Last summer, Bishop Sam Gray led a program at Camp Tar Hollow called “Come In & Go Out,” focused on preparing ourselves for the mission field. The key takeaway of the week was that we must have a strong relationship with Christ before we are ready to go out into the world and be advocates for him. This program really stuck with me as I entered my junior year of college and faced my final summer before graduation. Although the Moravian church has always been a huge part of my life, I felt that I could grow my relationship with Christ and get more involved in the community. I reached out to mentors that I had connected with through years of camps, youth groups, and Sunday schools, asking about possible opportunities to get further involved in the church. This led to a mission trip to Haiti as well as the Try-Ministry Internship at East Hills.
I started my summer in Haiti to extend the love of Christ to two orphanages in the region. Imagine Missions is a home to nearly 80 kids and hosts a school for many more. We spent our time there installing a dozen ceiling fans in the church so they could get some air movement in the constant heat. Although the church service was in French, it was definitely exciting to see how involved and energetic they get about worship.
While Imagine Missions has been around for many years and is well financed through a network of churches in the United States, the second orphanage we worked at is not so fortunate. Grace for Orphans Ministry was started by an orphan who aged out of the system and, because of his caring nature, has had 18 children dropped off at his door. He preaches the word of God through his actions and was an example for our team on how we should treat one another. We were fortunate enough to have the funds to build a chicken coop and some shelves for the orphanage. When we weren’t fixing up the house, we were spending time with the kids showing them the kind of individual love that orphans don’t always get being in a large group.
After returning from Haiti, I made my way to Bethlehem, and, while I haven’t spent any time here before this summer, I have been welcomed by the community and shown genuine hospitality. This opportunity has allowed me to nurture my spiritual life and walk the path of ministry first-hand. Through meetings, visitations, and worship, I am able to see what the life of a pastor entails and I am extremely thankful for this enlightening and enjoyable experience.
Through my travels both to Haiti and East Hills, I am reminded of the dual responsibility I have as a Christian to be prepared and secure in my relationship with Christ before I go out into the mission field. I am so thankful for the opportunities that God has allowed me to be a part of this summer, and, while I have not committed to a life of ordained ministry yet, I have booked my next flight to Haiti. This December I will take my experiences from East Hills and “Go Out,” to Grace for Orphans Ministry and continue to show God’s love through word and action.
Matthew Spies