Neah Bay, Washington
The Mission Continues...
by Dinah Good, Volunteer
from St. Paul Lutheran Church in Trenton, Michigan
In John 21:15-18, Jesus had appeared for the third time since His death on the cross. In this particular passage, Jesus asks Simon Peter three times if he loved Him more than the others. Peter answered the Lord each time that he indeed loved the Lord. Each time Peter answered His question Jesus told him, “Feed My sheep.”
With this passage in my heart, I, along with my fellow teammates prepared to depart for our mission amid a myriad of emotions. As for myself, I was excited as well as a bit apprehensive of what lie 
ahead of our team. We were about to be the first mission team to conduct the first ever Vacation Bible School at the Makah Lutheran Church in Neah Bay, Washington. Answering the Call given to Peter, we were taking the Bread of Life to children from a culture much different than our own.
Early morning on July 9, we gathered together at the airport, held hands, and prayed together for God to bless us and to bless our mission. Thus began the journey that I will never forget. We arrived in Neah Bay late in the evening and were greeted warmly by Winston and Connie Wilson. The remainder of that day was spent preparing ourselves for the week ahead and engaging in Christian fellowship with each other and our new friends as well.
Sunday morning, we prepared for the church services. First, Bible study then, the service in the chapel. How wonderful it felt to worship God in this setting. Windows behind the altar revealed the wonder of God’s creation and it was easy to feel close to our Creator, the Father of all. Afterwards we were given the opportunity to begin to get to know others in the church as we broke bread together and spent the afternoon in fellowship.
Monday morning came all too soon as we anxiously awaited the arrival of the precious lambs whom we had so diligently prepared to receive. Sarah and Michelle even prepared a special welcome in the form of their artwork on the walkway to the Fellowship Hall. On that first day, the Lord sent nine our way.
What an awesome experience it was to watch their faces as they opened their hearts and minds to hear the words we spoke. Throughout the week, attendance increased, as did their love for the music taught to them by Marjean, Michelle, and Sarah. By the end of the week, they were joyfully singing their little hearts out to Our God is a Great Big God, as well as other songs they had learned during the course of the week. They also began to ask questions about the lessons presented which we answered to the best of our abilities.
The blessings we received did not come only from the faces of the children, but also from the adults with whom we had the opportunity to get to know during the week. One of the most moving experiences of our team occurred when a woman named Lila, who for the first time in her life prayed aloud while we all held hands in the Fellowship Hall. With tears, she spoke of how she had always had to sit in the back of the church because her skin was not white. She was not allowed to speak in church, only to be quiet and listen. She now felt acceptance and no longer was afraid to pray aloud with others.
On our last morning in Neah Bay, we made our way to the beach near the marina at 5 a.m. to witness the departure of the many canoes as they began their journey with the Native Americans of other tribes. As the Neah Bay team prepared to depart, they invited us to join hands and hearts together with them in prayer for a safe journey for all. They acknowledged us for our heart-work in the community and the VBS. They invited us to journey with them next year if we are able to return.
Overall, the mission was a success, but there is still much more work to be done. I would like to thank the Mission Task Force and the members of St. Paul for their support and prayers for the success of missions such as this. Without you the senders, we the goers would be unable to complete the work of “ feeding His sheep.”