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Finishing Years

This spring, my husband and I turned 65, the official age for retirement. But we have actually been retired for several years now and, as is often the case, we have never been busier. Whatever do we do with our time, you wonder? Do we go to the beach? The theatre? Travel? Eat out? Oh yes, we do all of these things and more. But we also do many other things that have much more meaning because we have determined to spend these so-called “golden years” in service to others instead of just ourselves.

What Do We Do?
To begin with, we are the parents of five children and grandparents to 14 grandchildren, all of whom live nearby. Thus, we have the very great privilege of playing an active role in each of their busy lives. My aging mother also recently relocated closer to us from another state and is in need of assistance so we help her out regularly as well.

In addition to our family commitments, there seems to be no end to our responsibilities at our local church where each of us serve on the board. I also volunteer in several capacities at the pregnancy aid center that I worked at before I retired.

Missions-Minded
Our church is very missions-minded and that has played a key role in getting us involved in mission work. In the late 1980s we began hearing the term “short-term missions.” When the first opportunity came up, we were quick to volunteer. It was 1989 and the trip took us to Mexico for a building project. Apart from us, the group was made up almost entirely of youth.

Then in 1996 we were involved in the building of a chapel in the Philippines. This missions group was composed mainly of adults. Two years later we were off to East London with another group of young people. This month-long trip was evangelistic in nature and we were awed and inspired by the boldness with which our young people witnessed to the diverse cultures in that city. Our church generously sponsored all these mission trips.

In the year 2000, my husband and I were planning a trip to Europe to celebrate my retirement. As we were making plans, we received a prayer letter from some staff at Campus Crusade for Christ challenging us to consider giving two weeks to serve at Expo 2000 in Hanover, Germany where Campus Crusade was planning to distribute the JESUS video.

Thankfully, we were able to extend our time in Europe to include this event. What a wonderful experience it was to share Christ with people from so many different countries.

Love for Travel
In addition to these international trips, several years ago we combined our love for travel, camping and ministry, and became members of SOWERS (Servants on Wheels Ever Ready). SOWERS has a membership of over 2,000 couples from across the United States and Canada who have recreational vehicles, are self-supporting and are willing to work at projects for a month at a time. It has been wonderful to meet other retired folks who share the same goals and who are willing to give their talents to help fulfil practical needs at various Christian ministries.

This week, we are gearing up for a mission trip to the Ivory Coast in West Africa where we will be working on a print shop for missionaries who are involved in Bible translation and publishing. As with our other mission trips, this trip will also include opportunities to minister in local churches.

Desire to Serve God
We are often asked what it takes to volunteer in ministry. I always respond by saying vulnerability, flexibility, a desire to work as part of a group and the ability to appreciate different cultures. But above all, mission work requires a desire to serve God in whatever way He chooses.

Recently someone asked me how I knew that God wanted me to go on this trip to Africa. I replied that I would know that it was not His will when and if He happened to show me. In the meantime, He has put this desire into our hearts and we are moving forward one step at a time.

Unlike traveling as a tourist, being part of a missions team and working with local people and missionaries gives us a far greater insight into the cultures in which we serve. It also requires some adjustments and sacrifice as we are usually operating outside of our comfort zone; however, this is not always the case. For example, when we were in Germany we lived in a castle. My husband called that “creative suffering.” But at other times, our shower has been nothing but a pail with a dipper. It just goes to show that, like the apostle Paul, those who go on missions must learn to be content in all situations (Philippians 4:12).

And we’re definitely learning!

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David and Shirley Smith have been married 44 years, have five children and 14 grandchildren. David is a graduate from Syracuse University with a degree in Electrical Engineering.  Shirley graduated with a Family and Community Degree. They enjoy family and travelling.

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