Errands

We have all kinds of them. Paying our utility bills means that we go to the bank or a local office of each utility to pay them. Often, the lines are shorter at the office so we pay them there. Picking up groceries means a trip both to the bazaar and to a supermarket. There is often a store and a bazaar for every category of need, for example, a book bazaar, a building materials bazaar, a clothing area in the bazaar.

But these are not the only errands. Last Sunday some people came to our services for the first time. In general chatter they learned that we were travelling to Kyiv the next day. They asked to be let off at a bus stop along the way to see an ailing mother-in-law a couple of hours outside of Kyiv. Although it's not always possible, this time it was. We gave them a ride.

Another fellow had asked us at the beginning of the month when we were headed to Kyiv. A mission there was supposed to give his church some humanitarian aid. He needed a trailer to pick it up. Could he ride along with us sometime? We let him know we were going and that he could go this time. We spent from 9 am to 2 pm on our business. We spent from 2 pm to 4:30 on his business.

Then we visited Ramon and Nadia, the pastor who works with us in the area and headed home.

A couple days later we got another call. "When is convenient for you to help me?" an older man needed to move a small fridge from one place to another. That's what Dave is doing this morning, helping move a fridge.

No, doing errands are not the core of our ministry. But the new family who went to Kyiv with us rode back on the bus. They got back Wednesday during the late afternoon. We picked them up around 6 the same day for the midweek service. They wanted to come. They left service on Wednesday asking if we would pick them up on Sunday.

Relating to people where they were is what Jesus did. Helping with errands is relating to people where they are.