Puerto Rico mission trip forges intergenerational connections

First Southern Baptist Church of Glendale recently completed a short-term mission trip with a 2-year-old church plant in Puerto Rico.

From July 3-11, a team of 19, ranging from college students to senior adults, helped facilitate a VBS with Primera Bautista Iglesia de Villalba. They also worked on major home repairs in the surrounding towns.

“The intergenerational aspect of the trip was absolutely intentional,” said Andrew Marchbanks, executive pastor of First Southern, Glendale. “Short-term mission trips often attract young adults, so we made a specific effort to ask some of our older adults to join the trip. The result was phenomenal.”

“One in spirit and ready to serve”

About 30 children, ages 3 to 12, attended the VBS.

For many on the mission team, a highlight of the VBS was helping kids craft a bracelet they could use to share the gospel with their friends.

“Age was never a factor,” said Tammy Ruiz, one of the First Southern members on the trip. Ruiz, 63, primarily served in arts and crafts during VBS. She also provided Spanish-English translation. “We were all in one spirit and ready to serve. It was a blessing to see young adults with so much wisdom and courage take the reins.”

Rebecca Cummings, 60, also assisted with VBS, helping with crafts, music, recreation and getting kids safely to their next rotation.

“It was a privilege to work with the intergenerational team, because it helped me see how this generation communicates sharing the gospel with individuals their age,” Cummings said.

While serving, Cummings was able to learn new evangelism techniques such as those presented through the Life On Mission app.

While serving in Puerto Rico working on home repair projects and VBS, members of the mission team got to know and learn from one another. (Photo courtesy of First Southern Baptist Church of Glendale)

Strengthening relationships

Ramon Varela, 23, helped with Spanish translation and served in recreation time during VBS.

“I can take a lot from this trip, but the biggest thing is the importance of community, close or far,” he said. “It was an honor serving with an intergenerational group and also just being able to talk with and get to know people I don’t normally converse with.”

About half of the mission team served on a construction crew. Together, they cleared one roof, resurfaced two more, painted a house and church fence and completed significant property maintenance.

Joy Patla, 20, not only helped with crafts during VBS but also helped repaint the church.

“I had the privilege of bringing encouragement and prayer to a family who was neighbors with the church,” Patla said. “It was a blessing to be surrounded by people who have experienced more life and have more wisdom than I do. Their dedication to serving God was really inspiring for me to be able to see the kind of future I can grow into.”

Mission trips break down barriers

Over the years, members of First Southern, Glendale, have served on a variety of mission trips, from regularly conducting an English camp in the Czech Republic to jalapeño farming in Kosovo. Marchbanks found out about the Puerto Rico opportunity through the Arizona Mission Network.

He believes structured, specific mission opportunities help break down barriers between generations.

“If a church knows their members and their gifts, then looking for a project and location where they can serve effectively becomes much easier,” he said. “There are opportunities for older, younger [people] and all kinds of different gifts on the mission field.”

Claudia Macdonald, a freelance writer living in Phoenix, is a member of First Southern Baptist Church of Glendale.