January was a month of work crew mission trips. Alliance Church sent a small team to Valdosta, GA to provide disaster relief with Samaritan’s Purse and another larger team of ten men to Lima, Peru to work alongside our sister church, Cono Norte Callao (CNC). Members of both teams would tell you they accomplished a long list of clean-up projects and repairs, getting to bed late and exhausted from the day’s work. And nothing feels better than putting in an honest day’s work!

However, digging deeper, there was something more than the satisfaction of hard work for these work crew team members. After helping a family in Georgia with tarping their roof, one of the disaster relief team members said they gave the family a Bible and prayed with them. He called the experience a God-appointed meeting.

The team in Peru got to know the men from the church who joined their work crew as they made significant repairs on the church’s retreat center and laid new ceramic flooring in a daughter church. They were invited into pastor’s and church member’s homes for meals after attending the Sunday morning church services where further bonds were made. They were able to visit and pray with the families whose children attended the weekly Mighty Hearts kid’s clubs sponsored by CNC Church. On Sunday evening, the men were thanked and made to feel appreciated at a special service in their honor.

Long after the work is done, the relationships will still be forged into their memories. Having gotten to know the family in Georgia and the multiple families in Lima, our team members have a new appreciation for the unique challenges their new friends face and will pray for them with a new understanding. Having a relationship with someone from a different culture increases awareness and brings to light what is truly important – the people.

When mission team members from years past begin to reminisce, they can often tell a detailed story about the Peruvians they met including names and a few details about their family. Often the mission team members come back from a trip with stories of how the trip changed them. A common response goes something like this: “I went to help them, but it was me who changed because of the experience. God was working in me.” What these work teams have accomplished is huge and much appreciated, but what they learned from the relationships they formed will be life-changing for all!

If you would like to hear more about the experiences of the work crew mission trips or learn about other upcoming trips including Medical and English Camp trips, contact us at [email protected].