On the day before we are set to launch, I am in awe and wonder of God’s sovereignty. Back in July 2022, God moved in our hearts to go on our first-ever Short-Term Missions Trip ABROAD as a church family and we went to Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic. After that trip, we continued to share and testify of God’s faithfulness and how awesome it was that our Lord would use our church for a global impact. Later on in November 2022, Pastor Virgilio Rosado from La Vid Church, the church we helped serve came to New York and served our pulpit. In essence, this wasn’t an “American church” going to go serve in a “third world country,” this had become two churches establishing a pulpit exchange and sister church relationship that went beyond borders and any language and culture barriers! Praise God! At the end of 2022, the Church Council discerned that doing a missions trip every-other-year would be a healthy way to maintain a good rhythm of life while living into the missional DNA that God had been working in our hearts!
Now over the years, our church has had the blessing to establish sister church relations with Massapequa Reformed Church and Flatlands Reformed Church. Flatlands Reformed Church is led by Pastor Paul Glover. In the summer of 2023, at the parsonage of Flatlands Reformed Church as our family was having a lunch fellowship with the Glover family, Pastor Paul’s wife Jill began to ask about our missions trip and if we were ever going to do another missions trip. I responded, saying that our church leadership is looking forward to doing another missions trip in 2024 - and with that she responded, “Put me down! I want to go!” As God continued to work in the heart of Jill and Pastor Paul, and amid continued conversations, I said “Let’s open it up to both churches! Let’s work together!” Praise God that He has done the rest!
After our first meeting via Zoom in the beginning of Fall, to our first in-person meeting this past Saturday, on January 13th, God has been on the move! Our Lord has been clearly showing his handprints all over this trip! And it’s with that, that I know that the devil will try to attack. So I covet your prayers! Don’t stop praying! FRC Family, CCCEI Family - we’re in this together! Gloria a Dios!
With love in Christ,
Pastor James
