Taking a Step of Faith to Trinidad
As part of our mission, Steps of Faith Dance Company, Inc. from Cartersville, is called to take the message of Gospel to our community and throughout the world. God is so good, and continues to bless our dance company each year with such talented dancers and thespians through Act 1. Every other year since 2005, we have been blessed to go on a mission trip.
Since last fall, we had been making detailed plans to minister in Toluca/Mexico City, Mexico. Our tickets were bought and all our performances set. Then the appearance of the swine flu changed everything. The Lord made it clear to me that Mexico would not be our destination. Within four days, I had made contact with a local pastor in Trinidad and her stateside mission trip organization. We were rerouting our plans! Our airlines changed our tickets with no additional fees (major praise!!), and “Sister Julie” in Trinidad had already found FIVE locations for our dancers and actors to minister in dance! And this was only FIVE WEEKS before our departure!
We left on Monday, June 1st and returned on Monday June 8th. We left with expectations that God would show up and that we would be able to see and do so many things in His name. God surpassed our expectations! It is hard to put into words how absolutely amazing the trip was, but I will try.
One of the main things we wanted to accomplish is to minister to an orphanage in Trinidad. With the help of you, our community, we were able to send NINE suitcases full of supplies for the orphanage, as well as for our host mission house! Nothing can express the feeling we had when we distributed the “goodies” to the individual orphanage houses. We cleaned up their homes, organized their clothes, made up their beds with brand new sheets (from you!,) and gave new towels to each of the kids. We gave them “new” clothes and brand new flip-flops (or as they call them, slippers!).
It was such a thrill to go back later in the week and see the kids still wearing their new shoes!! Many of the kids wrote letters of appreciation to the people in our group. The girls lead a DanceCamp for the kids on Saturday and performed a small show. Jonathan Sutton, Family Pastor of Oakleaf Church, joined us on the trip and talked to the kids about how much Jesus loves them. It is obvious that they are loved there, but lack the things that most kids enjoy here in the states. What a blessing it was to love on, give to, and spend time with these beautiful children!
Our hosts, Sister Julie and her husband Zahir, are pastors of a local church, Open Bible Standard Church in Princestown, Trinidad. God asked them a few years ago to open their house to missionaries who would come to their country, and we were thrilled to get to stay in their lovely home and donate new linens! No, it did not have air conditioning or screens on the windows and the water supply was limited and cool in temperature; but their house was such a blessing to us. They fed us well and ministered to us by loving on us from the minute we arrived until the minute we left!
Steps of Faith Dance Company was able to minister at several churches across the island, where we were always welcomed. Many of the churches we danced at had never even seen ballet or dance in person. We were so honored to get to bring it to them. We performed on various surfaces, sometimes without the “warm up” we would like, but God was always glorified and the kids did so well. Each show was around an hour and a half and ended with a call to follow the Lord. The Lord’s presence was indeed thick at our most challenging performance next to a cricket game in a mostly Hindu neighborhood! With all the struggles there, we KNOW God was working!
I think the best part of the trip was the unity felt among our trip-goers. There was never a complaint or discouraging word said by the team members. It was not the easiest trip. We spent many hours in hot, un-air-conditioned vans on very bumpy roads and in un-air-conditioned buildings. Showers were cool and not as frequent as young ladies prefer, but there was no complaining. Our chaperones each had their own personal role on the trip and were the perfect compliment to each other and covered every need. The kids even did dishes and cleaned bathrooms! I have never been so proud of a group of young men and women. We were also honored to be joined by three young men from Oakleaf Church, as our praise band for part of our trip. What great young men Jake, Marcus and Bobby were, and I really appreciated their Godly example they showed to our group.
We also were able to visit the beach, visit a mud-volcano, and learn about natural asphalt! And of course shopping was always a pleasure! But most of all, we enjoyed a favorite Trinidad pastime, “lime-ing”! Just plain relaxing!
Thanks to our community for its unbelievable support, financially, providing supplies and by lifting our team in prayer. Thanks be to GOD for our remarkable journey to take dance and the gospel to Trinidad!! Can’t wait to see where the Lord will lead us next time!!
(If you are interested in seeing our trip day by day entries, see softrinidad2009.blogspot.com )