Why Go On A Short-Term Missions Trip?

Our Short Term Missions team is preparing to leave on Saturday, February 2 for Mexico City. We will be ministering to the Niños de México, an orphanage in Mexico City. Our work project is to build two or three steel playground sets for three different homes that the Niños kids live in. The playground equipment they had was built of wood and deteriorated quickly in the hot, dry environment of southern Mexico. We also hope to spend time with the children, loving them and encouraging them, as well as give support and encouragement to the Niños staff, who work day at night for the sake of these children This is a picture of some of the kids we got to know when we were there last year.

Understandably some people may ask, why go on a short-term mission trip? Isn’t it expensive, couldn’t our money be used more effectively by just giving the orphanage the money? Isn’t it more like a vacation than a real mission?

That question can be answered by considering the return on the investment in terms of changed lives and a changed world. There are benefits to team members themselves, to the sending church, to the host missionary, to the host community, church or project. The cross-cultural team experience develops world Christians as it allows team members to see another culture as it really is…allowing God to experientially teach them and mold their lives.

There are many wonderful benefits for those who participate in a short term mission.
They are more likely to…
* Pray consistently with a real understanding and vision for world missions.
* Donate time and financial resources to missions.
* Become actively involved in church leadership as elders, deacons, Sunday school teachers, etc.
* Become involved in local community outreach.
* Become involved in local church and its ministry.
* Consider becoming a long-term missionary either now or in the future.

Lives are changed when we are willing to submit to the call of God and go to serve others who are in great need. When we give our lives in service, and see the need first hand, we become greater servants than ever before. And we begin to the see the world through God’s eyes like we never have before.

Please be praying for our team as we serve in Mexico City, and pray for those we go to serve, that they will be encouraged and needs will be met.

Yours in Christ,

Big Snow in Baker City

We got our share of snow over the night. We woke up this morning with about six inches of new snow.
That’s on top of what we already had, about 10 or 12 inches. So it is getting pretty deep around here.
As you can see, it is really piling up in our back yard.

The view from our back yard toward the Wallowa Mountains (or Eagles as they are called around here) is pretty spectacular.

Here is Sherrill running the snow blower clearing our driveway.

It’s Good To Be Home

It is good to be back in Baker City. After being gone for nearly three weeks, it is good to be back amongst the wonderful fellowship we experience here at the Baker City Christian Church. People are so warm and welcoming, and we are so encouraged.

We always miss our kids and grandkids when we are not with them, but we had a good long visit, and we left feeling good that everyone is doing well.

Griffin has been a big concern with the problems he had right after birth. But he is looking good, and seems to be a very healthy baby. We continue to pray for good health and strong development.

Off To Mexico

Now my big chore is getting ready to leave for a short term mission trip to Mexico. A group of ten people from BCCC are going down to Niños de México (an orphanage for Mexican street children) to build playground equipment for two or three of their orphanage houses.

We are excited about this opportunity, and are getting our bags packed to fly out for Mexico from Boise on February 2. We will be there for one week to work, spend time with the kids and staff of Niños, and experience some of the Mexican culture. Please be praying for us as we travel, work and experience ministry in Mexico City.

Pastor Roger Opens New Blog

This is my first attempt at running my own blog. I will be using it to keep you informed of things going on in my life as well as sharing spiritual truths, meditations, and thoughts about scripture and ministry.

One of the things going on in my life is the birth of...not one...but TWO new grandsons!

On December 27, 2007 Griffin Vaughn Scovil was born to our son and daughter-in-law, Nathan and Leslie at McKenzie Willamette Hospital in Springfield, OR.

On January 17, 2008 Blayz Daniel Low was born to our daughter and son-in-law, Robin and Dan Low at McKenzie Willamette Hospital also.

It has been a wild ride, as Griffin had some complications after his birth with a virus that attacked his brain. It was scary at the time, but things seem to be going much better now with good reports from his doctors. He has a check up coming at OHSU on February 15. So we are all praying for a good report. God has answered our prayers thus far with the fact that he has been getting good reports on his checkups and is looking really good.

Blayz and his mother are doing good also and things are going well on that front as well.