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Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: [20] Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. 

--Video--

While attending Jericho Week in Glorieta, New Mexico, in July, 1997, Bekah Sewell heard about the needs of the impoverished people living along the Mississippi Delta. Burdened, she asked her church, The First Baptist Church of Beverly Hills, to purchase the North American Mission Board video that depicts their struggle, "A River Runs Through It," and move the annual home mission's study from Spring '98 to Fall '97. With their approval, she decorated the fellowship hall to look like the banks of the mighty river and prepared a meal, "beans and rice." Unlike the thousand-dollar-a-plate meals politicians have, she wasn't trying to raise money, she was trying to raise awareness.

After eating the modest meal and watching the video, the participants' consensus was, "We need to do something to help, but what?" Ray and Susan McBride, who were visiting the church, suggested they come to their community, Lake Village, Arkansas on a Mission Trip. Though the producers did not feature it in the video, it is along the Mississippi Delta and suffers poverty's blight. The group decided their pastor, Dr. Tom Stringfellow, should study the situation and recommend an appropriate course of action.

With poverty's images etched on his soul, Pastor Tom prayed for direction. One sentence from the video stuck in his mind, "Children who wear nice school clothes out perform those with tattered clothes." After flying to Lake Village, he asked the church to earmark $10,000.00 to purchase one pair of shoes and one set of clothes for every child whose family is beneath the poverty line. 

Lake Village has its share of poverty. The per capita income in Chicot County is 50% of the national average. Upward to 59 percent of the children, according to the United States Census Bureau, live in poverty. Joyce Vaught, the Superintendent of Schools, reports that 85 percent of the children in her school district qualify for the government's free lunch program.

Compared with the glaring need, ten thousand dollars isn't much, but it is exorbitant to The First Baptist Church of Beverly Hills, a church running fifty-five in worship. After all, with only twenty people attending the Mission banquet, it represented about $500.00 a plate--not bad for beans and rice.

Members of the church cheerfully gave, not $10,000.00, but $15,000.00. Fred Wehba, a new member of the church, began to tell his business associates about the Mission project. They wanted to get involved, and gave an additional $60,000.00.

With $75,000.00 in hand, Dr. Stringfellow began calling clothing manufacturers to see if he could purchase the clothing direct from the factories. The extra effort paid off, with the money they raised, he purchased merchandise with a retail value of $250,000.00.

Instead of giving some children one set of clothes and one pair of shoes, they expanded the project to give all 583 elementary children these items:

• Two pairs of shoes, one of them, LA Gear "Light-ups"
• Two pairs of slacks
• One pair of shorts
• Four shirts
• Six pieces of underwear
• Six pairs of socks
• toothbrush and toothpaste
• "Sunday" clothes
• NIVr New Testament, written on a 3^rd grade level

In all, twenty-two people, 40% of the church's average attendance, paid $500.00 and made preparations to go. Of those going, three weren't even Christians, but that changed before departure. Pastor Tom made it a point to share the gospel with them and each of them made a profession of faith and were baptized on the Mission Trip.

Following the block party, some members of the Mission Team and the community went to Crickett's, a local restaurant, for lunch. With the spiritual adrenaline still pumping, someone began singing a hymn, and everyone else, even the other customers, joined in.

The owner of Crickett's Restaurant, Crickett Burnes fell under the Holy Spirit's conviction when the Mission Team was in her restaurant. She and her daughter, Vicki Suitt, opened their entire inventory of beer and poured a thousand dollars down the drain. She closed the Sport's Bar in the back room and opened the doors to Pastor Larry Coulter to start a church in the Restaurant. 

"When the Mission Team was here," Crickett said, "I learned that God can be in the public without hurting your business." The first thing a customer sees when they walk into Crickett's is a 15-foot mural of the Last Supper her daughter Vicki is painting.

The trip also jump-started growth in the churches. Dr. Stringfellow baptized a total of nineteen during the church year, three of them on the mission trip. His church is now averaging 20 more in attendance than before the trip. Rev. Haney credits the trip with twelve baptisms in his church.

Brian Finke, the completed Jew, is now the web master of the church's web site (http://www.firstbaptistbevhills.org) and works to proclaim the gospel through the Internet.

Heidi Huebner, the professional dancer, thinks about the Mission Trip every day. It marks "True North" for her and helps her adjust her priorities. Expensive clothes and jewelry no longer impress her and she left show business so she can re channel her energies to help people. Every Friday evening she teaches modern dance to inner city children at the Rampart Youth Center.

"When I grow up," one of her students said, "I want to be a teacher just like you." While recounting the story, Heidi's eyes moistened and her voice trembled. During the silence that followed, I heard the rustling of angels' wings. I wasn't looking into the face of a Las Vegas dancer anymore. She was transformed, by the power of God, into an angel--an angel of reconciliation.