Youth With A Mission

By Pastor Mark McAdow
Our Willow View youth and several adult sponsors have been in Costa Rica all week.  Flexibility is always the key on any mission trip.  They thought they were going to be teaching a Vacation Bible School in the morning in a large school but found out when they arrived the kids were out of school this week.  They adjusted and began doing VBS in a small church and then moved to a public park to reach more children.

In the park, Quintin was approached by an older man in tears who wanted to talk to him.  He shared, through an interpreter, that he was an alcoholic.  He asked Quintin to help him and Quintin prayed with him to receive Christ.  It sounds like both had tears in their eyes. In the afternoon, the team has been scraping, priming and painting a school for children with special needs.  When I texted Quintin to see how they were all doing, he said they were doing well and sent this line in his text:  “Also the love of Christ is flowing out of each one of our kids and it’s a joy to see!”  Praise God!

Last night at our church prayer gathering, we took time to pray for each of them personally by name. Here is the list of the team members:  Quintin, Ashley, Nancy, Lisa, Bethany and Cale Benham, Pete and Riley Voth, Chayley Nickeson, Meleah Meyer, Zoe Walker and Ryan Nall.  Lord willing, they should all be back in Enid this Saturday night. I am looking forward to hearing their stories of any “God sightings” while on the way to and from – as well as in – Costa Rica.  I am sure it was the first time many of them were out of the United States for the Fourth of July.

Robin and I went with the mission’s organization, Youth With a Mission, the summer before we married.  We, too, were in a tropical setting.  Our primary goal was evangelism, and we invested a month doing just that on the beach, in neighborhoods and in the red-light district in Honolulu.  It was a life-changing month for us. I pray that this week has been life-changing for our team, too, as they grow in their faith and their ability to “put on Christ” to serve others. Thanks to our Willow View family for all your love, prayers, finances and continuing support!

Hope your 4th of July was a blessing. Looking forward to seeing our Willow View men tomorrow morning for First Friday at Wee Too at 7 a.m. and all of us this Sunday.  I‘m beginning a three-week series on the small book of Titus.  It is just 46 verses long but packed with practical insights for us all.  This series is called “Blueprint for a Healthy Church.”  Come join us!

Yours in Christ’s love,
Pastor Mark