Mission Update 3 - Day in the Life of an FMC Missionary

One Month Already, What?!

I can’t believe it’s been almost a full month of me here at Big Woods, Louisiana already! I’ve written a couple blogs so far how the Lord has been moving in my heart throughout my time here (and if you would like to read my last one here is a link: http://kelliegoff.wixsite.com/seamless-grace/single-post/2018/09/30/Mission-Update-Week-2---Healing-Week), but I want to share what the joy of living here from day-to-day is like! I’ve mentioned already that there are about 60+ of us missionaries for training this year, more than half being the missionary kids in the families, and the rest being the parents, the single women and then the men. There are 14 single women and 4 single men, and I’m finally used to sharing common space with 6 other girls now (believe it or not).

Community Life

Let’s just say community is EVERYTHING (after Jesus of course). All that we do is in common sharing, whether that be singing worship as a community; praying every morning together (whether out of our Christian Prayer Book or doing the rosary on Fridays) as a community; eating every meal together; sharing germs with each other; making sure the toddler missionary kids finishes their tuna sandwich; sharing the glory stories of God transforming lives to those we serve downtown with each other, or even sharing the hard stuff and learning to allow others to journey with you. We truly live in a space that calls us to deeper love for one another and radical humility. I’ve already had my fair share of ups and downs, as anyone would living with 14 other girls and constantly being surrounded during the rest of the day with 30+ missionary kids running around. And although it’s loud, it’s crazy, and you might even have to run over to some kids to make sure they don’t hit each other with books, I still find myself in the midst of the chaos (especially during prayer time) smiling because I realize how beautiful this home is. I’ll catch myself during prayer thanking the Lord for the crying babies, the energetic 7 year olds, and all of them in between, because I immediately am reminded of Jesus’ disciples, but more specifically the Early Church.

I find myself overwhelmed with the joy of the Holy Spirit when I encounter the everyday noise and craziness here because I see how authentic and imperfect this community is. Yet, in that imperfectness we wake up every morning ready to do God’s will and be transformed. I hear a baby cry who is ready to be nursed and I am brought back to images of what this normalcy of life was like for the Early Church…coming together in a small place with lots of people and being our unapologetic selves. I bet many of the first followers of the Church in its’ early stages worshiped with their hands raised high like ours, or had their kids running around and parents going off to catch them. I am convicted more than ever that the missions life is an all-encompassing encounter of the Body of the Christ to its’ fullest. As wild as it sounds, I am sure when I am sent off abroad I’ll miss the noise of Big Woods and sharing every bit of my space, gifts, and self to others.

Day-to-Day Schedule (Prayer, Workshops & Ministry)

How our schedule generally looks is that all 60+ of us begin our mornings together at 8 a.m. for breakfast. We gather in the Big House (where the singles live), sing songs of praise before we eat together, have breakfast, and then the kids go off to kid’s ministry while the adults dive into training workshops. Depending on what day it is, it can look different what material we are learning. When the adults gather in the living room we either are coming together for the Sí Señor sessions (where the leadership team shares about different topics of being a missionary that will help prepare us for the field). Some topics we have covered already were the charisms of FMC and how we are called to live into the commitments we have accepted as missionaries, loving one another in community/roommates, and more recently the vital pillar to serve the poor and why as missionaries we should at all times minister to those on the margins of society.

If we aren’t being formed in our Sí Señor talks, then we could also be reading together as adults St. John Paul II’s encyclical on “Mission of the Redeemer.” An encyclical is a letter from the Pope in the Catholic Church where he shares with the rest of the Church to call us, typically, to action. This one we are reading more specifically is a letter JP2 wrote to the members of the Catholic Church (and accessible to anyone, not just Catholics) about how missionary activity is a call that ALL Christians should live out. He shares his definition of missions and how that call for Christians is urgent more than ever in our world today. “For missionary activity renews the Church, revitalizes faith and Christian identity, and offers fresh enthusiasm and new incentive. Faith is strengthened when it is given to others!” (2.)

Twice a week the adults are also broken into smaller groups called “Teaching Workshop” and we practice in front of each other giving all sorts of talks. I just had to give a talk on how God gives us the Holy Spirit to inspire us and fill us with encouragement!

Aside from the prayer, worship singing, and learning sessions, ministry here is everything! Us missionaries are called to “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to all creation.” – Mark 16:15. In other words, emphasis on the GO-ing. The single missionaries twice a week are sent out to go downtown to serve to the people in our area doing a variety of things. I have been visiting the Christian Service Center in Abbeville, helping minister and simply love women at the Pregnancy Crisis Clinic. So far, the Lord has already used my openness and availability to the Holy Spirit to share Jesus with these women (I’ll be sure to make a blog at some point of my glory story accounts ministering to others).

I’ve also had the chance to hop in a car with the singles and a leader on the leadership team to do worship ministry. We were graciously invited into the home of a former FMC missionary's home where we offered worship music to college students in the area. It was amazing seeing the faith of these students come alive.

The rest of the week is full of down-time and chore time (I am on the hospitality chore team and am responsible for making sure the groceries are organized and soon I’ll be helping with photography!!!) But in my free time, I enjoy spending time with the horses in the field behind the Big House. We even have two missionaries here that professionally train horses (and I got to ride one today). I am in my happy place here photographing our simple, yet breathtaking moments of our every day. Whether it be rushing to grab my camera to get photos of kids playing in the mud or everyone outside running around near the horses while the sun goes down, I fall deeper in love with this new home of mine.

The Greatest Adventure

I can’t thank the Lord enough for my roommates, who never fail to make me giggle until my stomach hurts right before bed with the lights turned out. I am forever grateful to walk across a little dirt path to the Chapel to see Jesus every single day. When a swarm of kids with lots of love and hugs run to approach me, it’s like I’ve known them and been part of this family forever. And who can forget our intense games of Chick-ee Chaw and daring the losers of every game to do something ridiculous in front of the rest of the missionaries?

This past January when I still had no post-graduation plans I heard the Lord in prayer say to me, “Kellie, I have a great adventure in store for you.” I believed the Lord was about to do amazing things in my life and take me on wild adventures, but in all honesty, I never thought they would be THIS beautiful. I am humbled, I am grateful beyond the imaginable, and I rejoice in being able to share this life with you.

I pray you say “yes” to whatever adventure the Lord is calling you to respond to in your life right now. Trust in His voice and be not afraid.

May the Lord Bless You Always,

Kellie

P.S. - Send me any prayer requests you might have, I individually lift up your intentions in my own personal prayer time, but on Friday's during our rosary time we share intentions to the whole community to pray over.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

“To fall in love with God is the greatest romance, to seek him, the greatest adventure, to find him, the greatest human achievement,” St Augustine of Hippo.

"No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty; to proclaim Christ to all peoples," St. John Paul II, Mission of the Redeemer