Excited. Excited about ministry at Grace Church and in the Barbados. That’s how Jane Neuwirth feels following a nine-day trip to YWAM’s Barbados Resource Center in early January. She and Donna Wismer joined other residents from Willow Valley and a half dozen students from Millersville University for this great adventure.
One of the team’s primary jobs was to prepare the Center for missions teams coming throughout the year. They divided into three teams: cleaning, sewing, and gardening. While college students climbed the roofs to sweep off leaves, Jane and others swept, mopped, scrubbed, and freshened the cabins and meeting rooms. “No matter where you are, it’s the same God you’re serving,” says Jane.
A ministry highlight included a Friday evening fellowship with local church youth where team members shared their testimonies. The next day, the team visited the church which those youth attended. Jane was rather surprised to find that the church met in an old rum factory! But it was wonderful to see God working among the young people.
Early in the trip, a centipede crawled under Jane’s flip-flop strap and bit her. It felt, says Jane, like a thousand needles in her foot. They used ice, baking soda, a fan, and anti-inflammatory medication to put out the “fire” she felt. Three hours later, as the pain dimmed, Jane felt that she had experienced Psalm 34:7. “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and rescues them.”
A couple of days later, Jane had another opportunity to see God’s Word applied to her life. At a restaurant, everyone had been served but Jane, and she seemed to have been forgotten by the staff. Finally, someone appeared with a meal for “No Name.” Jane felt humbled by the experience of being nameless and overlooked. But throughout the evening, she meditated upon Psalm 34:8. “O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.”
Throughout the trip, she was especially grateful for the spirit of unity between the generations. It is so easy for the Evil One to cause dissension, Jane notes. But through Bible study, prayer, and service, the team saw God’s hand of blessing. Upon her return, it’s clear that Jane is overflowing with an excitement born of serving the Lord.