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Lamb
of God
If
when the trials of life assail you
And
you still feel blessed don’t think it odd
You’re
covered by the blood of Jesus
The
sacrificial Lamb of God
Just
keep living a life that is Holy
Allowing
the Holy Spirit to be your guide
Eternal
life has been made possible to you
Through
Jesus Christ the Lamb of God.
Missionary
Arnette (Upper Marlboro, MD)
Amazing!
It’s
Saturday afternoon. We’ve done so many different ministries. We went
to the Rec Center not long after we arrived
Thursday morning and played all kinds of games with the “Seniors”.
After games we did exercise – we had a time keeping up with some of
them – Mary, Inez, Jean, Beatrice, Willie, even the King & Queen of Tunica were there. One precious woman was the mother of 15 grown children. We ended
our visit with them in the dining hall where Brandon (our worship leader)
led us in song & worship. We were blessed by the most incredible
voice as she sang Amazing Grace. There was not a dry eye in the room.
Praise God!
Thursday
afternoon took us to the casinos to do a prayer walk – inside. Isn’t
it funny how our day can go from Glory to depressing? The desperate,
bored & unhappy faces we encountered as they sat mesmerized by
the machines were quite an eye opener. We ended our Thursday night
in a praise & worship time with our sisters in Christ and fellow
missionaries from Maryland. Wow! Did God’s Holy Spirit
move in this place. We sang, praised God shared scriptures, sang some more,
wept, praised God some more and finally came to a close. It was an
amazing day. God is so good and He goes before us to make ready our
paths!
I
thank God for the privilege of being here.
Loving
you in our God & King!
Missionary
Debbie R. (Austin, Texas)
I am very grateful and happy
that I went on the mission trip to Tunica, MS. I have always had it
in my heart that every believer shares a common purpose in life and
that is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the past I have tried
to share the gospel with people; I just couldn’t get the words right. I
believe in missionary efforts and saw this trip as a chance to see
what a mission trip was about. And I would be going with my church,
so surely this trip would be a “safe” experience.
I thought I would be “useful”
to God in bringing the lost to salvation and be a blessing to folks
in Tunica. Instead I was blessed. The people in Tunica were warm,
hospitable and so trusting. Even the prisoners were happy to see us. They
smiled and invited us into their lives wherever we went. Jesus said
that if He were lifted up, He would draw all men to Him. I purposed
in my mind that I would just tell of Jesus, short and simple; I would
not try to “persuade” anyone to accept Christ. I told people about
Jesus Christ and how Jesus died for our sins. I listened to people,
told them about Christ, prayed with them if they wished, and move on. It
helped greatly that I was with a group versus being by myself witnessing.
We partnered with another
church’s members and the hosting organization for the trip, Adventures
in Missions (AIM). What humble and wonderful people they are. All
in all, the persons I met on the trip (the missionaries and Tunica
residents) showed me how Jesus Christ is shown in a hug, a smile, a
word spoken fittingly. CPBBC members and the other missionaries
astonished me with their boldness in sharing the gospel.
I almost didn’t go on the
trip because of an injury that affected my walking, standing, and sitting
(as on a plane or in a car). Plus, the trip date changed, forcing
me to ask my employer if I could change my scheduled vacation leave
and, oh, I wanted to have more leave for a personal vacation. I gave
the missions trip to God. He gave me favor with my boss and on the
trip. To God be all the Glory. Now I must
continue in my boldness in speaking as I ought. A mission trip is
a good thing, but we all must be on the lookout in everyday activities
for opportunities to tell of salvation in Christ. So many people
here in the U.S. have
heard of Christ, but have not accepted His gift of salvation.
Missionary Andrea (Upper Marlboro, MD)
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Sharing
God’s Love
God
is at work in Tunica and in our combined mission team. Our teams have
experienced the action of the Holy Spirit in the local community center,
the North Sub, the prison and the nursing care home. Everywhere
we go we encounter God’s opportunity for ministry.
The
need here is great. Poverty in the community is debilitating. There
is hopelessness in the faces of the people. They are receptive of
the word of God. They seem to hunger for the hope offered by our
missionaries.
