Trip of a Lifetime

by Tommy Goodfellow

For several years, my wife and I felt the Lord wanted us to do more in our retirement years than rest. We have spent most of our 41 years of married life working in various ministries in our local church. There have been Sunday School classes, teen ministries, boards and committees for me, and ladies ministries for her. Even though we continue to work in our local church, we felt the Lord leading us to help some Free Will Baptist home missionaries. So, after retiring, we decided it was time to make ourselves available.

The Adventure Begins

In the fall of 2010 we made contact with Bill Reynolds in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, and Allen Hall in York, Pennsylvania, to see if we could be of any help in their ministries. Our plan was to sweep floors, knock doors, or whatever they needed at the time. Both the Reynolds and the Halls said to come, that they would put us to work. On May 1, 2011, we headed out on a two-month mission trip.

When we arrived in Rhode Island, we set up our motorhome in Bill and Christie Reynolds’ driveway. Bill had planned to make May Family Month and have us do some teaching about the home during Sunday School and Wednesday night Bible study. My wife, who has a heart for teaching younger women, would teach the ladies on Sunday mornings from Titus 2. I was to teach the men lessons on being a godly man, husband, father, and leader in the church. I was also to teach on Wednesday nights, focusing on training children to become godly, morally responsible adults.

We also joined the church in praying for things to start moving on the building program. The Lord answered prayer, and things that had been stalled for months were opened up so the building process could get into full swing.

It was an exciting and encouraging time for us as we got to know the folks at Beacon Free Will Baptist Church. While there, we not only spent time teaching, but also in fellowship and counseling. We found the church members hungry for any information that would aid them in their spiritual growth. They are a wonderful group of believers, and we look forward to hearing great things from their ministry as the church begins a building program and continues to grow.

We developed a deep friendship with the Reynolds family during our month together. My wife worked with the children on a sewing project, and I took their son Billy to baseball practice and watched him play a few games. We saw their heartbeat for the people of Rhode Island and their desire to build a strong church for the glory of God.

Stage Two

On Wednesday, June 1, we headed out for York, and the ministry of Allen and Jenny Hall at Good News Free Will Baptist Church. We taught the same lessons in Sunday School and spent time during the week working on their newly acquired building. The experience provided a good lesson on the needs of our mission works at various stages in their development.

In December 2010, the Good News FWB Church purchased an existing church building that had been constructed in 1968. They are in the process of bringing it up to date. Pastor Hall said progress on the upgrades had slowed down, and it would be a big help if we could get some physical things done while there. Jobs on the list included painting, cleaning, clearing out an old storage room to get it ready for transformation into a new bathroom, organizing, hanging pictures and mirrors, and decorating. In other words, we stayed busy.

Pastor Hall and his people had been waiting for weeks for new doors to be installed, new blinds to be hung, a new sign, and parking lot lights. All these items—except the sign—have been completed and other bigger projects are in the works. As we banded together to pray, the Lord answered and made it possible for us to see these things accomplished, and He continues to honor the prayers of these faithful servants.

A short article doesn’t provide enough space to fully describe the work done in our own hearts as we attempted to minister to the people in York and North Kingstown. Our hope was to be a blessing to them, but these congregations were more of a blessing to us. They were so appreciative that someone came to help their young churches. It is amazing how listening and responding to the Lord’s leading to help others often results in a blessing for you. It proves without doubt that trying to serve others brings peace, joy, and contentment to your own heart.

The Reynolds, the Halls, and many other Free Will Baptist servants have responded to the call of God to reach the lost. I encourage every Christian to make a special effort to go on a mission trip at home or abroad. It will bless you as you minister to others and give you a new appreciation for those who answer the call to leave family and friends for the cause of Christ.

We thank the Lord for calling us to help and believe He wants us to keep going and helping. As He continues to provide, we will continue to go. How about you?

About the Writer: Tommy Goodfellow retired in 2004, after 25 years of service with the Virginia Beach Police Department. He stepped down from a position as Dean of Students at Gateway Christian College in 2010. Pray for the Goodfellows as they continue to encourage and help missionaries.