Close Window   Mission Trip - what does that mean? By Chris Wheeler   PHOTOS   One of the things Webster's says the word Mission means is "the act of sending" or "assignment to or work in a field of missionary enterprise" or "a body of persons sent to perform a service or carry on an activity". Now interestingly the Bible doesn't use the word Mission or lest say as I looked for it I never found it....I'm by no means a Bible Scholar so I just looked in the back of my Bible and then got out the Strong's concordance and neither had that word listed.... Below is what a Mission trip means to me, Chris Wheeler, one of 8 people from New Hope who was blessed in October with a mission trip to Tlacolula, just outside the city of Oaxaca in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico where Matt & Rachael Juarez and their boys have been serving for the past 2 years. Pastor Randy has challenged us over the years to listen to what God is asking of us. This is how and what I have been trying to do - step out of the tent (from my Beth Moore Bible Study) and see what God has in store for me even if I don’t think I want to be a missionary or go to a foreign country. I for one want to be the best servant I can be. In being willing to step out and follow God's leading I find that my heart has been changed / touched in ways I had never expected. I think the biggest thing from this trip is realizing how busy I am here in Bend, and how much "stuff" I have that I don't need or use. As the saying goes "slow down and smell the roses". So those are just 2 of the things I'm working on as a result of this trip. On this trip some of things we girls did as a team was clean and sort cupboards in the Visitors Center, help in the office, clean one of the boy's dorms and wash their cloths, help in the kitchen with meals and dishes. Sounds like home. The guys on our team got to play with big boy toys in that they were helping build a playground, so they did welding (for the most part had never done that) and then the girls got to paint some of that. Doesn't seem like much, but remember what God says about the kids in Matthew 19 - that we are to let them come to Christ for it is them that will inherit the kingdom. And I feel like that is what we were doing - helping bring them closer to God as we serviced of them. We were there to serve and whatever they asked us to do we did because that to me is what a Mission’s trip is, "Service". Over the last year, our small group from new hope, along with Matt & Rachael has been helping a local family add onto their home. While we were there we got to help paint and wire the home. Then on Friday our last day there they had what they call a "Blessing of the home". We would call it a House Warming party. They do it much better than we do I think! We were invited to come and share in this time and anyone who knows me knows I had to get out the tissues. Both of this couples fathers are Pastors and they said blessings over us....WOW how God blessed us that day....once again a reminder of how much we have and how much we can share. Here are some of the sites of this trip and my encouragement to you if you are reading this maybe God is talking to you about going out on a "mission trip" and so this letter and the pictures might just be preparations for your heart....please step out of the tent and go!