It was just a few short months ago that PC(USA) Mission Coworker Jed Koball stood on the gym stage at our Sunday morning Youth Gathering and told the story of his ministry in Peru. Jed described how his initial work of meeting basic human needs transformed into systemic work of mission advocacy. Jed and his wife Jenny partner with a mission network called Joining Hands in Peru as they discern how God is leading them to address the root causes of issues such as poverty, mining contamination, and unfair trade agreements.
This Saturday, twenty of our BMPC youth and adults will be traveling to Peru to continue in the ongoing work that God is doing in Peru. Short-term mission trips are always memorable and impactful experiences. Our time in Peru will no doubt provide moments of faith-filled connections and service-focused experiences. During our trip we will serve alongside the women and girls of the Casa del Buen Trato, a shelter for survivors of sexual abuse outside Huanuco, Peru. The purpose of our work will be to learn about issues of violence against women, help with maintenance and a building project at the shelter, and to create community with the shelter residents through organized activities. We hope to explore how to integrate this experience into
our personal lives and in the life of our congregation.
While working with our worldwide mission partners is a value of our congregation, you don't have to fly on an airplane or travel to a remote village to serve the poor. We can all become more aware of the local needs of the communities around us in Greater Philadelphia. We can all become more involved in responding to the words of Jesus, “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me” (Matthew 25:35-36). As members of Christ’s church, may we each discover our own ministry.