Our
Austin missionary team has been joined with a team from Maryland. It seems
apparent that God prepared this combination for a purpose. We have
gone out in small teams with a mix of Austin and Maryland missionaries
which means we have been in a mixed race teams. The community seems
very receptive to this blend. We embolden each other to deliver
the message of Jesus’ death and resurrection, God’s love and His
will for
our lives.
Though
there are some unique situations in Tunica, there are many opportunities
that are the same in Austin, Texas. Tunica
is facing their demons and looking them in the eye. I have not seen
the same willingness for the people of Austin to do the
same. Perhaps it is that I have not looked for service opportunities.
Maybe
the greatest growth area for our team has been to show us how easy
it truly is to share God’s love wherever we are.
Missionary
Barry C (Austin, Texas)
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To
God be the glory for an awesome Mission
Trip in Tunica, Mississippi. What a privilege to have been
made available to be used by Go to proclaim His great name in the
city of Tunica. I thank God for His loving-kindness and protection
as we shared the Good News of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The smiling
faces of the people of Tunica may have been economically derived, but
they were spiritually rich in Jesus Christ. What a blessing to witness
hope Mississippi, in-spite of being ranked at the bottom
of the states.
Now
I look forward to the Mission Honoring God’s name in
my community, city and world.
Missionary
Judy (Upper Marlboro, MD)
An
incredible night
This
mission trip has been amazing. There are more stories than I can find
the time to write down. Friday night the Austin & Maryland groups
ended the evening before final worship by going to the Tunica Correctional
Facility. This had a special significance to me as an attorney. We
were all escorted in by two deputies who led us to the middle of the
jail into a room for worship. About 36 men soon joined us along with
a local Pastor, Pastor Paul. The Maryland group led
us in a rousing song and almost immediately you could sense the power
of the Holy Spirit coming into the room. Most of the men stood and
sang while clapping their hands & shouted “Praise Jesus.” I’m
in a correctional facility almost every day professionally but I have
never seen guards & deputies encouraging & praising along with
inmates like this before. After some very powerful testimonials
and words by Reverend Gloria of the Maryland group the
men were invited to come to the front of the room if they wanted to
pray with us. Amazingly over a third came to the front. My wife Debbie
and I were drawn to Cedrick. Cedrick was waiting a Grand Jury Indictment
and knew Jesus but wanted to have a better relationship with Him. We
asked him what stopped him before and he said his drug addiction. He
also was deeply concerned for his wife and children waiting at home. The
three of us joined hands and I immediately felt the power of the Holy
Spirit fill me with what I could only hope were soothing words. We
asked Jesus to give Cedrick the strength to conquer his drug addiction
and to fill his heart with a strong desire to want to read more scripture. Debbie
prayed for Cedrick’s wife to have faith and for her strength in raising
the children in Cedrick’s absence. After words we kept holding hands
and we all had tears in our eyes. I could feel the Holy Spirit working
through us and we could see in Cedrick’s tearful eyes that he too felt
the Holy Spirit. Later when the women came in Debbie and I were led
to a woman who wanted us to pray with her. That night God moved her
to faith in Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior—a conversion
right in front of our eyes. It was an incredible night.
Missionary
Stephen T. (Austin, Texas)
My
Experience
Each
day took us to a greater height. I feel if God had given it all at
once, we would not be able to handle it. He knows how much we can
take. Though worshiping, praying, crying, sharing testimonies, hugging,
comforting, and dancing like David, and laughing
– there were breakthroughs. Each day we prayed and asked God for direction. We
allowed Him to direct us. We were instructed to be still, be open
to God, and to listen for God’s voice. Then, we responded in action. (I
know God wanted me to slow down and listen to what He wanted me to
hear and do prior to the mission trip. Since the trip, I had experiences
in the spiritual realm that I have never had before).
On
this trip God was always present. We saw Christ in both groups (ours
and Austin, Texas), and in the people of
Tunica. We developed a personal relationship with each other. There
was so much love, caring, and concern for one another. We adopted
each other as brothers and sisters. This trip was not just for Tunica,
but for all of us.
When
we visited Pastor’s Rodney’s church (an African American church in
the middle of cotton fields), he asked ‘Where are the Black Missionaries?’ We
were the first Black group to come to his church. My prayer is God
will send more Black Missionaries to serve the Black Community.
