John and Patricia Sneed of Woodville had a vision for their whole family to go on a missions trip.
“We had long prayed and hoped to do a family missions trip,” said Sneed.
And last year “the Lord just opened doors and it worked out,” he recalled. He and his wife, along with their 15-year-old twins, Sarah and Samuel, went to Pegosa Springs, Colo.
The Sneeds, who are members of Mount Ararat Baptist Church in Lemrock, which is in Tennessee River Association, joined with a missions group from Happy Home Baptist Church in Henagar, part of Sand Mountain Association.
With 13 other people, the Sneeds traveled to Colorado to help First Baptist Church in Pagosa Springs hold Vacation Bible School (VBS).
The trip was also a family affair for Bradley and Christie Wilson, who took along their two daughters, Magnolia and Elizabeth Grace. It was an especially memorable week for them because, during that time, Magnolia, who was 6 then, asked Jesus to come into her heart and be her Savior.
Eddie and Melba Goolesby served as coordinators for the trip. Goolesby said this was the second year for his church, Happy Home Baptist, to go on a missions trip.
Four children, in addition to Magnolia Wilson, made professions of faith during the week, according to Sneed.
The average daily attendance at VBS was 95. The missions group comprised about half of the VBS workers.
“Those people were so surprised that we would drive so far to help them out,” noted Goolesby.
Unique opportunities
Because VBS was held outdoors in a downtown park, the different stations had to be set up every morning and taken down every afternoon, said Goolesby. When necessary, he and his wife directed vehicle traffic, which gave them opportunities for witnessing to people who wanted to know what was going on, he said.
Three wildfires burning in that area of Colorado also afforded some team members a unique witnessing opportunity.
Goolesby said they were able to minister to some firefighters from New Mexico, by providing them a place to shower and preparing them a home-cooked meal.
“I felt like the Lord had a purpose for us to be there twofold,” Goolesby said of the additional chances to witness and minister.
He said the missions trips have given his church a vision. Already, he continued, members are asking what missions project is next.
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