SO, WHAT'S THE POINT?
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| After the service the team went outside and shook hands with everyone. |
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July 2, 2008
by Brian Johnson
Constructing a new workshop in Papua New Guinea was anything but easy.
After getting off the airplane from Australia, the short-term missions team had breakfast, a quick orientation and then went straight to work.
To make the new workshop the team had to put together 18 steel trusses, wire-brush each one and then paint them before final assembly.
When the physical labor was completed the team had a chance to see what their work would help accomplish.
Piling into the back of a truck, they headed off early in the morning to visit a tribal church. After a bumpy three-hour ride the team arrived and was welcomed into the church building.
One of the believers began banging on a log drum, announcing to the village that the service was about to start.
The church slowly gathered and the music began.
As the team listened to believers singing praises to God in the tribal language, they could hear and see why they had come. The physical labor of assembling buildings and painting trusses wasn't simply work. It was one of the vital ingredients in making more tribal churches like this a reality.
Taking communion from cups made of bamboo, the team joined with tribal brothers and sisters in a celebration of what Christ had done.
When the service was completed the team was asked to go outside and line up so that everyone could shake their hands and thank them for coming. After shaking hands with about 200 people --some of the children more than once-- the team enjoyed a tribal feast prepared especially for them. Then it was time to head towards home.
The team took their skills overseas to help make tribal ministry happen. You could do the same >>
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