On
this trip, souls were saved, there was repentance, some were encouraged, faith
strengthen, and needs met – both spiritually and physically. We
were ready and willing to be used in God’s vineyard. Everywhere we
ministered, we saw Christ at work. For example, a home trailer we
visited had a great need (both physical and spiritual). The woman’s
faith was restored and a make-over for her home. All of us fell in
love with his family. We shared multiple prayers of encouragement
for this lady, her family and friends.
I
would encourage all to go on a mission trip, if they had not before. We
saw God’s love. I fell in love with Tunica, Mississippi. Thank you Jesus for the experience. Thank
you Jesus for hand picking all of us for this Mission
of Love.
Missionary
Vivian Bridgers
Tunica
2006 – The Sequel
Each
succeeding mission trip gives me a greater understanding of my role
on earth and draws me into a closer relationship with our Lord & Savior
Jesus Christ. I continue to grow in my understanding of what it means
to totally trust in the Lord and know He will not forsake you or ever
leave you. He’s undying love for His children has no
limits. I thank our mission team and God for an incredible five days.
Where
to Begin? First our sisters from the Baltimore area are
incredible. Their zest for the Lord and boisterous zeal for worship
is contagious. Compassionate worship/prayer is the norm and a reserved
approach to worship is not in their vocabulary. I thank them for that.
Our
two different teams quickly became one united in the faith and love
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Everyday has literally been filled
with God-incidents. I truly believe there are no coincidences when
God is intimately involved with our team spreading the Gospel.
Children’s
ministry, elderly worship, prison ministry and home repair are just
the tip of the ice burg. Brother Brown and Sister Debbie demonstrated
powerful, pastoral skills and gifts and the remainder of the team all
delivered clear messages of salvation deserving high marks by the Heavenly
Host. Our 19 year old Praise/Worship leader, Brandon, is going to
do greater things in life then he presently realizes. The sky is the
limit for the young talent.
The
passion skit, performed five times in four days was truly a blessing
to the audiences and our team. All of the displayed sorrow and tears
of joy have been real as the Holy Spirit is truly working amongst us
daily.
Time
has gone by quickly. The hours have been long; sleep time short and
activity level high. We have laughed, sung and cried a lot. I thank
the Lord for the opportunity to be surrounded by some great Christians
that I joyfully call my friends and one of them I call my wife.
My
hope and prayer is that the Lord continue to grow our mission ministry
and allow each of us at Bethany Lutheran Church to experience the true
joy of proclaiming that Jesus is the Light, the Truth and the Way. Praise
God!
Missionary
Randy R. (Austin, Texas)
Words cannot convey
the awesomeness of God and how He moved through the fall leaves of
our two churches to hand pick a few seasonal flowers called Open and
Willing Hearts. Then, He carried us across the heavenly skies and gently
placed us on a pillow of cotton to work in the fields of poverty, hopelessness,
despair, crime, loneliness, and abuse.
While in this field,
God allowed us to see that with a little Prayerful Water and a lot
of Sunlit Deeds all the depredation of years past could be replaced
with beautiful homes, friendly communities, and thriving towns. All
of these mirrored by LOVE. Yes, love is the one command that
God has given us for all times. If we would only love one another we
could experience a peace and joy that would surpass our wildest expectations.
In order for this to happen, we must first put self aside. By doing
so, we make where we are now our Garden of Eden.
As
we kept ourselves opened to God's guidance it was so easy to see
God's hand using us
as we ministered to those in need, molding and shaping us as we gave
of our time, talent, prayers, finances and self. He took us from children
in the orphanage, to the prison, to gambling casinos to those throughout
the Tunica community. Last but not least, He mended our broken hearts.
He showed us how we could make this world a better place if we would
use Loving Kindness Seasoning. This seasoning is a combined ingredient
of a little salt from Texas and a little pepper from Maryland to
be used in seasoning not only our own communities but everywhere we
travel.
Missionary Jacquelyn
(Upper Marlboro, MD)
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So
many...
Wow,
I have never seen and felt so much love in my life. So many lives
have been touched. So many faces of pain turned into smiles. So many
tears shed… turned into tears of joy. So many broken hearts I could
see signing. What a blessing this journey has been for all who saw
Jesus. His Amazing grace.
Missionary
Angela (Austin, Texas)
The word of God says that He knew us before
we were conceived in our mother's womb and that He knows His
plans for us. This is very important and
I know that God has a purpose for each of us and being in Tunica this
past week allowed us to get a glimpse of our purpose.
