Short Term Mission trips of 2018
Redeemer’s Short Term Missions ministry serves the purpose of connecting our mission team participants with international church planters who have partnered with Redeemer City to City. This past summer Redeemer commissioned trips to partner churches in Madagascar, South Africa, Guatemala, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Over 100 Redeemerites fulfilled the great commission by coming alongside these international churches to engage with them, encourage them, and offer practical and financial support.
The teams developed and presented programs and events both varied and unique. For example, after teaching classes on entrepreneurship skills in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ten teammates treated the hosting church’s staff and congregants to a church-wide weekend retreat in nearby Rwanda.
Our July medical team traveled to Madagascar to teach the latest healthcare practices to local healthcare workers, and then modeled these skills as they worked in a temporary clinic.
Our August Cape Town team taught modeling, singing, and acting classes to neighborhood children and teens. Over 100 members of the community attended the culminating show at the end of the week!
One of the two Johannesburg trips presented Faith & Work career workshops for three different churches, which were attended by almost 300 people. Another Johannesburg team spent meaningful time with sixty children from an orphanage and took the kids on several field trips. Field trip destinations included a local children’s show and an observatory called the Top of Africa.
Our Guatemala team included an optometrist who brought over 800 glasses for the local community. One local woman who received glasses said it was the first time she had seen clearly in nine years!
As a result of our teams’ sacrificial service, relationships with our international hosts were strengthened and our work in their communities resulted in more awareness of the local church. As Pastor Peter Makapela of Christ Church Strand stated, “We thank God for the team that has come to serve our church and community here in Zola. The church has benefited a lot from the presence of these wonderful servants whom you have sent to us this year. We trust that the seed of the gospel that was planted in the hearts of many through the ministry of this team will one day germinate and produce a lot of fruit.”
But we’re not finished with missions! In October and November, three additional teams will be commissioned and travel to Tokyo, various cities in Europe, and the Philippines. Teammates on these fall trips will be conducting a Faith & Fashion conference, participating in an Arts Festival, presenting concerts of Broadway music and performance workshops, and offering children’s programs for these church’s community outreach efforts.
Be on the lookout for a full report of what God accomplished through our missions teams in our December 2017 newsletter. You can find that report and more at redeemer.com/missions.
Intrigued? Find out more about our 2018 trips during Missions Month in January. We hope you’ll join us!
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