Richard Wormsley is retired and lives in Harrogate. He was looking for ways to serve God when he spotted a Reach Beyond advert in his church looking for volunteers to join a mission team to Benin in July. He thought, “I could do that…” Once he returned from the trip we asked him a few questions.
Richard, what was the team trying to achieve in Benin?
Primarily we were there to assess the water quality of wells dug by Reach Beyond’s ministry partner. This was done by water quality testing and interviewing the village community to assess the social, health, and spiritual impact that providing clean water can bring. In addition, it provided the team with an opportunity to fully experience what short term missions can achieve and how it can build your faith.
Who else was on the team?
We were a truly multinational team, led by Reach Beyond staff from the Netherlands, South Africa and Ghana. The volunteers were from UK, USA, South Africa and Hong Kong. We were a real mixed bag of skills and personalities, but all got on fantastically well together as we knew we’d been called by God for this specific purpose.
You were the oldest person on the team, did this make a difference?
Yes! The local culture is one of respect for the elder statesmen. This meant I was invited to meet with the chiefs, elders and pastors of the communities. This was a real privilege for me as it meant I heard first-hand the impact the wells were having. Also, I was asked to speak at two church services that we attended which was a real honour.
These were hard-to-reach places for the gospel – how does a water well spread the good news?
Each well has a pastor and church planted alongside it who help to maintain it. This provides a springboard for the gospel as it shows that God’s people care for everyone and that the pastors can talk about Jesus being the true living water of life. To quote the non-believer Chief, “we are so grateful for how you keep coming back and are concerned for our welfare, because the authorities completely neglect us.”
What was a highlight of the trip for you?
It has to be the people we met in the villages and hearing stories of how the churches are flourishing. It was great to be able to joyfully worship and pray together both in a Sunday service and spontaneously during our visits. Their sacrificial giving to feed us was humbling, but the provision of three live chickens was a bit of a surprise!
Did you see any evidence of how God has impacted the communities you visited?
In communities we visited there was a real sense of joy. And elders spoke about the well bringing more peace amongst the women, especially where they would normally have to trek for hours to collect dirty water. In all instances the church is growing significantly, even in the face of persecution.
Has this trip changed you in any way?
Yes. Seeing how people are turning to God in a challenging environment, it demonstrates that I need to have more faith that He can do more than we can imagine where we live.
What would you say to someone who might be tempted to join a future team?
Don’t hesitate! As well as being a blessing to others you will be richly blessed more than you can imagine. It was wonderful to hear the team members’ personal journey’s and to disciple one another.
