May 17, 2023 In the Very Pains of My Love

When I lost my father, I was lost.

On December 1st 2017, Melanie lost her best friend, her father.

I remember the next Sabbath. I was looking at the bulletin in church, and in their announcements, there was a section talking about a mission trip that Quiet Hour Ministries was going to conduct.

She remembers a feeling in her heart, so she decided to call QHM and leave a voicemail asking if she could still join, because the trip was in less than a month.

Georgia called me back and said it was not too late. I knew immediately that it was God’s will because of how smoothly everything seemed to fall into place, my tickets were purchased, I was able to get time off, every moving part moved perfectly.

In the very pains of my love, I told myself I wanted to help the country that I grew up in, and when I look back, being on this trip made me feel like I was doing this for my father.

When we landed, they said they were going to Jaro. That was the exact area where my father grew up… When I would talk to people, they would recognize my family name. Before arriving, I didn’t know how connected this trip would be to my father.

For Melanie, this mission trip couldn’t have come at a better time. When the Lord offers you an opportunity, trust Him. In the midst of an enormous loss, it may seem impossible to be a light to others. But when you feel that feeling in your heart, trust it because it’s God, and He has a plan for you.

From that trip on, I was interested in continuing to go on mission trips, said Melanie. Since then, I have been on three mission trips. It was also a way to find myself after my father’s passing.

People ask, Melanie, why do you have to go on mission trips? You have your family, and you have people in your community that need help and need to hear the word of God; why do you have to go so far? I tell them, I do spread the word of God to my family and community, but I just want to share in whatever way the Lord asks me to.

The fifth anniversary of her father’s passing fell on our second week in the Dominican Republic.

I wasn’t planning on doing the Bible story for the kid’s program last night, confided Melanie. It was the anniversary of my dad’s death, and the story happened to be about Lazarus. In the teacher’s materials, it had a prayer written that said, “Even though your loved ones have died, you can see them in heaven one day.” Through her tears, she said, “And I had to pray that, and I felt the Lord telling me, ‘Melanie, you’re going to see them again.'”

Oftentimes we go on mission trips so the Holy Spirit can work through us to reach others. But sometimes, God uses the mission trips to work on us too. Don’t ignore that feeling in your heartÑGod is trying to work on you.