By Melvin Chapman,
Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA

This journey started in July 2022 during the last reunion at Camp Powderfork in Arkansas, USA. The visiting minister was Larry McGuire, an off-the-wall, out-of-the-box missionary. He introduced us to the spiritual discipline of the Mission Prayer.

His warning: If you do not believe it, do not say it. Well, we believed it and started saying it after we got home. Then things started to happen. We heard that a neighbor was ill; we did not know how sick he was. So, like what we thought good neighbors would do, we provided some soup and homemade bread. We thought we did well.

Wow, were we in for a surprise! A few days later, several cars quickly arrived at the home. I went to see what had happened. A young lady, the daughter, greeted me. I walked into another room and was met by the neighbor’s wife. She grabbed me and said, “Melvin—he is gone.” She held me and cried. So did I.

A few days later I had been thinking what I (we) could do for our neighbors, whom we were beginning to realize we knew little about. As I was going into the kitchen for a cup of coffee, a thought hit me. I told my wife that we ought to start a Bible study for our neighbors. She did not miss a beat and said, “Tuesdays at 1:30. You ask them.” So, a Mission Prayer journey began.

...we...started saying it after we got home. Then things started to happen.

We had been saying the prayer daily, and what I (we) got was wonderful! I set out to ask neighbors within walking distance. We live on a lake with a dead-end road, so it was a captive audience. Each said yes. Eight came to the first meeting. It was, of course, rather quiet until coffee and homemade cinnamon rolls were made available.

Smiles and laughter soon abounded at our table. The original group usually comes, and we have ten to twelve at each meeting. And, yes, different people bring a lot of snacks. Around that table are Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Assembly of God, and Community of Christ members. The studies are lively and sometimes entertaining.

Through this experience I have learned the true meaning of community. When we are gone, we give our house key to a neighbor so study can continue. One lady said the group knows where everything is; “we are at home.”

This journey is not over. It began 15 August 2023, and on 15 August, we celebrated our one-year anniversary.

Fifty-two weeks at the table and still going.

Where will the Spirit lead you today?