The first-ever Phoenix RP mission team, with 8 members and 1 other attendee, accomplished an amazing amount of work in 16 days (Dec. 29–Jan. 12). The team painted the Phoenix RPC church building and adjacent school building, witnessed in (and were ejected from) three malls, passed out literature and conducted surveys regarding the Old Testament (as a tool for presenting the gospel), and spread 19 tons of gravel in Pastor Maginn’s yard. Half of the team was able to see the Grand Canyon, and the other half went on a guided tour of Sedona with Hal Reyburn, an elder in Phoenix.

In true RP Missions style, the members of Team Phoenix gathered from a variety of places and backgrounds, but all from Reformed Presbyterian churches. Marissa Ames (Christ Church [New Hartford, N.Y.] RPC), Theresa Gazo (Trinity [Beltsville, Md.] RPC), and Becky Landow (Elkhart, Ind., RPC) were all 16 years old. Laura Bond was next eldest at 18, from Lisbon, N.Y., RPC. The “boys,” David Landow (Elkhart, Ind., RPC), Drew McKelvy (Rose Point [New Castle, Pa.] RPC), and Joe Rizzo (Broomall, Pa., RPC) were all in their twenties. Charles Muir (Airdrie, Scotland, RPC) was the mature member of the team, and so his age will be respectfully concealed. I mention the ages of the girls because the level of maturity, courage, and biblical knowledge they portrayed on their first mission trip was beyond their years.

Sleeping some of the night and working all day, Team Phoenix could have put busy beavers to shame. In the first week the team gathered at the church (from their hosts’ houses) for devotions at 8:30 a.m., prepared and painted the church, and then drove off for the evening’s entertainment. (The New Year’s Eve party at the Borgs’ house was a special hit.) If the team wasn’t having dinner at a church family’s home, they were experiencing the flavor of the Southwest.

Over the course of the trip, the team was able to participate in many fun activities. They bonded on New Year’s, were awed by the Phoenix Zoo lights, skimmed the Grand Canyon and the red rocks of Sedona (avoiding crystal shops and other New Age spots), fell asleep during Movie Night, lost all dignity at Goofy Golf, and finished their trip with an emotional farewell dinner at the Maginns’ house.

In the second week, the team alternated between church painting, laying stone for the Maginns, and neighborhood outreach. To prepare for outreach, team members watched the Share Jesus Without Fear videos, an evangelical gospel approach that was taught by author Bill Fay at the 2004 RP International Conference at Calvin College. After training, they handed out literature to people in malls and conducted 10 commandments surveys in the neighborhood, with the purpose of addressing people’s sin problem and their need for the Savior.

Because the survey was used as a catalyst to draw shoppers into conversation, mall security was called out to handle the “solicitation,” and Team Phoenix was politely asked to leave the premises. (One security guard apologized for the interruption, and attempted to find an open place where the team could continue to work.) The excuse they were given was that any form of unauthorized solicitation detracts from shoppers’ experience on the mall’s private property; that once the mall allows one group to solicit, every group must be given equal status.

Undaunted, Team Phoenix took its message to the streets (door-to-door in the Anseths’ home area). It was an advantage to go in pairs, because if one team member happened to lose his tools (Bible, flier, pen) then another filled in. If you had a door slammed in your face, you could laugh about it with the other person, dust off your feet, and move on.

On the third week, Team Phoenix filled the house of God with song in the morning, and then cheerfully sang psalms in the afternoon at Sunshine Village, a retirement home at the north end of town. It was requested that the team sing a few psalms at each of the five houses. A few of the residents were misty-eyed, and some tried to sing along. A few enthusiasts joined the group, trailing along from house to house so as not to miss any fun. The residents are in various stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Their caretakers also appreciated the event, and hoped for more psalm sings in the future.

The next few days were spent among church tasks, neighborhood outreach, bowling, reflection, and packing.

A new convert from the neighborhood outreach, Pat, was very sorry to see the team go. She said quietly on Bowling Night, “This is the first time I’ve let myself have fun in 8 years.” Drew and Laura talked to her on Jan. 7; she came to the church to help with small tasks on Jan. 10 and prayed to receive Christ; and she said goodbye to the team on Jan. 11. God be praised for the work that was done in that short period of time and the blessing of being able to see some immediate fruit from the labor! We pray that He will bless our efforts in the upcoming year, as we continue to sow the good seed of His Word.