Southern Trips

With each trip I take, I am always blown away by the goodness of the Lord. There are moments leading up to a trip where I stress over getting every presentation and meeting just right. I go over the PowerPoint countless times making sure that each detail is covered. I research the churches I am at to see where their heart is and how they worship the Lord. I want to make sure that with each presentation, I can make a personal connection with the church I am at. I could not tell you how many times I have given a BG presentation, but I can honestly say I am learning that each time I do, the Lord shows me His face in a new way.

Recently, I was able to head to Mississippi and meet with members of Getwell Road Church. This church did a mission trip to Lesotho in March and stayed at BG. From the moment they were on the BG campus, you could feel their heart and excitement for the people of Lesotho. They desired to get into the community and reach out to those in their path. They didn’t come to experience a new place, they came to leave God’s fingerprint on the country. With each day leading up to the Mississippi trip I grew more and more excited. Not only was I going to get to share BG, I was going to go and see friends. A great side factor of this job is that I get to meet people around the globe. The whole time I was in Mississippi, I didn’t feel like Christina Terpstra, representative of BG, but I felt like Terp. Yes I was given multiple opportunities to talk about BG with people from the missions committee, the youth group and the whole church, so I did represent BG, but I was also given opportunities to simply do life with my friends who I know see as family, which included a moments when an impromptu worship time started with multiple people on guitars just jamming. I could have stayed in that moment all night!!! The whole trip was such a breath of fresh air. I truly struggled saying goodbye, but rejoice that it is only a "see you later."

After Mississippi I headed to Gainesville, Florida, another stop on the journey that was about sharing BG with people who have gone and experienced God’s love there. I was able to share at multiple churches and enjoy the stories of those whose lives have been impacted by Beautiful Gate. I loved talking with a woman who had been at BG a few years ago and still knew the children by name she had worked with and was eager to hear how they were doing.  It was great to meet with a few ladies who are planning a trip this year to head to BG for the first time. I stayed with a great couple whose mission in life is to bring Christ to others. They serve so many in their community so well. Saturday when most people were in front of a television watching a football game, they were scraping paint off a house and digging up an old flower bed and planting a new one. I had so much fun serving the community of Gainesville with them. It was a joy to dig in the dirt and get dirty for the kingdom. The home owner was so fun to talk with. She was elated to see the “face lift” that was happening to her home. My hosts filled my schedule with opportunities to share BG with many people in multiple locations. After serving on Saturday, we worshipped at a church in the area. I wasn’t scheduled to share BG, but after attending the church and seeing their heart I feel like it would be a great place to get connected with. I have to say, that southern hospitality still echoes through the community of Gainesville. 

Days before I leave trips, I feel pressured and stressed to be represent BG well. After Mississippi and Florida, I am feeling a greater urgency to represent Christ well, because that is where my identity is found. Is it fun meeting people and introducing them to the children and staff at BG? YES!! Is it important? ABSOLUTELY!!! Is it where God has placed me? YES. Do I feel the urge to go onto something else? NO!!! But I feel it is more important to GO and represent Christ well, and offer opportunities for people to serve Him and reflect His love to those they meet. I pray that the Lord will use me to show others what it means to be a worshiper of the King of kings and how that place others needs before your own, so that His name is praised.

May He receive all the glory and honor and praise!!