Faith Duncan and a Guatemala Sunday School student are in the circle this month.

It quickly brings back to me that we who are fortunate enough to be Christians experience much love; how lucky we are!

There are several things that strike me about the mission trips that I have been fortunate to have taken. One is that the children, no matter where

we are, are just the greatest. they may be a little shy at first but they are often the very first to welcome you to their world.

When it came time in the service that Sunday in Guatemala for the children to leave for Sunday School, Faith and Alison stood up to lead them to their classroom. They kept coming - and coming. My goodness - my guess would be 75-100 of them!

I went out with them for a few minutes but it seemed that they had enough help - and I had duties in the sanctuary.

After the service, we all met again - and, of course, they had all made out fine! The teachers and the students were ecstatic.

The second thing that I have learned is how much we visitors are bonded - to each other and to our hosts. I have truly learned what the term "brothers and sisters in Christ" means. It most certainly began with our church family here at Westminster - but it extends far beyond that.

There is much work to do when we visit others in the name of our Lord. We have an assignment, a job to do. And often one job is to get to know one another; to compare our faith and see how we can help each other. So often some people in my experience assume that those we visit want something from us. But I can tell you that they want also to give to us - and they have much to offer. We go to them in faith - and they receive us in faith. These are equal gifts.

And in experiencing that equality with others, we become bonded to each other. I have gone on mission trips with strangers to visit strangers and have come home with new bonds of friendship in both directions.

Regardless of how we are called to do so, we are all missioners. You and I and all of us together. It is our honor and our gift both to give and to receive.

Love ya',

Sally

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