First Sunday in Advent
Ohio Mission Trip Celebration
Text: Jeremiah 33:14-16
Pastor Jean M. Hansen
Our focus today is on the Ohio Mission Trip; it also is on the First Sunday in Advent and the promise of hope. Surprisingly, all of these topics fit together, but before we make those connections, let’s note the context of today’s Old Testament reading. (During Advent, I’ll be focusing on the first lessons, the ones from the Old Testament.)
Here’s what’s happening: Jerusalem has been completely devastated in the Babylonian invasion of 587 BCE and the inhabitants of Israel have been scattered from their homeland. They are living as captive people in Babylon. Their way of life has been overturned and their sense of security violated. On top of all that, the Prophet whose words we’re reading is imprisoned because the King could not stand the doom and gloom that Jeremiah was preaching. He locked Jeremiah up in hopes of shutting him up.
Surprisingly, the Prophet’s tone changed; there’s hope! That’s what we find in today’s four verses. As commentator Scott Hoezee describes it, “God has a word. God has a plan. God has a gracious set of promises that God will fulfill. Destitution does not have the last word. The tragedies that come do not define us ultimately. (1) The Lord is our righteousness … our source of hope.
For 17 summers, a similar conveying of hope came to people in the Caldwell, Ohio area, many of whom had faced tragedies and difficulties, through the ministry of the Ohio Mission of Faith Lutheran Church. Hope touched lives, and then bounced back onto those who offered it. (A phenomena that was sometimes called “Mission Guilt). Today we celebrate this ministry as it draws to a close, and later in the service will acknowledge its leaders and participants.
First, for those who may not know, let me describe this ministry as succinctly as possible. The Mission Team, made up of Faith members between the ages of 10 to 80 and numbering 10-20 individuals depending on the year, left on a Sunday afternoon for the Caldwell area, about two and one-half hours south of here. During the years of ministry, the group stayed at four different churches, some sleeping on the floor, thankful for air mattresses, and some tent camping on the church property. When inside showers were not available, which was more years than they were available, the workers used tent/camping showers or availed themselves of truck stop showers.
They ate breakfast and supper as a group, sharing the food preparation and clean-up, and each person packed a lunch for the day. Teams went out to different sites to do painting, repairs, re-building, yard clean-up, cleaning, and built decks, porches, stairs and deluxe wheelchair ramps were built. I use the word deluxe because it was carefully planned and engineered so that people’s transport and life-style needs were met in the best possible way, and it also looked good. The group also visited a nursing home, volunteered at a food pantry and even brought the Laundry Ministry to Caldwell last summer.
In the evening, each person described their day’s experiences, and a devotion was shared. A lot of hope was evident during the week as adults and youth worked together.
I asked the 60 or so people who had been involved in the Mission Trip, either for full or partial weeks, to share their thoughts and memories with me. At the risk of referencing some “inside jokes”, I want to touch on what they shared.
Being away from home, sleeping, eating and working together built relationships and created fun, as did not have great Wifi access. Lots of games, puzzles, walks to the ice cream shop when we stayed in Pleasant City and even aluminum can sculptures were the result. As one participant noted, it was good to have a week with no other responsibilities and to have all that time to help others and get back to God.”
The list of people who touched the Mission participants lives is long and includes:
Betty, who seemed alone in the world, which may be why she treasured her stuff – perhaps too much (including underwear on a bush). Yet, she managed to touch hearts.
Helen, who wanted to give her helpers everything she had to give, including stationary, old magazines, frost-covered ice cream and the wooden Mission Angel, who from then on accompanied the group.
Donna, who had retreated from life after her husband’s death, but seemed changed in a positive way as the Team worked at her home, making it clear that the Team’s work was not just doing “tasks” but bringing her comfort and support.
Timmy, who had severe medical issues and very limited mobility, yet cooked his famous chicken for the group.
Sarah and Steve, members and neighbors of Mt. Zion Lutheran Church where the group last stayed, baked cookies, brought fresh eggs and checked in frequently.
Wava…oh, Wava…who the group helped many times in many ways over the years to the point of frustration until it finally became apparent that she needed interaction as much as yard work.
Memories include donning protective suits and glasses, covering every inch of skin, to remove moldy drywall from a less than hygienic basement (now that’s serving!) Volunteering at the food pantry which gave the opportunity to work closely with people, and experience their giving attitude, “I don’t need that; let someone else have it.”
There were the challenges of working in sometimes remote settings, requiring a sixth sense to find the site. Then there’s getting your vehicle stuck in the mud on a narrow unpaved road, the tires buried at least six inches so that it took the tow truck multiple tries to get it out, and even then, extra steps were required to clear the mud from the wheel wells to keep the car from shimming.
There was poison ivy; need I say more?
Tall ladders and fearless climbers painted the high spots on garages, barns and homes. Youth and adults alike learned to use power equipment, to gun a 4-wheel-drive pick-up, in limited space, to pull out a step-foundation, to dig post holes in dirt that was hard as rock or like quicksand, to mix and pour concrete in order to build ramps that made it possible for people to leave their homes, which made the hard work worthwhile.
Obviously, this list could go on and on. I went on the trip all but two of the 17 years. I admit that I dreaded the Give Away Days and Warehouse Organizing. But, I have many wonderful memories; the best are of the kindness and faith of both the helpers and those they helped, the commitment it took to make it all happen, and the willingness of everyone to work hard, including the youth, but also laugh often.
It’s clear to me that during difficult times for many, perhaps not unlike those Israelites held captive in Babylon, the Mission Team was a prophet, bringing and leaving a legacy of hope. AMEN
“Commentary on Jeremiah 33:14-16” by Scott Hoezee, www.cepreaching.org