During fall of 2014, Kyle Cannon (the White Oak Student Pastor at the time) came up to me and said rather bluntly, “Hey, you wanna go to Haiti next summer?” I honestly had never thought about doing that or even going on a mission trip. I haven’t ever been on one in my life and I especially hadn’t thought my first trip would be out of the country to a place I knew nothing about at all.
Ultimately, I told him yes and I would go for it. I talked with my wife and family and decided I needed to do this. I have always had a heart for the underprivileged and under resourced, so I thought this would be a good way to serve others and help those in need. Little did I know I would be forever changed, and the direction of my life would change.
My name is Kurt Caudill, and I have the privilege of overseeing the GIT (Global Impact Team) at WOCC. We are a group of like-minded individuals who have a passion for bringing forward the work that our mission partners are doing to the congregation and helping them further the Kingdom. I help with budget matters, mission trips in the USA and outside, any support or care the missionary needs, as well as when they come into town helping them with planning and arranging time with WOCC partners or staff.
During my first trip, God showed me a world outside of my own and God gave me a new purpose. I proceeded to go on many other trips throughout the years and I am hoping to go on further trips in the next few years. I have been involved in missions and have a new life purpose to make this part of my personal vision. One time when I was on a mission trip in Haiti, a few years after that first trip, we were doing the end of evening “debrief session” and the leader asked the group what personal changes they experienced during the week and what we were going to take with us home. I thought about my answer for a while and told him, “This is why I work …” That has stuck with me over the years and on my last trip we went to the top of the mountain to pray. We also took a rock home with a word from God which we wrote on it. My word was ADVOCATE, and I feel like that is the stage that I am in right now.
A big part of my job as a leader for missions is looking for ways to advocate and advertise to the congregation about taking a trip domestically online, or even internationally. However, just because you aren’t going to Senegal or India every year doesn’t mean you aren’t doing good work for the Lord.
One year I was trying to get a team together for a trip and I approached someone who I thought was a sure “yes”. He said no, but he told me why. He said, “Kurt, my mission is here with my boys on the baseball field.” That really stuck with me. You can be “on mission” anywhere and you don’t have to serve in a faraway country or serve food to the homeless downtown. You can be spreading the love of Jesus in your backyard while talking to your neighbor or you can equip and encourage your kids to invite their friends to come to church. Where we serve doesn’t matter to God if He is a part of it.
A few verses that have stuck with me throughout the years regarding missions and helping others...
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ -Matthew 25:40
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit... -Matthew 28:19
Sometimes it is hard to get started in missions or even loving those around you. I will leave you with one final story. Recently I was in Belize with AIM (Agape international Missions - a ministry that rescues girls from human trafficking). We spent the day fellowshipping and eating with the local staff. The next day the director said that just by us being present and in the moment with those on the ground each day meant more than donating tens of thousands of dollars online to the ministry. It hit me that just by “showing up and being present” was all it took to encourage, guide, and give them affirmation and thus interest in what they do every day with those girls. This is much of the basis of Jesus’ ministry. How many times does he congregate with, listen to, eat or gather with people? You don’t need to have a lavish plan, be rich, or have a big goal to be effective. Just show up and be present!
If you want to know more information about missions or upcoming trips go to www.theWOCC.com/missions and fill out the interest form or browse the partners we currently have. Do you have a similar passion or story with missions, feel free to reach out to me kurtcaudill@icloud.com.
Kurt Caudill