We have a big family

I bet if you have ever thought about what a globalX mission trip might look like, all kinds of pictures come to mind.

Are most of the images in your head of hot places? I will share some of my experiences from a recent globalX trip where the temperatures were not so hot. Eight of us from Buckhead Church worked together with our partner church in Estonia to put on a church retreat. They invited everyone that goes to the church to come for a weekend of teaching, community, and fun.

Over a hundred people came to the retreat center in the woods of Estonia where we were surrounded by big, beautiful trees, heavy with snow. It was about seven degrees each day, but that did not keep us from enjoying the great outdoors. Estonians call fun outside “winter joy.” We had some great snowball fights as well as five outdoor baptisms. Yes—five outdoor baptisms in seven-degree weather! This is a country where only 1.5 percent of the people say they are Christians. Most people in Estonia never really consider God, yet 117 people were gathered together to enjoy the weekend and watch five people say publicly, “I believe in Jesus as my Savior!”

Our team assisted the leadership team of the church in whatever ways we could. They were a fantastic team! We helped with everything from childcare to rearranging the rooms when we needed to go from a teaching environment to indoor games.

There is not enough time or space to tell you what it was like to worship with our family in Estonia or to tell you the excitement as a new participant in the church, a man from China, sang a Chinese worship song on the night of the talent show. It was beautiful to watch people from several different countries, of all different ages, worship God, and learn together. We finished our time there by investing in the relationships our team had been building. We love our family there very much! I could tell you more, but read instead the words from Peep Saar, the lead pastor at the church in Estonia.

“For us the winter retreat has become a very meaningful time as a community. It is a great way for a starting church to grow closer together, cast vision, look back to the past year and forward to the upcoming year. It is a great time of laughing, crying, playing, eating, and celebrating together. It is a time that brings us together as a family.

Thus, it has been so meaningful to have our friends from Buckhead Church there. They are not just ministry partners, donors, even just not friends. They are part of our family and it really feels like that to us.

It means so much for us to have a group of people that is cheering us on and praying for us throughout the year. But this week together means even more to us. Because we can actually witness Buckhead people, our family members, live out the identities that we have as Risttee church—loving each other as family, worshipping God, serving us in practical ways, and truly representing the kingdom as the ambassadors of our King.”

We have a big family and I love being part of it!!  We still have some trips available this year.  Go and see how big our family is!

Macedonia Connections Trip

June 6-14

Estonia Adventure Camp

July 23-31

Estonia Women’s Connection

May 15-24

Bosnia Youth Activities

July 10-19

Bosnia Community Service

June 19-28

Venezuela Construction

July 3

Ukraine Business

Sept 5-12

Kenya Medical

Aug 19-28

East Asia orphanage

July 23-Aug 1

Cambodia Orphanage

July 22-Aug 1

East Asia Business

July 16-25

Ukraine Business

May 16-23

Rod Brown

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