Esperanza Mission Week
A couple months ago, a mission trip was announced at church and I had the stomach-flip-flop-I-believe-Holy-Spirit-moment of “Susan, go!”
Early, early Saturday morning, my friends and I embarked on a journey with six others from our church to a remote mission in British Columbia called Esperanza. For most of the year, the mission provides counseling to area people. During the month of August, groups come to do work projects, aiding the staff in caring for the physical needs of the mission. People from our church have gone to help with construction and other odds and ends for years.
We drove from Seattle to the Tsawassen Ferry, just south of Vancouver. After the longest ferry ride I’ve ever taken (two hours) and some more time on the road, we overnighted in Qualicum Beach.
And the journey was still not over. More hours of driving until we reached a twenty mile stretch of gravel road through the most beautiful mountain scapes I’ve ever seen, I listened to the music from the Lord of the Rings, certain we’d crossed into Middle Earth somewhere along the way. At the end of the road, the little fishing village of Zaballos perched, where we waiting with our gear for boats to take us on the final leg of the trip. Local kids took turns leaping from the pier into the fish-teeming waters. Birds circled overhead, and the mountains surrounded us.
On the water for nearly an hour, we arrived at the mission: and a cluster of houses and cabins, new and old, finished or unfinished, in good repair or not-so-much, and to the warm welcome of the mission staff and another church group already arrived.
Now, after a quiet night with no machine sounds (even the generator shuts off) and the occasional rustle of little creatures, I’ve woken to the water and mountain view out my windows. And a lovely absence: no cars. Commuter traffic here is little speed boats heading back toward Zaballos.
I have no idea what I will be working on this week, I’m not even sure about the schedule. But I am so thankful I followed the voice that said, “Go!”
I’ll be posting each day this week with more about the adventure!
Gratitude for:
234. A safe journey
235. Great friends to travel with
236. The beauty of creation
237. A wonderful Jesus-loving community in Qualicum, St Stephen’s United Church.
238. Seeing a bald eagle.
239. Internet access
240. Adventures
241. The work of Esperanza and the people who faithfully serve