BUTCH'S MISSIONS
Mission Trips
I first became involved in Mission trips in 1992 at the request of my pastor from the
Cookeville 7th Day Adventist Church, Kent Georgia. He had heard about a mission trip
that was going to Santa Domingo where they were going to build 26 Churches in 10 weeks. I thought to myself
"yea right" I said the appropriate stuff like sure I'll go . I suppose they (the mission trip
planners) will be paying my way, after all I am a volunteer. But no, Kent
says we have to pay our own way... I was unemployed at the time and did not have two nickels to rub
together. So Kent says "Well look, if God wants you to go He'll provide the money so let's
just believe that God will provide. It will take $450.00." I said to him, "Sure why not." Two days
later I got an unexpected (very unexpected check) for $450.00. So off we
went, driving to Miami from Cookeville, TN. We got to the airport just in time and when we went around the
corner to where we were to wait for our plane there were 250 other people with Santa
Domingo mission trip t-shirts on... It was mind boggling. I knew each person had relied on
God for the funds to be there. I was sure God was moving here. As we worked in Santa Domingo
I saw God doing miracle after miracle. I Joined the 7th Day Adventist Church in response to
the move of God on that trip and in my heart. It was awesome. This is also were I first met
Steve Case of "Piece of the Pie Ministries" Two years later I was invited to
participate in the Maranatha Convention. Maranatha Volunteers International were the group that had put on the mission trip I had gone on and
they had heard me sing on that trip and wanted me as there special music guest.. off I go to
Monterey, California. It was a very blessed event and I saw Steve Case there. He was a
youth Pastor and big believer in Teen mission trips. During a casual conversation with him
he said "Butch you would be great on a teen mission trip, you really have a lot to offer
teens." "Uh yea right" I said sarcastically, cause I had been a miserable excuse for a Dad
during my kids teen years and felt I had nothing to offer young people. About a year later I
was in Texas at my folks house (I was still living in Tennessee at the time but was down for
a visit) The phone rang.. Butch it's for you. It was Steve Case. To this day I don't know how
he found me there, anyway... He said "Butch my music leader has dropped out on me, I am in
Cuatemauch Mexico and need you to come down - will ya'?... I will pay your expenses. So I
went. Since I was in South Texas it was just a short 500 mile drive so I hopped in my trusty
77 Dodge van and headed south. Two days I was there. The first evening was horrible as I remember it. I hated every thing about it. Totally
uncomfortable with the kids and all it was really difficult... I determined that after the
meeting the next evening, after everyone was asleep I was going to get in my trusty 77
Dodge Van and just drive back home... But God had a different plan. That very afternoon two
of the local workers needed a ride downtown to get some zapata's (shoes) I told them I
would give them a ride, in the middle of the street the clutch went out.. Now I was
stranded, and in Mexico they don't just sell you a new clutch, they rebuild the whole thing. It
took almost a week to get it back together and then about 3 evenings to install.. So I ended
up staying the full time, but I vowed to NEVER do it again. The next year Steve calls me again "Butch I need you to go with me to El Salvador" I said
let me think about it. He said ok call me back in an hour... man.. To make a long story short I
went and have been going every year since. God spoke to me on one of those trips.. He said
to my heart. I can't give you back the time you you didn't have with your kids, but I can give
it back to you with time with these kids. It has been the greatest blessing to me and I am a
real advocate of mission trips for the young and the Young At heart... If you want to set your
spiritual life on fire, if you want to see-feel-hear and experience GOD in a very real way,
put yourself out of your comfort zone and take a giant step of faith and go on a Mission trip
I promise you it will affect everything about you. It's insane in this world to pay to work especially during summer vacation. When you tell
people that you pay your own way and you work like crazy, they say "Yea your Crazy
alright" to which I reply" "yes I am crazy for Christ" Get crazy for Christ and go-go-go on a
short term mission trip. Contact Maranatha at www.maranatha.org Your life will never be
the same.
