Our Call to Missions: Camellia Jiles

The time for summer missions is upon us again! Our ministry is entering into a sacred time of preparation to embark on these journeys that are transformative and vital parts of the Christian faith. Since this year’s missions were announced, I have been hit with sudden bouts of nostalgia, my mind buzzing with vivid memories of my past two summers in Mexico. As I reflect, and as the reality that it is already “that time of the year” again sets in, I am reminded that God is everywhere. He is in the United States. He is in Mexico. He is in Honduras. He is in prisons. He is in this ministry. He is in each of our souls. God is the unbreakable thread that binds all of creation, beyond barriers tangible and intangible. He is faithful, and His love is palpable in every corner of the world.

Missions are magical. They engage every sense: from smiling faces to tight hugs to laughing children to the taste of a meal that was lovingly prepared and the smell of summer on the wind. They are a time in which the love and presence of God are made so manifest that they are conspicuous. Painfully confrontational, even. They are a time of purification, causing things buried deep to bubble to the surface, tended to by the Lord for the purpose of healing and redemption. 

But as I type this, again attempting to eloquently communicate the enchantment of Wesley summer missions, I am aware that no number of words can sufficiently describe the wonder that is the work of God. The best way for anyone to understand is to experience it for themselves. As a freshman, I didn’t consider missions as something for me to be a part of. I didn’t feel ingrained in the community enough and was too overwhelmed by school to think that it was something I could commit myself to. But the truth is, if I had decided to make that commitment, God would have held my hand every step of the way, soothing my anxious mind and meeting me with incredible blessings. This isn’t to say that God wasn’t with me that summer at home, but I now understand that God’s provision and faithfulness are steadfast, despite what fears may be clouding my ability to see them.  When I decided to take that leap of faith my sophomore year, with even more commitments on my plate than the year before, I never once regretted it. That decision changed my life in ways I could never articulate.  

I was not and am not called to be a missionary more than any other believer. On my first trip to Mexico, I had never been outside of the country, knew very little Spanish, was often nervous to speak, and was riddled with insecurity, self-doubt, anxiety, and immaturity. Even so, God showed Himself to me, taking all of those things that I could have cited as reasons not to go and turning them into a testimony. The Lord calls each and every one of us to missions, to be “a light for the Gentiles, that [we] may bring salvation to the ends of the earth” (Acts 13:47). There are no qualifications for this commandment, except that we go forth in pure faith and obedience to Him. It cannot be overstated that the call to mission is meant to be fulfilled every day of our lives. I want to, however, express the unique opportunity these summer missions present. In going to foreign places, we are making the body of Christ present within our minds and hearts, not letting man-dictated divisions determine where we draw the line. In going to Mexico and Honduras, we are outstretching the loving hand God has offered us to others, bringing about healing within the Body and displaying repentance for the injustices the United States has committed against God’s people. On mission, God has so many unimaginable sights to share and healing to do inside all of us.  

With this commandment to be missionaries, God is calling us to be brave. Christians must be brave to set aside the anxious thoughts that threaten to overtake them and instead cling to God’s promises of provision. In Luke, Jesus sends the disciples out on mission without a purse, bag, or sandals. But God was with them, and later, they remark that they lacked nothing on their trip. His commandments are not dependent on our inhibitions, but on the truth of who He is.

Camellia Jiles is a senior Studio Art major at La Tech. Since becoming a member of the Wesley in her freshman year, our community has come to know Camellia for the wise, caring, and selfless person that she is. She is truly gifted at extending a ministry of friendship to whoever she meets and we are blessed to have her as part of our body. After graduating, Camellia plans to do the Wesley’s ministry internship.