Intergenerational Missions Trip

by Melissa Wall 

What do you get when you put 27 individuals together from one church ranging from ages three to sixty-nine? An unforgettable experience in the jungles of El Chaco, Ecuador. Since I began at DeerGrove three years ago, I continue to be encouraged at the value the DeerGrove family places on Intergenerational Ministries.

It had been only a dream to take an intergenerational missions trip with the church, but this dream became a reality in July as 27 people boarded a plane on the way to Quito, Ecuador.   We were filled with anticipation about how God would work through us as we would soon serve side by side with a church in Ecuador to dig a foundation for a new area of a church in El Chaco, put a second story on a church in Lenares, and spread Christ’s love with over 145 beautiful Ecuadorian children through a Vacation Bible School program. Our lives would be forever changed as we fell in love with the people in El Chaco and Lenares and created unbreakable bonds with each other as a church family!

As our group reflected on the trip, three questions were posed: 1.How did you see God at work? 2. What exceeded your expectations? And, 3. What was your favorite memory? Time and time again it was an incredible blessing to hear how many answers had to do with the joy the group felt about being together as a church family with so many different ages and seeing the full Kingdom of God serve the Lord together! As we dug side by side, tied rebar, played soccer in the streets, and sang in worship at VBS in the afternoons, everyone, all ages, were engaged in a worshipful lifestyle.

On an average day at the work site you would hear the glorious sound of laughter fill the air as Marj Prasse, who was lovingly nicked-named “grandma” on the trip, took rocks out into the street with little Caleb Swanson, age three.   On the other side of the work site Paul Swanson, our fearless leader, instructed Paige Michael, age 6, to mix the cement as she danced with her little feet in her rubber boots in the cement pool.   All the while eight of our youth stood close by ready to shovel the mixed cement into buckets to fill the foundation piers.

So how was it done? Was there a magic formula?  The key was an open heart, expecting that God would work through all ages in the group.  Encouraging each other and being willing to humbly set aside personal agendas so that something greater could happen.  Seeing God work through a little three year old who engages life to the max, teaching us to laugh more, enjoy more, and live life to the fullest!  Seeing God work through adults sweating bullets shovel after shovel, displaying a work ethic of obedience and humbleness; and seeing parents’ hearts touched as they watch their teens’ lives transformed as they led in music worship for VBS.  

God worked in mighty ways through the lives of 27 people from DeerGrove Covenant Church through our intergenerational missions to Ecuador, teaching us unity as two churches on opposite ends of the Equator became one church journeying and serving God side by side. Te Alabare, Praise the Lord!