By Ivy Ann Hogan and Betsy Kelly
There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to short-term missions. Sometimes mission teams believe they are going to simply fix problems and bring Jesus with them wherever they are serving. This thought, while well-meaning, is a misguided view of missions. It does not paint the full, or realistic, picture of how God works to build His kingdom. The truth is God is already at work in the hearts of people around the world for his own purposes. Our Habersham team witnessed this first-hand while in Zakosciele, Poland, where we saw the hand of God active through the ministry of Proem. Created after the fall of the Berlin wall, this Polish ministry seeks to evangelize and build up God’s kingdom by meeting the needs of those surrounding them through “camps, Christian schools, church plants, and community help initiatives.” During our time in Poland, the team was blessed to witness how God was already working through Proem’s outreach ministries.
By God’s grace, our trip coincided with the 35th anniversary celebration of Proem’s long-standing ministry in Poland. Following the celebration, we had the privilege to witness the baptisms of many Polish youth who had been impacted by Proem’s work. Team member Daniel Lawson, shared, “As I witnessed the baptisms, I had in the back of my mind that these people knew nothing about God, and yet here they are in a small camp being baptized. We were basically in the middle of nowhere and yet God was at work. This was pure beauty.” Daniel’s reflection and observation is a testament to how the Lord works to graciously correct our thinking and bring us to the realization that “you get to hold space for God to use you and grow you without having to save the world, because you can’t, and Jesus already did” (Training for a Life of Kingdom Work).
Holding space for God and resting in the truth that he has done the saving work provided freedom for relationships to be formed and Christ’s presence to be experienced. Eleventh grader Paige Edwards, who led the arts and crafts team, used the opportunities God presented her to build relationships with campers. Reflecting on these new connections, she stated, “I built relationships with a lot of kids, and we would often sit together at meals or make friendship bracelets during free time. Despite the language barrier, we were still able to communicate somewhat through translating apps, gesturing, and body language. I still keep in touch with some of the kids at camp; I hope to be able to go back one day and see them again.”
Senior Savannah Hining had a similar experience. Reminiscing about worship in Poland she recalled, “I thought it would be difficult to connect with people because of the language barrier. In church, it was wonderful how we did worship. We were all able to connect by singing, even though we were singing in different languages. It showed me how God really is everywhere and hears everything.”
These are just a few examples of how God allows us to be united to one another and experience His presence after we realized we were not there to save, but to allow God to work through and in us in whatever way He pleases.
Another team member, Georgia Reed, offered a concluding thought, “The Ukrainians love for the Lord through great struggle was so humbling and encouraging. They helped each one of us grow further in our faith. The joy that these amazing people have not only for each other but for the Lord is life changing. These beautiful people made a greater impact on me than I could ever imagine.”
God was not only working in the people serving at Proem, but also in the hearts of our new Ukrainian friends, as well as our own hearts. God graciously revealed His blessings, and how He is not only working through us, but in us. Our mighty and omnipresent God is always at work in this world. As John 5:17 states, “In his defense, Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I too am working.’”
