A Mission Trip that Hit Close to Home

Julie Raether had no interest in joining a short-term mission trip to Africa.  Nor did she have any idea the impact the experience would have on one of her most precious relationships closer to home. At the time all she could think about was all she had to do, and flying across the world simply didn’t fit.

Her husband had gone to Africa numerous times and returned home excited and full of stories about his experiences. “He kept talking about Africa,” she said, “and he wanted to get together with his team, but I didn’t want to go.” She had too many other concerns and responsibilities fighting for her time. 

Then, one day, her husband received an email from Eva. When he learned she was gathering a team to work at a hospital warehouse in Africa, he felt certain Julie, who worked in healthcare should go. 

She disagreed. “I work fulltime, go to school, and have seven grandkids,” she said. “I was like, ‘I’m not sure how this is going to fit, and I don’t know if it will.’” First hurdle—she needed to meet with her boss to request a full two weeks off. To her surprise, her boss responded, “You have to go!” But Julie still had another major obstacle to overcome—she was already registered for spring semester.

“I called my advisor. She was like, ‘Oh, my goodness! We’ll do what we can.’” She pushed two courses to the end of the semester and enrolled Julie for two other university classes online so she could still be full time when she returned. “I didn’t have much time to prepare,” she said. “They asked us to go in November, and we left in January. I’d never been, needed shots, and all those things that come with international travel. But the Lord laid everything out so beautifully, even down to the plane ride.” 

Eight-hour flights are challenging for anyone, but for Julie, who frequently suffers from restless leg syndrome, even more so.  She worried she might not feel well or that her leg issues would act up, but then she received a surprise blessing from one of her journey group members. “He told me he wanted to contribute Delta miles to my fund and to upgrade me to business class. So there I was, traveling from the US to Paris in business class. We got on the plane, took off, had zero problems. I watched a movie, we transferred planes. The Lord blessed our team immeasurably,” she said. 

Reality hit, however, once they landed and made it to baggage claim. “We were the minority,” she said, “and I didn’t speak the language. Right away I had a sense of, ‘How am I going to explain God’s love to a country that doesn’t understand what I’m saying?”

That thought replayed through her mind throughout the entire trip. “How can we tell others of God’s love when they don’t speak our language.” But she rested in the fact that three of their five team members had been to Africa before, they knew the way, and God had cleared a path for them. 

Their missionary host met them at the airport and, happy to see them, took them to the missionary house. The next morning, they traveled five hours to where they stayed for the remainder of their missionary service. Their work involved long hours, was hard, tiring, and rewarding. “We were on the ground for fifteen days and worked twelve of those days from 7am to 4:30pm,” she said. “Then our nights were filled with prayer meetings or dinners.”

Each morning, they had chapel with the leadership and hospital staff. “That was something I looked forward to,” Julie said. “Knowing we were worshipping and praising the same God. Whether or not we understood the language, He did.” 

Early on another one of the missionaries asked if anyone wanted to lead a devotion. Julie had been praying about this and felt God’s prompting on her heart to speak on how we can love one another if we don’t speak each other’s languages. “We do that by coming and serving,” she said. “By smiling, by trying to learn their language, but mainly by serving. Despite the language barrier, God commands us to love and another, and we need to figure that out when we’re serving.

“It was beautiful,” Julie said. “I spoke in English and an interpreter translated. To speak my language, then see the hospital staff nod while my words were translated was amazing. One of the most precious times I’ve had.”

But God wasn’t done blessing or using her. When she returned to the states, she met an old friend from Nashville for lunch. “We only see each other every few years,” Julie said, “and we both have adult daughters.” Together, they talked about some struggles and heartaches related to parenting. “Her daughter had lost a baby last year, and my daughter’s agnostic.” Julie explained. “While I was sharing my heart regarding my daughter, my friend said, ‘She’s not hearing you. You’re not speaking her language.”    

This truth, spoken by her insightful friend, stayed with her when she went to New York to visit her daughter. Her lifegroup had recently completed the Storytellers workshop, and as she interacted with her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend, Julie thought of the Engel scale of faith. “I could see the timeline and thought, ‘We’re way to the left still, but that’s okay.’ The whole time I was sitting there, I kept thinking ‘relationship, relationship, relationship.’”

As a result, there conversation was drastically different than it had been in the past. “I could see a change in her,” Julie said. “She was more open with me to say things she’d wanted to about my faith and her feelings. It was like she’d been stuck in a box, afraid to hurt my feelings before. And I can see how God’s brought people into her life who are speaking her language.”

God was preparing Julie’s heart in January to speak the devotion that He later, through her friend, used to speak to her—the very words that paved the way for an amazing, God-orchestrated visit with her daughter. 

“For those who wonder, ‘I don’t know if the Lord sees me or knows where I’m at,’ He sees us every second of the day,” Julie said. 

And He’ll guide us. All we need to do is listen and obey. Whatever He’s asking us to do, we can trust that it’ll be good, because He is good. 

Passion Birthed Through Short-Term Missions

When Tera first learned Christ Community Church was sending a team to Senegal, she was surprised to sense God’s tug on her heart. But she felt like perhaps the last person who should be taking such a trip. Not only did she have three little girls in need of care and a husband who needed to work, she’d also never been on a mission trip before nor did she know how she felt about them in general.

