Girls in Action across the state participated in 2010: Missions Odyssey, seven retreats held in four locations in April and early May and sponsored by Missouri Woman’s Missionary Union.
Bonnie Carter (facing) explains the meaning of cooperation and the Cooperative Program to Girls in Action at a GA retreat April 30-May 1 at Grand Oaks Baptist Assembly at Chillicothe.
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The retreats, held at Baptist Hill in Mt. Vernon, South Missouri Baptist Assembly at Van Buren, Bates Creek Baptist Camp at Potosi and Grand Oaks Baptist Assembly at Chillicothe, attracted 1,253 girls and leaders. As a mission project, participants collected and contributed latex gloves, oven mitts, dish clothes and towels, spray cleaner and a variety of sports items to each camp facility.
Missouri GA girls participated in four creative drawing contests leading up to the retreat experience. A drawing by Hope Wolfe of First Baptist Church, Anderson, was chosen as the retreat’s T-shirt design. The program cover featured art by Autumn Bauer of First Baptist Church, Troy, and art by Emily Dehner of Durham Baptist Church was selected for a bookmark. Three banners that reflected the retreat’s theme were created with art from Sarah Nevils of New Hope Baptist Church, Sedalia; Morgan Porta of Northeast Baptist Church, Clinton; and Laura McAndrew of First Baptist Church, St. Peters.
The retreats helped participants understand that life is an extended journey and that God wants missions to be part of it. Using Matthew 28:19-20, the odyssey theme was reflected in a series of breakout “journeys.” Girls took a prayerwalk as the journey of prayer and learned about cooperation and the Cooperative Program in the journey of cooperation.
Two girls work together to move forward on their "skis" in a race to the finish line at one of seven GA retreats sponsored by Missouri WMU.
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The journey of faith featured retired missionary speakers who shared their call, stories about life on the field and the ministry they do in retirement. Girls heard about journeys around the world as individuals shared short-term mission experiences.
The journey of growth allowed participants to create a journal as part of Bible study, and they created rock magnets as a tool to share the plan of salvation in the journey of sharing. The journey of creativity featured a variety of themed activities, including making banks and writing letters to missionaries.
In addition, the retreats featured a special Bible study about serving and a fellowship for girls “graduating” from GA. They learned more about Acteens, the mission organization for junior high and high school girls.
