Church Family

Our church chose this past Sunday (July 1, 2012) to throw us our first "going away" party since we decided to follow God's call on our life to serve as Missionary Associates in Costa Rica. Does this mean that we're going to leave for Costa Rica soon? Not exactly. This party wasn't a send off to Costa Rica so much as a send off from the church. This was the day the church chose to recognize our years (me - 7; Polly - 5) of service to the church. We officially ended our roles in ministry at the church the previous Sunday (June 24, 2012). It is here that we made our final step from Pastors to Parishioners.

I have blogged about this situation before as an ensuing reality. I have posited how I thought I might feel when this day came. Now, for the first time, I am blogging about it from the other side. It is no longer an event that will inevitably happen; it is an event which has already taken place. And sure enough, all my positing and theorizing was right on the money: it was a bittersweet day.

Our pastor gave us a taste of what was to come at the party with a video clip put together by our youth before having our deacons pray over us. Then he offered me the microphone to say a few words. Let's be honest here, I've never said "a few words" in my life. Still, I kept it as short as could possibly be expected for me. We got many well wishes from our church family.

After church, we went to a family in the church's house. Okay, okay...so it happens to be the same family in the church that we live with. This made things convenient. We enjoyed some delicious Costa Rican inspired food (I could eat rice and beans every day...which is a good thing considering I'll have to) mixed with some good old-fashioned American hot dogs and hamburgers. They made a beautiful cake featuring the image of our prayer card. And woven into the time of eating was enjoying time with people we have come to love so dearly. And we fought back some tears when we watched all the video clips created by the youth that had been sampled earlier. They were funny but also said some really kind, encouraging things.

Overall, the party was a wonderful end to a wonderful season of ministry in our lives. Ministry with and to some amazing people. They are not technically our family, but they're not merely friends either. They are our church family and Polly and I will always love them. We love the church's leaders and we love the church's laypeople--a group we not graciously join. The cool thing in all this for us is that we're not leaving this church to become pastors at another. We are going forth from this church, as an extension of this church, to minister to the people of Costa Rica. And we are grateful that we still get to call Calvary Assembly of God our home church. Even if we won't spend too many more Sundays there, it is our church and it houses our church family!

God bless,

Mike