A different kind of missions trip

Mission trips may be on hold this summer due to the coronavirus … but that couldn’t keep Amy Gordon and the rest of her team from 28:19 Ministries from serving others and sharing the Gospel worldwide.

Instead of going on the group’s previously planned trip to Belize, Amy and the 24 other team members spent a week in July sorting and packing lifesaving supplies to help people in need around the world and show them the love of Christ.

In the end, God multiplied their impact and experience beyond anything Amy could have dreamed.

Obeying the call

“Our mission statement is to ‘go where we are called in Jesus’ name,’” Amy said. “So as COVID began to hit, I noticed we began to say things like, ‘I’m going to work,’ and you’d go to the kitchen table. Or ‘I’m going to church,’ and you’d go to the living room. You would use the word ‘go’ differently. So God pressed on my heart that we could still ‘go’ to Belize.”

So Amy and some of her co-travelers decided to donate their initial trip deposits to the “Go Project.” With that and other donations, they were able help feed 45 families in Belize six different times since the pandemic struck.

But Amy still felt the call to go somewhere she was needed. That’s when she saw a social media post from World Help’s president, Noel Yeatts, asking for volunteers in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Realizing that Lynchburg was only a couple hours away from their home near Richmond, and realizing they still had leftover funds, Amy decided to plan a completely different kind of missions experience right here in the United States.

“For everyone who was on the original trip, we offered an all-expense paid trip to Lynchburg to serve at World Help,” Amy said. “We rented an amazing Airbnb for three nights. … We provided all the meals, and then we gave a donation to World Help. But my God is a multiplier. So, in the end, we still had $1,200 leftover.”

The team sent the rest of those funds to Belize to provide school supplies for kids.

Going and doing

Finally, the day of the trip arrived.

The team traveled down to Lynchburg for a four-day volunteering experience at the World Help distribution center. There, they unboxed, sorted, and packaged almost 40 pallets worth of donated clothing.

They spent most of their days in the warehouse, singing along to praise songs while they worked, pausing for lunch, and having a fun time together.

Of course, they kept a safe distance and wore masks to follow best health and safety practices. But all them, from the 8-year-old to those in their 60s, worked their hardest and had a blast volunteering.

Their trip wasn’t just about volunteering and then going back to the Airbnb to crash, though. They made it a worshipful experience by singing praise songs in the evenings and going through a Bible study each day.

After four days, the group had done something “close to home that had a global impact,” Amy said. She described each day as a “full day of worship.” Not only that, but the team was also able to bond during a period when they could have felt isolated.

And those 40 pallets of clothing that the team helped with are now ready to be shipped to Peru, where they will be distributed to families who can’t afford basic essentials and where they will be a powerful example of Christ’s love.

When ‘impossible’ becomes a miracle

Even though she felt the Lord leading, Amy had her doubts about how volunteering in Lynchburg would work out … especially when she injured her back the day before they were supposed to leave.

She was in excruciating pain and had no idea how she’d drive, stand, or work all day. But, through God’s divine healing, Amy felt well enough by the time they arrived to bend over, pack boxes, and serve the Lord.

She described it as a miracle.

You know that God uses all things for his glory — even terrible or impossible situations. Even in pain, weakness, and even in the middle of pandemic.

Maybe your own missions trip has been railroaded because of the pandemic. Or perhaps you feel more compelled than usual to do good in this hurting world. If so, we’d love to have you come volunteer like Amy and her friends.

Whether it’s just for an afternoon with your family or a longer experience like Amy’s group, you can make a difference by giving your time. You can make a global impact.

“I would do it again in a heartbeat,” Amy said.