Voices of the Faithful in my City-Sarah Gwin Moore

One of my favorite devotionals is titled, “Voices of the Faithful” by Beth Moore and Friends. It is a 366-day call to missions! Beth Moore writes the introduction to each month’s devotions but the daily entries are written by different missionaries serving on the international field. I recently have been given the opportunity to join a writing team for a local neighborhood newsletter. The column is called “Mission Moments” and I have the blessing of being the Resident Reporter! “Mission Moments” tells the stories that our neighbors have lived, while on mission for God’s Kingdom, which may be international, stateside, or simply city wide. Oswald Chamber’s writes, “We tend to forget that the one great reason underneath all missionary work is not primarily the elevation of the people, their education, nor their needs, but is first and foremost the command of Jesus Christ-“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…”(Matt 28:19) A different neighbor has been featured in each month’s edition. The purpose in sharing their stories is to magnify the Name of Jesus through their obedience to the call to make disciples of all nations. FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD! Prayerfully, these testimonies from the mission field will inspire and encourage our neighbors to respond by seeking the Lord for themselves and then joining HIM on mission in their city, nation and across the globe and if they are already “responding”, may they feel the nudge to share their stories!

While I am interviewing or collecting heart songs from 12 different “resident missionaries” per year to publish their God adventures in the Downtown Living newsletter, I started thinking how cool it would be to share their stories here as well.  The newsletter is local; so I decided to take their voices global for the Kingdom!  I asked each person if they would grant me permission to share their God stories on my blog and the answer was a resounding YES-Anything to advance the Kingdom, push back the darkness, shine the light of Christ  and ultimately magnify the Name above all names!!

Meet Sarah Gwin Moore!  Sarah Gwin is now a freshman in college but I had the extreme blessing of journeying with her and Jesus in small group for 6 years, through middle and high school.

Prepare to be blessed! This is her Mission Moment in her words, as she shares her Jesus adventure!  Christ is center stage in every word!

Mission Moments: Sarah Gwin Moore

During the summer of 2013, I traveled with First United Methodist Church to the Central American country of Nicaragua for a mission trip. While we were there, we delivered water filters and food bags, constructed a house, and directed a vacation bible school for many of the local children. But it is the relationships we built that had the biggest impact on both the people there and those that were part of the mission trip team.

On looking back, I believe that I had decided to go on this mission trip for the wrong reason; that is, it was more about the image of a person doing good in a third-world country. However, I realize now that God had a plan for me at that time.

Matthew 25:40 states, “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ While I saw myself serving the “least of these”, I was in fact being served more than I was actually serving. As I carried the food bags through the area called “the dump”, one little nine year old girl took my hand and helped me carry one of the bags the size of her.   Even though the bag was quite heavy, she did not complain because she was so happy to just be helping out. Although we didn’t speak the same language, it was this small gesture from a little girl who had nothing, yet found so much such joy in helping out, that gave me such happiness. And through these acts, I was able to find the true meaning of joy through my service to the people in Nicaragua.

Then in the summer of 2014, I was able to participate in another mission trip with First United Methodist Church to the hills of the Appalachian Mountains. This time I knew what God had planned for me; again, to serve “least of these”, but differently. For this trip, we helped a coal-mining family repair their house. The family was so grateful for our small act, and once again, I experienced very-real joy through my service, all because God guided me to this.

Although these trips were so different in many ways, the message was the same. Both of these trips gave me a true understanding about what God wants me to do and why joy is God’s reward. As I head to college in the fall, I will be forever changed in my service to others and the path that God has shown me.

(Sarah Gwin is now in her second semester of College:)

I would love for y’all to partner with me in blogging “VOICES OF THE FAITHFUL IN MY CITY”. If the Holy Spirit nudges, please share your mission stories: when and where did you go? Why did you go-what lead you to go? what did the Holy Spirit reveal to you while you were there and how has that experience changed your life and the lives of those around you? Do you feel the Lord calling you somewhere else anytime soon? Please email me your stories and pictures at katiewilson40@gmail.com. I want to follow in the format of the devotional, VOICES OF THE FAITHFUL, and share YOUR stories as devotionals, pulling out HIS-STORY, through yours here on the psalm8110 blog. Our faith stories lead others to HIM for themselves and that is the essence of a life well lived-one that simply points others to know, love, serve and share Christ!

“HE must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:30

“SHINE! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with GOD, this generous Father in Heaven.” Matthew 5:16 (The Message)

“Publish HIS glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things HE does.” Psalm 96:3

GO GOD