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ometimes cross-cultural ministry
is as close as your local inner
city. The week of spring break when my
cross country team ministered in inner
city Detroit, I was challenged with some
penetrating questions: Is my life focused
around the gospel? Do I care more about
serving God than making my life all
about me?
My main impression of the trip was
the power of the gospel in the lives
of people that I observed. When our
team visited an inner city school, I saw
the power of the gospel at work in the
teachers who sacrificed time, energy, and
a better salary by choosing to work with
children from one of the poorest and
CIU Cross Country Ministers Cross-Culturally (in the USA)
Runner Reflects on Spring Break Missions Trip
By Erica Williamson
most blighted neighborhoods in Detroit.
When a drunk man stumbled into a
church to get his dinner, I saw the gospel
displayed in the life of the pastor who
treated him like a good friend. When we
shared the gospel at a local university,
I saw the gospel’s power in a Christian
staff member who battled depression,
yet trusted the Lord’s goodness as she
faithfully ministered to students. These
individual’s love for God motivated their
love for people.
A man who spoke to our team about
God’s heart for the poor expressed
the need for Christians to purposefully
move into the inner city with the gospel.
Honestly, the thought of living in a
dangerous, rundown, loud, and trashy
neighborhood did not sound alluring.
It struck me that that mission work
involves sacrificing our own desires. The
people who minister in Detroit clearly
understand this. As God taught me to
get my eyes off of myself, it freed me to
love others. The opportunity to apply
this lesson came right away. At an after-
school program I met a little girl who
was the rowdiest, loudest, and worst
behaved girl of her age group. Like so
many children, she craved attention.
When I showed just a hint of interest in
her life, she wanted to show me all her
cheerleading moves, play catch with me,
and tell me about herself. I saw the need
for others-centered love again when
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CIU Today
Summer 2016