“I’d always questioned short-term missions and their value,” she said. “I questioned their impact and whether they’re a wise stewardship of time and money. They aren’t vacations or holidays or opportunities to experience another culture. Missions aren’t supposed to be a selfish thing.”

But she wanted to be obedient above all else. “I was like, ‘Well, if I’m not supposed to go on this, God will make that clear.’” She decided to call her husband, convinced he’d tell her not to go. 

So, she called him that afternoon, and he said, “Go for it. Apply.”

Though his response surprised her, she still didn’t believe God was truly calling her on this trip. Too many other obstacles remained, and yet, by that afternoon, God had knocked down another major hurdle—who would care for her kids. Both her mother and mother-in-law said they’d help. 

With that covered, she continued to move forward, although she doubted she was the best person for the role. It didn’t seem like her skillset as a stay-at-home mom and former teacher matched what CCC was looking for in terms of team member skills. “I thought this would be a major roadblock,” she said. “I figured I’d fill out the application, they’d say, ‘Thanks for applying,’ and that would be that.

“Then I met with Eva [Brandt]”—Assistant Director of Missions at Christ Community—“and sure enough, she was like, ‘I’d like you to be part of the team.’”

This didn’t change how she felt about short-term missions, however. And yet, amidst all her questions and wrestling, excitement began to form. This was soon challenged by what felt like a major call to humility when she learned she’d need to ask for financial help.  

“That was hard,” she said. “But Eva encouraged me, saying this was an important part of the process—to invite others to participate.” And so, once again, questions regarding financial stewardship arose.

She prayed on this for a while. Then God spoke to her very clearly through an Old Testament passage. “I’m part of Bible Study Fellowship,” an international, interdenominational group that studies Scripture systematically, “and we were studying Joshua at the time. One of the themes we saw through our reading was that we simply need to obey God. At the very end of the book of Joshua, he said, ‘Choose this day who you will serve.’ And [all the Israelites] got excited because they had conquered all these people and could take the land God had promised them for themselves as he’d commanded.

“But what stood out to me was how Joshua seemed to be saying, ‘I don’t think you understand how hard this is. It’s hard to obey and follow God. You’re so hyped up, but I’m not fooled. I know the dedication obedience takes.’”

That, Tera said, was when it became clear to her that she was to go. She knew she couldn’t make up any more excuses.

So she went out of obedience, and while there, God not only expelled her previous concerns but burned within her a love for Senegal, the missionaries she interacted with, and the West African people. 

“We got to spend every evening sharing dinner with a different missionary family or group,” she said. “We got to hear their vision and what their ministry is about. We got to go and learn and listen and see them in action. That was very powerful for me.”

One night, one of the missionaries spoke about his original concerns regarding short-term missions. “He’d wrestled with the same things I had,” she said, “but he also identified the good things about short-term mission trips and how impactful prayer really is. How important it is to come and meet the missionaries, then go home and tell others about all God is doing and to pray for them.

“If that was the one thing God brought me there for—to pray for Senegal and a specific group of unreached people—[that would be enough]. This missionary made it clear: If God is calling you, you should go.”

God had clearly called Tera, she obeyed, and she’s so glad she did. “I know I’m not done,” she said. The passion God birthed in her heart during her time in Senegal will continue and will drive her prayers, her thoughts, and her giving. 

If you are interested in learning more about a short-term missions experience at CCC, contact Eva Brandt at evab@cccomaha.org.

Bringing Jesus to Shepherds in West Africa

Much of West Africa, as you can see from this picture, is very rural and barren land with small villages full of farmers and shepherds. Not unlike during the time of Jesus, shepherds are considered the lowest of the low, spending most of their time out in the fields with cattle, goats, and sheep. Rarely would anyone visit them, care for them, or bring them good news. Yet this is exactly what a team from CCC did just weeks ago in a West African village.

Fama, a small village of a few thousand West Africans, is located about 90 minutes southwest of the CCC hospital. The good work of the hospital over these many years has softened the hearts of the people to these outsiders called “Christians” and so this was a key village for our team to visit. This team of 6 from CCC – Adam Cassidy, Von Walter, Dr. Jerry Busselman, Paul Lanphier, Aaron Goldsmith, and me (Pastor Craig Walter) – partnered with some of our missionaries in West Africa and African Pastors to de-worm about 3,000 of their cattle over 2 days. For these families and farmers this is an amazing act of love because this de-worming will cause their cattle to often double their weight, making them much more valuable when they are ready to sell. Yet even more amazing is not just the opportunity to see the love of Jesus in action, but for some a chance to hear the good news about Jesus Christ. This is where the shepherds come in.

After working hard in the middle of a cattle pen all morning….

… we were able to gather these shepherds under a tree and tell them the story of Jesus. International Worker Jake (in the center of the picture below) is sharing the gospel in their native tongue of Bambara. These men, young and old, have probably never heard of Jesus before. These shepherds, used to being ignored and mistreated, for a few minutes were given special attention and prominence by the God who loves them so much he died on a cross for them.

This is what it looks like to take the gospel to far ends of the Earth. If there is a place called the middle of nowhere, a small field near a village in West Africa is about as close as you can get to being there. What a joy it was for our team to bring the good news to this village and to advance the work of our missionaries and African Pastors other villages in West Africa