Beautiful Sunset

We’re here in Portland, Maine for our second day of preparation… and we’re already beat.  We were given the grand tour of the Root Cellar, a great non-profit organization that emphasizes community development in a Christ-centered way.  We’ve also been ‘hoofing’ it around the streets of Portland, getting familiar with our missions field.  A couple of things we’ve learned:  Brick sidewalks are sweet, seafood gets steadily more awesome the closer you are to the ocean, it can actually hail in sixty five degree weather, and this community is a thriving and changing place.  We’re excited to be working with the different populations in the area, ranging from Iraqis to Sudanese to Rwandan immigrants, all of them very unique, bringing something versatile and endearing to the community.

The shops in the area reflect the true ‘melting pot’ culture, and walking the streets is always a joy.  We’re also working with a church in the area;  it’s smack dab in the middle of all the shops and busyness, and it’s a quaint nod to churches of Portland antiquity while still remaining purposeful and relevant to the surrounding area.  It’s been great listening to Stuart and Keith, the caretakers of the church, tell us about how people in the community have provided things for the church as they’ve needed them, and how appreciative and amazed they are at how God provides.  It’s always fantastic seeing real, genuine Christians striving to make a difference in their given communities, and it gives me hope that we can really mesh and involve ourselves deeply to perpetuate lasting change while we’re here.

My prayer for the teams this summer is that, while they are part of just a week long short-term missions trip, they could really show this community a little piece of the kingdom of heaven.  I pray that as individuals, we will do good deeds selflessly, pointing in the direction of Christ as our inspiration for our actions.  Every relationship we build, no matter how short-lived, will have a lasting change if we build them in the mindset of one who follows Christ.

Our team (Michelle, Christine, and I) is very excited to be the conduit for a glorious exchange of love and energy in this community, and we anxiously await the arrival of our first team.  All of this to say… Hello, Portland.  Get ready.

By Chuck

June 2010

Experience Mission is offering Summer 2011 mission trips to Portland and other locations in the U.S. and abroad. Visit www.experiencemission.org or call  360-732-0986  for more information.