His Travelers, Part One

by Patty Marsh

 
This guest feature is reprinted by permission from the February, 2014 Gleaner. AT has also interviewed Patty Marsh and learned much more than is given in this story. Stay tuned next week to learn how the His Travelers program began, and what Marsh’s dreams for the future are. DLK
  
His Travelers Share the “Forgotten Son”
By Patty Marsh, Upper Columbia Conference Children’s Ministries Coordinator
Submitted March 13, 2014
 
A sober little Native American girl sat alone, looking down. After His Traveler team member Rachel Rogers discovered a bee sting was the cause of the girls’ tears, she sat down beside her and asked, “Would you like me to tell you a story?”
 
The little girl brightened and her pain paled as she heard for the first time the story of David and Goliath.
 
“Is this story true?” she asked.
 
“Oh, yes,” Rachel assured her. “This story is from the Bible, God’s Word.”
 
In a small, depressed community in Oregon with a local Adventist church attendance under 15, a young mother with four children confided to a Vacation Bible School team member, “I must begin bringing my children to this church.”
 
 
Each evening in Benton City, Wash., a community without an Adventist church, 17 children eagerly gathered for music, good food, stories from God’s Word, and crafts. Each morning team members launched into a project to benefit the community or homes of holder residents, including weeding and landscaping the Lions’ Club hall.
 
“Our guest speaker for Sabbath had to cancel at the last minute (his wife broke both legs),” explains one church member, “so I asked the His Travelers team if they could ‘do church.’ They did—and a good job too.”
 
Creation Daycamp brought 70-plus children to Rathdrum, Idaho, and 30 to Otis Orchards, Wash., for breakfast, a puppet show, and daily animal guests, including a yak and wolves. Most of the children attending have no religious training in their homes.
 
Welcome to the world of His Travelers 2013.
 
This summer three His Travelers teams comprised of three young adults each journeyed to 21 communities in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon to provide a week’s support to VBS/day camps, community outreach, and pre-teen and teen mentoring. In most areas the church leaders carefully plan the children’s program, provide room and board for the team, and organize outreach projects. Surprising adventures await these teams as they share their musical and artistic talents, energy, organizational and decorating skills, and most importantly, their love of Jesus.
 
Veteran His Traveler Raimona White encouraged one Sunnyside, Wash, VBS attendee to share a memory verse up front. With a microphone close to her lips, the little girl clearly recited, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only ‘forgotten’ Son.”
 
Ask any His Travelers team member, and you’ll be assured the privilege was theirs to share this “forgotten Son” with hundreds of children, teens and families this summer.
 
More info:
https://gleanernow.com/news/2010/09/his-travelers-take-vbs-road
https://gleanernow.com/news/2011/09/more-his-travelers-ever