october blog

[Derek Drenth]

I don’t know anyone who got back recently from a trip but I know someone who is leaving soon...
Rereading journals is fun and cool to see what was all written.
One major lesson: that is impossible there are too many.
Mission statement: I want to be committed to being the hands and feet of God in loving the world through providing materially, emotionally, and spiritually for others.
My mentor and I concluded that God is constant in every culture and does the same things but can work in different ways in different cultures. And how He heals people is a mystery, but the part we can play is earnest prayer in faith.

[Camren de Waard]

Hi Derek,
I like your mission statement. Good reflections.
God Bless you as you strive to live this mission statement out.
Camren

[Pam DeWilde]

Our family recently finished a year long trip around the world. Learning about and experiencing other cultures was an important goal of our trip. That included language learning, and contributing our skills/gifts where we could. We volunteered with CRWRC in 4 different countries along the way (4-6 weeks each). The experience that had the greatest impact on me was getting to know some Taize Brothers in Mymensingh, Bangledesh and volunteering with a L'Arche community in the same town. We experienced hospitality in its purest, most Christian form. Over and over again we were humbled by the amazing people and opportunities God put on our path. Journals are great! My kids didn't appreciate having to keep one - but I know they will some time later! We've been home four months now, and at least once a week we're looking up something in one of our journals, or checking where we were this time last year.