Larry and Sharon, members of Constance Free Church in Minnesota, were excited to go on a missions trip in February 2021 to serve with ReachGlobal Crisis Response in Lake Charles, Louisiana, after Hurricanes Laura and Delta had ripped through western Louisiana. In their excitement about this opportunity, they shared it with their neighbors Wes and Sheryl. Even though they didn’t attend Constance and it was only one week until the trip, Wes and Sheryl decided to join in. 

When asked about the impact of the trip, Wes said, “After the trip, I didn’t want to be who I was. I needed to change.” God used the mission trip to stretch both Wes and Sheryl and challenged them to look for how they could serve in their own community. Wes and Sheryl have also come back to serve with us six more times after their first trip to Lake Charles in February 2021. It’s been amazing to see and hear how God has worked in and through them over the past two and a half years. They even became members of Constance Free Church.

In late fall, Constance sent another team to serve in Lake Charles with Wes and Sheryl serving as the team leaders. Larry and Sharon came as well, making their fourth trip to Lake Charles. This time Larry, Sharon, Wes and Sheryl reached out to another neighbor couple and invited them to come along as well. All three couples came on this past trip. We love how God uses everyday people to invite others into what He is doing. It all started with Larry and Sharon just sharing about a missions trip opportunity and look at the impact it’s had and how it has spread in their neighborhood.

As the body of believers, we have the privilege of inviting our community into service with us. You never know the impact your invite could have on someone by encouraging them to live life with a greater purpose. If you are going on a Crisis Response mission trip or are thinking of doing so in the future, who can you invite to come along with you?

Is it time for your church to plan a trip with Crisis Response? We still have some openings for spring and summer teams in Lake Charles and Fort Myers. Email respond@efca.org for more information about how to get involved or how to reserve a week.