Comments on: My Closing Thoughts on the DZ Mission Trip http://officecurmudgeon.com/2008/07/23/dz-mission-closing-thoughts/ Opinions on Everything Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:05:28 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.1 hourly 1 By: Ray http://officecurmudgeon.com/2008/07/23/dz-mission-closing-thoughts/#comment-553 Ray Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:52:34 +0000 http://blog.theslezak.com/?p=570#comment-553 Great, great entries! Your pastor, Laura sent me the link to your blog which I will be placing on the Navajo Work Camp portion of the Disciples Men of VA webpage www.disciplesmenva.org You my friend got it! Unfortunately, there are those out there that just don't get it. I remember when Kim and I came back from DZ for the first time in 2002 and a lady in our congregation asked excitedly, "So, how many Injuns did you save?!" Kim and I politely smiled and tried to find a way to exit from further conversation gracefully. The beauty of the people, the land the just the experience of the Dine people and Dinetah is something that I revel in and love to share with others. I sense in the language of your posts that you too will be recalling the times you spent their this summer with others throughout your life encounters. As organizers and supporters of all who travel to DZ to participate and learn we are very glad you and the others from Living Water CC have become involved in this effort to show others the love and grace of Jesus. We will leading a group back sponsored by the VA region next summer. It will be our 5th trip and the 7th year of helping get others involved with their own church sponsored trips. We too love the people of the DZ community. As I've told many, there is just something wonderfully peaceful and spiritual about being there and seeing the face of Christ in those you meet. Thanks so much for your participation and thought regarding the DZ experience. Something tells me that we'll get to meet and participate directly with some of you all from Living Water CC. Peace be with you! Ray & Kim Gryder Mechanicsville, VA CO-directors, Navajo Work Camp Great, great entries! Your pastor, Laura sent me the link to your blog which I will be placing on the Navajo Work Camp portion of the Disciples Men of VA webpage http://www.disciplesmenva.org

You my friend got it! Unfortunately, there are those out there that just don’t get it. I remember when Kim and I came back from DZ for the first time in 2002 and a lady in our congregation asked excitedly, “So, how many Injuns did you save?!” Kim and I politely smiled and tried to find a way to exit from further conversation gracefully.

The beauty of the people, the land the just the experience of the Dine people and Dinetah is something that I revel in and love to share with others. I sense in the language of your posts that you too will be recalling the times you spent their this summer with others throughout your life encounters.

As organizers and supporters of all who travel to DZ to participate and learn we are very glad you and the others from Living Water CC have become involved in this effort to show others the love and grace of Jesus.

We will leading a group back sponsored by the VA region next summer. It will be our 5th trip and the 7th year of helping get others involved with their own church sponsored trips. We too love the people of the DZ community. As I’ve told many, there is just something wonderfully peaceful and spiritual about being there and seeing the face of Christ in those you meet.

Thanks so much for your participation and thought regarding the DZ experience. Something tells me that we’ll get to meet and participate directly with some of you all from Living Water CC.

Peace be with you!
Ray & Kim Gryder
Mechanicsville, VA
CO-directors, Navajo Work Camp

]]> By: Laura Guy http://officecurmudgeon.com/2008/07/23/dz-mission-closing-thoughts/#comment-552 Laura Guy Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:38:41 +0000 http://blog.theslezak.com/?p=570#comment-552 Hi Brian! Great reflections - you did some deep thinking on this trip :-) I had lunch with two other pastors today, and we compared notes on the mission trips we had taken. I brought up the article you referenced, and they both said they were aware of the controversy over mission trips. In the end, we agreed with you, however. Sure, there are horror stories of mission trips gone bad or people with good intentions wasting their time and energy on meaningless tasks, but most people find that a mission trip opens their eyes to new understandings. They also describe a mission trip as a spiritual experience unlike any other, when they have felt very close to God. It is often on mission trips or retreats or camp that people hear God calling them to do something new. So, yeah, I think they're a good investment of time and money. We'll never know all the good they do, but we can see some of the fruit in our own people and in the lives of the people we meet on the trip. Hi Brian!

Great reflections – you did some deep thinking on this trip :-)

I had lunch with two other pastors today, and we compared notes on the mission trips we had taken. I brought up the article you referenced, and they both said they were aware of the controversy over mission trips. In the end, we agreed with you, however. Sure, there are horror stories of mission trips gone bad or people with good intentions wasting their time and energy on meaningless tasks, but most people find that a mission trip opens their eyes to new understandings. They also describe a mission trip as a spiritual experience unlike any other, when they have felt very close to God. It is often on mission trips or retreats or camp that people hear God calling them to do something new. So, yeah, I think they’re a good investment of time and money. We’ll never know all the good they do, but we can see some of the fruit in our own people and in the lives of the people we meet on the trip.

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