Mission in Marks, MS

By Blaire Johnston

For the past four years, FBC has partnered with Reclaimed Project to help feed the children of Marks, MS physically with two meals a day, while also feeding them spiritually. What we had planned as a camp for only 1-6 grade quickly turned into an all-ages camp, with kids from 2 to 18. Over the years, the trip to Marks has evolved and grown beautifully, the Lord moving in the hearts of our FBC members as well as in the hearts of the people in Marks. One event we have added over the years has been a community dinner at the Reclaimed building, inviting the people of Marks to enjoy a meal and fellowship with us. Our hope is that people will come for a meal and stay to learn more about what Reclaimed is doing in the lives of the people of Marks. This was a vital part of the mission of unity for us. We did not want to simply come in and do our thing. We desired to come alongside a ministry that is already rooted in the community of Marks and build that ministry up.

Our trip this year was by far the hardest one we have endured, but what our team quickly found to be true is that the hardest mission quickly turns into the most rewarding mission. The Lord continued to provide opportunities for us to use difficult conversations with the kids and their parents to share the greatest news; that even though they got in a fight, and even though they have to go home for the day as a result of those actions, there is One who fights for us every day, and His love never fails. Our biggest challenge this year was fighting. We had a lot of kids with bottled-up anger, and for them, the only way to stick up for themselves was was to fight. The only way they saw to resolve things andprove your power is physical violence. During this trip, we had to break up many fights, more than we have ever had over the years combined.

The kids we were working with had so much anger, stemming from many different situations. I along with many other leaders had to physically pull kids off of each other. For the most part, these kids were fifth and sixth graders. I broke down many times that week because they were just kids, they should not have fighting their own battles like this. After pulling kids off of each other and promising if they walked away from this I would fight for them, I found myself running to a closet for a moment to cry. My heart breaks for children that feel they are alone and have no one to fight for them. As I held them tightly to keep them from resuming their unfinished fight, I remember repeating over and over again: “If you walk away from this, I will fight for you. I will handle this for you. You don’t have to do this alone. Fighting someone is not the answer. Tell me what happened and let me fight for you.” I watched the anger in their eyes slowly fade as I said those words many times to them.

I promised to fight for them while we were there, and that is exactly what our team did. I told them if they felt angry to grab me or a leader and go for a walk around the block until they calmed down. We really saw the Lord working in this group as kids began to walk away from situations, find us, and ask if we would take a walk with them. This was an awesome opportunity for us to share the Gospel with the kids. They were so proud they walked away and could not wait to tell us what they had done. My heart broke as we left, because I knew that while amazing progress had been made during that time, we were leaving them again to fend for themselves, not knowing if someone was in their corner fighting for them. We can only pray as we left that they would remember there is a Heavenly Father who loves us more than we could ever imagine, and He fights for us. 

For the past two years we have also gone door-to-door throughout Marks as a team. We break off into small groups of 3-4 and walk different routes throughout the town of Marks. Our team members ask about the community itself and hope the conversation will eventually lead to an opportunity to share the Gospel and pray for the person at the door. This has been such an awesome addition to the trip, pushing those in our church to step out of their comfort zone to knock on doors and do what we are called to do: make disciples of all nations.

Our evangelism team was amazing this year, and many great conversations were had. As our evangelism teams went from one door to the next, they spoke to many people in Marks. Some were open to hearing the Gospel and being prayed for and others were not. In those times our team was reminded of the words in Matthew 10:14, “If anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.” Cameron Johnston and Emma Grace Joyner, our evangelism team leaders reminded us in our training of this verse, as they also reminded us not to be discouraged, but to pray for those who turned us away, because it wasn’t our team they were rejecting, but the Gospel. As we have prayerfully and strategically worked to improve this team over the past two years, I have loved watching both college students and families step out of their comfort zones to knock on doors and have conversations. I hope and pray this is something those who served in Marks have felt called to do in their hometowns as well, no matter how uncomfortable it may be. 

I would encourage anyone who is even a little interested in this trip (families or singles) to give it a try. This trip is cost-friendly for large families and for those living on a budget and is such an awesome way to get to know our own church body better. But more than that, this trip is one that will challenge you to step out of your normal routine and love on children as well as share the Gospel with them and the people of Marks. If you have any questions about Marks and what else it entails, please feel free to reach out. This is a trip the Lord has used to impact my life, and I eagerly await spring break every year!