His many followers, the church became known as the Long Suffering Full Gospel Missionary Baptist Church. The congregation enjoyed the refurbished church for one year when the hate-filled arsonist struck and destroyed it.
We were only eighteen. It appeared to be a tall order that we might bring about some support, hope, and peace to others when we were so few, had seemingly so few tools and only one week's time. We hadn't even planned to go there, but we were going nonetheless. The welcome we received was unbelievable. We got to see and feel the spirit of God in the people of Columbus, Mississippi with whom we lived and worked during that one week. Pictures can show the work we completed during that time. Pictures can show the people we met and grew to love. But pictures can't begin to show the love and caring that family of Christians shared with us that week. Rather than us being their prop, they became ours.
We arrived at the building site to see a new building of steel and studs. This time, the roof was in place. We were to complete some interior structures, insulate, and then sheetrock as much as we could. The structures inside grew before our eyes even as bricklayers worked outside stacking brick upon brick to create a magnificent exterior, and an electrician and his son ran miles of wire. We ended the week completing the insulation, most of the sheetrock, and applied gallons of joint compound. What had been open space was now neatly divided into the rooms that would be a sanctuary, classrooms, a kitchen, meeting rooms, and utility and office space. Once again, the efforts of an extended family of unskilled Christian workers were guided by God's hand to do His work.
Because of the generosity of the congregation and other Christians in the area we had a fine place to stay and great food to eat. We lodged at the First United Methodist Church. We stayed in Sunday school classrooms that were beautiful in size and decoration. There was a beautiful sanctuary, a gymnasium, kitchen, showers, and after school activity areas.
Lunch and some dinners were provided by congregation members and other congregations. We were taken out for dinner sometimes and always taken out for breakfast. We were never allowed to pay when taken out for a meal.
There was one side story to our meals that bears recounting. We shared grace and breakfast at the same location each day. We became friendly with the waitress who served this band of eighteen unruly Northerners and exchanged friendly banter with us. Since we could not pay for the breakfast, the least we could do was provide the tips. At our last breakfast, the waitress told us a story about herself. She had been experiencing some financial difficulties. Her husband had not been well, expenses were piling up and hers was now their only income.. She was worried about how she was going to pay their mortgage that month. The tips we had extended that week, extra because of the Long Suffering Full Gospel Missionary Baptist Church's generosity, had provided the money she needed to pay that bill...in full. The generosity of a group of strangers provided yet another support for a suffering soul. God was at work again.
A great deal of thanks and appreciation goes out to our Christian brother, Bruce. He wrote a book containing the stories of the Lord's Builders first 3 mission trips. With Bruce's permission, we unashamedly plagiarized this book.
Our Missions