The Gift Of Giving

Cheryl Owens/News Editor
The Newton Record

NEWTON June 25, 2008 02:04 pm

— Editor’s Note: This is one in a series of stories about what local chruches are doing on mission field.

Mission trips aren’t new to Mark McDonald. Since 1986, he has taken his vacations and gone to Guatamala 17 times, Honduras twice and to El Salvador.
McDonald, pastor of Grace United Baptist Church in Decatur, recently returned from a short mission trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico where a group of local men helped in the remodeling of a church.
“Bro. Phillip Gandy, pastor of Liberty Baptist Church in Waynesboro, got this trip up and I went along to assist them,” McDonald said. “We went to help do some remodeling on a Vietnamese church and was there three days.”
McDonald said in those three days they reconstructed a sidewalk making it wheelchair accessible, renovated some bathrooms to make them wheelchair accessible, expanded Sunday School rooms to make them bigger and worked on a heating and cooling system.
“We worked from seven in the morning until about nine at night, and really accomplished a lot,” McDonald said. “We have had people ask us why do they need help in this area? In that area the economy and things cost so much and they paid close to $50,000 for the building.”
McDonald said all the money that came in went toward the building and the pastor doesn’t even take a salary.
“The church paid for the material, we just did the construction,” McDonald said. “The people were so appreciative of everything we did to help, they treated us better than you could ever imagine. We were fed Vietnamese food which was very good and rice was served at every meal, except breakfast.”
McDonald said they were able to attend a Sunday morning service with Pastor Kim, who was the preacher of the Vietnamese church.
“Bro. Gandy preached, we had our guitars and played and sang for the congregation,” McDonald said. “It was a very spiritual service, with communion.”
McDonald said one thing really stood out to him in the service.
“When communion was served two of the deacons took the communion glasses and tray and served the congregation,” McDonald said. “After they were finished serving the communion there was three glasses left, one for the pastor and one each for the deacons. They had no idea how many glasses to pour and it turned out to be the exact amount, I thought that was pretty unusual.”
McDonald said they accomplished so much in three days and even if there hadn’t been so much construction done the encouragement they gave to the church was probably the biggest thing.
“Just the idea that someone cared enough to come, I believe it was such a morale booster,” McDonald said. “To them that will last a long time.”
McDonald said he would support and encourage anyone to go on a mission trip just one time because it was a life-changing experience.
“I don’t know a better way to take a weeks vacation than to go on a mission trip,” McDonald said. “Most people will tell me they just have a week off. I personally couldn’t think of a better way to relax, it is better than going to the beach or sitting around watching television.”
McDonald said he doesn’t know how 10 men could ride in one small van and just have such a good time.
“On the two days out there and the two days back we had a ball,” McDonald said. “The fellowship was probably the best thing that happened. You will see the world in a different light than you do now and will appreciate what you have and how much God has blessed you, then I don’t think you will complain as much because, God has been so good to us.”

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