It was a blessing to serve
with everyone and witness God moving as we witnessed to the people in the community
of Tunica. It was amazing to see how God has orchestrated
the people from the different churches - Pastor Husband (pastor
of a white congregation in Tunica) and Pastor Hibler (pastor of a black
congregation in Tunica), CBPPC in Maryland (all black women) working
in concert with Bethany Lutheran Church in Texas (white men
and women) coming together, black and white, to break down the
walls of segregation in Tunica and share our faith. I am truly
blessed and thankful that God has allowed me to serve Him and
I am looking forward to what He is going to do in the future. Romans
12:4-9 says "For as we have many members in one body and
all members have not the same office; so we being many, are one
body in Christ and every one members one of another. Having then
gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether
prophecy, let us prophecy according to the proportion of faith; or
ministry, let us wait on our ministering or he that teacheth, on teaching,
he that exhorteth, on exhortation; he that giveth, let him do it with
simplicity; he that ruleth with diligence, he that sheweth mercy with
cheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation..."
As we build our personal
relationship with God, He is constantly transforming and preparing
us for discipleship
and the sharing of our faith. It is an awesome experience.
Missionary Robin (Upper Marlboro, MD)
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Life
Changing
It’s
hard to describe all of the wonderful things that have happened during
this Mission trip to Tunica. It would take a novel on
chapters of love, friendship, sisterhood, brotherhood, community, children,
elders, passion, gospel, prayer, devotion, happiness, tears, and joy,
etc, etc! I guess if I could sum it up in five words it would be:
“It Changed my
life Forever!”
Missionary
Debbie T (Austin, Texas)
ps.
Thank you Jesus.
Bold
Witness
My
mission trip to Tunica, Mississippi was exceedingly and
abundantly above all I could have imagined. I had read in the Missions
101 manual that the experience would be to my benefit as well as those
I would evangelize. Indeed, this was the reality.
The
morning of our last day, in the shower, the Holy Spirit outlined my
benefit. God wanted me to become a “bold” witness and to evangelize
consistently. God took me to a new level of praise and worship. God
introduced me to the most wonder and precious sisters and brothers
and united us in love! God revealed that truly we are one in the faith.
Missionary
Mary C. (Upper Marlboro, MD)
Godly
Women
Wow! What
a mission trip! We have experienced so many wonderful God moments
over the past few days that it’s hard to not write about everything. We
have been so blessed by the group of leaders from Maryland,
what beautiful Godly women!
Our
prison ministry was so powerful. To see the prisoners weeping and
seeing prayer and then praying with them was one of the most touching
things I’ve ever experienced. I truly felt the Lord’s presence with
us there.
Missionary
Darlene B. (Austin, Texas)
Another
Level
As
we embarked upon Tunica, MS which has a population of 1,000 residents
(700 Black and 300 White), one of the first symbols I noticed was the
confederate flag hanging next to the American Flag in the center of
town. During our mission journey, I am confident the Holy Spirit began
to work in the hearts and minds of the people of Tunica, to remove
this symbol of racism.
It
was Sunday morning at 11:00AM; our group went to the
First Presbyterian Church located in the main section of Tunica, MS. The
members of the church are all Caucasian. Pastor
Paul and the members welcomed us and made us feel very much at home. During
the service, the Pastor invited us to kneel at the altar and the Elders
of the church put their hands on our shoulders as the Pastor prayed
for us. It was a powerful prayer and the Holy Spirit reigned in the
sanctuary. As tears streamed down my face, the Elders comforted me. What
a Godly event – White men praying for and comforting Black women at
the altar of God. Only God could have ordained this. Maybe these
men were slave owners, maybe their families owned slaves, and maybe
they helped erect the very racist flag that flies (flew) in downtown
Tunica or maybe these men have never touched a Black person. For me,
this service was powerful and history in the making.
Throughout
the mission journey, from witnessing in the casino, the streets and
the jail, God took me far from my comfort zone. But now reflecting
back, what was an uncomfortable place prior to this mission has become
my comfort zone. I thank God for the journey to Tunica and the journey
to a new level in Jesus Christ.
Missionary
Gloria (Upper Marlboro, MD)
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