In January I preached about Unity’s 2019 Theme Verse: “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” -Colossians 3:17
Unity is a mission-focused church, and one way to respond to our theme verse is through the support of mission trips. As a church, you have commissioned and prayed for trips to Nigeria, Kenya, New Bern, and Haiti this summer. Way to go!
Our Haiti participants recently returned from their mission trip. Here is a bit about their experience, in their own words:
Autumn Koehler: Haiti was everything I hoped for and more. It was such an emotional and unforgettable experience….I truly can’t wait to go back. It humbled me and gave me a whole new perspective on my life and the world. I still have tears of happiness, but also tears of sadness. For the life they only know and for the life I know….I want to continue bringing a little piece of happiness to them. Helping others is honestly what brings me happiness in my life. Haiti is such a beautiful country and the people are so, so loving and friendly. Although, there is a harsh reality that these people face every day…and seeing it in person is so much different than seeing it in pictures/media/books. I haven’t stopped thinking about Haiti since I’ve left. I have come to appreciate my life and what I have a little more since visiting there. I’m looking forward and I’m so excited to visit Haiti again in the near future. Thank you all for those who donated and made this possible for me. All in all, I miss Haiti so much and I have found a new love for a country other than my own.
Kate Conrad: One of the best parts of my job is having the opportunity to introduce people to Haiti and international mission work. Highlights from the trip include: Tanya and Autumn fully embracing the Haitian culture, connecting and building relationships with the students and teachers at CCH’s partner schools, getting to know CCH staff and learning about their joys and struggles, learning and understanding international mission work and how we can best approach it. It was a wonderful week. Thank you to the mission team and the Unity family for your support.
Tanya Koehler: Haiti is the place where Autumn and I left a piece of our hearts, but the pieces we received from others is beyond comprehension. I know we’ll be back. Autumn and I helped with CCH’s annual summer camp. Autumn and Allie were in charge of games. I assisted all week (and taught a class on Thursday) in the science room (on archeology and shark teeth…go figure). I know we learned as much as the children did, and gained more than we could ever have imagined.
Thank you for supporting missions through Unity. It is important to send out these teams to parts of the world that are in desperate need. Every time you commission a mission team, you are fulfilling God’s command to go out into all the world and share God’s love with all.
P.S. Join us at breakfast this Sunday at 8:30am in the fellowship hall to hear the high school youth share about their experience on the New Bern Mission Trip!
See you on Sunday!
-Pastor David
