Greetings in the name of our Advent King! This fall over 60 Lakeside students were selected to be on Operation Go teams. In 2019, seven teams will travel to missions and congregations all over the United States.
First up: we are sending out a mission work team to Phoenix over Spring Break. They will help a growing church and school reach out to the community. Then, in summer, we will send out two Christian soccer camp teams, a Christian-based STEM camp team, and two Vacation Bible School teams to places including Anchorage, Boise, New Orleans and Long Valley, New Jersey (just west of NYC). Finally, new this year is the privilege of sending a team to Salt Lake City. This team will be trained by a WELS ministry called “Truth in Love.” Our teens will learn and practice the specialized mission skills for reaching out to people in Mormon communities. All of our Warriors are saying with Isaiah-like eagerness: “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6: 8).
Historically, the Lord has truly blessed Lakeside with large numbers of talented students eager to be sent out on these mission trips and share the love of Jesus. All will all be directly involved in the sharing and teaching of God’s Word. They will return with experiences and memories that will serve them, their school and their home churches for a very long time.
We need your help to keep this vital program going full-steam! All of these trips are energized by the efforts of the students, parents and mentoring staff members to raise dollars, increase awareness, help plan for the work and the travel. We invite your prayers for our teens, the chaperones, the congregations, and the work. Pray that the Lord carries them safely to and from these mission fields, and that he uses them as his instruments for sharing Christ.
We also invite your help when possible to help with fundraisers and publicizing events. We encourage you to support these trips financially and to share the news of these mission trips among the Lakeside congregations. You can do that in any of several simple ways:
- Donate online when you go to llhs.org/opgo. On this Operation Go page, you’ll see photos of our eager student teams with a yellow donate button for that team. Click to donate with debit, credit or Paypal-- be sure to leave a message of support too!
- Consider it a Christian gift of faith as you write a check to Lakeside Lutheran. Designate Operation Go on the memo line and it will be directed to the OpGo program by our Development and Finance departments.
- Watch for opportunities to assist the Operation Go team members by volunteering and participating in their various fundraising events around the Lakeside federation and on campus.
- Visit Operation GO on Facebook -- @OperationLakesideGO -- to keep up with team progress, see upcoming events, share news and giving opportunities, and leave messages of support and encouragement!
May the Lord bless our Advent preparations with his Word of peace and the spiritual readiness that comes from knowing Christ Jesus as Savior and King. It is He who said to his disciples: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you!” (John 20:21). If you have questions or comments about Operation Go, please direct them to Pastor Mike Helwig, Operation Go Director, at [email protected].