What an incredible trip it was visiting Poland, and I will forever hold this trip near to my heart! From getting to serve Amazing Grace Church through construction projects, to fellowship with our new friends in Poland and those on the team, and to getting to spread the Gospel on the streets, God truly did some amazing things that will make an eternal difference for His Kingdom!
First of all, I want to give a tremendous thank you to everyone who supported me and our team whether financially or through prayer. All the work we did would not have been possible without you! Miraculously, all 42 team members stayed healthy, and the trip went remarkably smoothly. I truly believe this was thanks to the Lord answering so many prayers from not only our team but everyone back home.
Our Work
Throughout the week, we worked on renovating Amazing Grace Church including doing all new flooring and paint, building a fence, putting together furniture and picnic tables, and creating a fire pit area. It was remarkable to see the difference in the space from the beginning of the week to the end, and with so many hands on deck, we were able to in rapid time complete this place of fellowship for the church of Poland.
Additionally, a sub-team of myself and 15 others worked at another ministry in Poland called Bread of Life where we painted and cleaned up a home space for a refugee family. For the majority of the week, I was on painting duty at both locations, and it was so sweet to know that I was getting to help create a warm, safe space for the church and this family!
In the evenings, we attended street church one night, had dinner at the homes of families from the church, and got to pray over the potential site for an evangelical conference center, the first of its kind in Poland.
God Moments
Here are a few God-moments of mine throughout the week!
-I had a great spiritual conversation with a girl from the church, and I was able to encourage her as I related to her story so much. I was able to remind her that God’s love for us is not based on the things we do, and in Christ, there is no condemnation. I left her with some scriptures that have greatly helped me and will continue to pray and keep up with her!
-At street church, I shared my testimony through a translator. God also opened a moment during a conversation on the street with another girl. Myself and two other team members got to share the Gospel with her and help her see what church is meant to be: a place of family, belonging, and joy.
-While the worship team rehearsed the previous night for street church, our team joined in and had an impromptu worship night at the hotel. This became one of my favorite moments of the week!
Personal Impact
First of all, it was so amazing to get to meet people from the family of Christ all the way across the world, and I was truly blessed by seeing their passion for Jesus in a place where Christians are few and far between. It was also sobering and sad to see the darkness in a place where only .2% of people are Evangelical Christians. There was a notable difference in the joy of the people of the church vs. the people on the streets of Poland. Ultimately, the trip brought me more gratitude for the gift of so much community around us here in Charlotte. It’s something I take for granted but is an enormous blessing. Additionally, going on this trip has encouraged me to not leave my missions work overseas but to continue it here in Charlotte, to have more Gospel conversations and shine God’s light to people.
Prayer Requests
-For Evangelical Poland’s mission to plant 4,300 new churches by 2050.
-For the plans for the Evangelical Poland training center to come to fruition.
-For Amazing Grace church to continue to grow and reach those in Poland.
-Peace and blessing for the refugee families staying at Bread of Life.
Once again, thank you for all your support and prayers!
With love,
Lauren Powers
First of all, I want to give a tremendous thank you to everyone who supported me and our team whether financially or through prayer. All the work we did would not have been possible without you! Miraculously, all 42 team members stayed healthy, and the trip went remarkably smoothly. I truly believe this was thanks to the Lord answering so many prayers from not only our team but everyone back home.
Our Work
Throughout the week, we worked on renovating Amazing Grace Church including doing all new flooring and paint, building a fence, putting together furniture and picnic tables, and creating a fire pit area. It was remarkable to see the difference in the space from the beginning of the week to the end, and with so many hands on deck, we were able to in rapid time complete this place of fellowship for the church of Poland.
Additionally, a sub-team of myself and 15 others worked at another ministry in Poland called Bread of Life where we painted and cleaned up a home space for a refugee family. For the majority of the week, I was on painting duty at both locations, and it was so sweet to know that I was getting to help create a warm, safe space for the church and this family!
In the evenings, we attended street church one night, had dinner at the homes of families from the church, and got to pray over the potential site for an evangelical conference center, the first of its kind in Poland.
God Moments
Here are a few God-moments of mine throughout the week!
-I had a great spiritual conversation with a girl from the church, and I was able to encourage her as I related to her story so much. I was able to remind her that God’s love for us is not based on the things we do, and in Christ, there is no condemnation. I left her with some scriptures that have greatly helped me and will continue to pray and keep up with her!
-At street church, I shared my testimony through a translator. God also opened a moment during a conversation on the street with another girl. Myself and two other team members got to share the Gospel with her and help her see what church is meant to be: a place of family, belonging, and joy.
-While the worship team rehearsed the previous night for street church, our team joined in and had an impromptu worship night at the hotel. This became one of my favorite moments of the week!
Personal Impact
First of all, it was so amazing to get to meet people from the family of Christ all the way across the world, and I was truly blessed by seeing their passion for Jesus in a place where Christians are few and far between. It was also sobering and sad to see the darkness in a place where only .2% of people are Evangelical Christians. There was a notable difference in the joy of the people of the church vs. the people on the streets of Poland. Ultimately, the trip brought me more gratitude for the gift of so much community around us here in Charlotte. It’s something I take for granted but is an enormous blessing. Additionally, going on this trip has encouraged me to not leave my missions work overseas but to continue it here in Charlotte, to have more Gospel conversations and shine God’s light to people.
Prayer Requests
-For Evangelical Poland’s mission to plant 4,300 new churches by 2050.
-For the plans for the Evangelical Poland training center to come to fruition.
-For Amazing Grace church to continue to grow and reach those in Poland.
-Peace and blessing for the refugee families staying at Bread of Life.
Once again, thank you for all your support and prayers!
With love,
Lauren Powers