MELBOURNE — They are ordinary men and women, husbands and wives,
grandfathers and grandmothers who refused to allow their age to
prevent them from going on a mission trip to Ecuador.
All but one of the 14 members of Wesley United Methodist Church
here who went on the trip were between ages 50 to 81, with six older
than 65, but they proved that age isn’t anything but a number.
The team partnered with the Methodist Church in Santo Domingo de
los Colorados, Ecuador. They assisted with everything from mixing and
pouring cement by hand to creating sidewalks around buildings at the
church complex, painting a dorm and completing a floor in it, and
forming garden and rock borders to separate parking from a soccer
field.
The group also provided a Vacation Bible School program for the
church, the only Methodist church in a city of 250,000 people, and
participated in a feeding and vitamin program for 35 children from a
desolate village next to the church campus.
It was a strong showing for a group with people who had never been
on a mission trip.
The church’s missions committee decided to venture outside its
walls and go to Ecuador after hearing a presentation from Servants in
Faith and Technology (SIFAT). The organization is dedicated to
training Christian leaders in using appropriate technology in third
world countries.
Joyce Henderson, a member of the church, said now that the group
has gotten a taste of mission there’s no turning back.
Henderson, 54, said the group thoroughly enjoyed the trip.
“You’re never too old,” said Henderson, who led the team, along
with her husband, Philip. “If you could hold a child on your lap, you
could help. We had members who were on a roof, members who were
digging a ditch and members who were playing soccer with the kids. We
kept an eye on everyone and made sure everyone was not overdoing it.”
Juanita Auvil said she felt she couldn’t do enough while in
Ecuador. It was the first mission trip for the 81-year-old.
“It was a very spiritual time,” Auvil said. “It’s something I’ve
always wanted to do, to see if I could help someone else. When the
opportunity arose, how could I not take it? Something happens to you
when you see and understand the needs of others. You feel very
humble.”
Auvil, like other members of the team, is looking forward to
another trip.
Henderson said the opportunity has done wonders for the church.
“Our church has caught the missions fever and we are also
increasing involvement in local and national missions,” she said.
“We’re very excited about the new opportunities to involve others of
all ages in missions.”
Senior citizens from Wesley
United Methodist Church were hard to keep up with in Ecuador.