Six years ago, Tillmon Bishop and other church members set out on a journey to central America, uncertain of what would transpire in their efforts to provide aid and build shelters for impoverished farmers in the area.

Six years later, the trip has become an annual mission for Bishop, the Lincoln County chancery clerk, and other Heucks Retreat Baptist Church members. Today, the journey involves close to five times as many volunteers as the first trip did.

Day after day, for eight days straight, Bishop, his wife Rosemary, their daughter Anna Bishop and 26 other volunteers zigzagged their way up and down a dangerous mountain corridor in Guatemala, walking up a path less than a foot in some places, over 4-by-4’s set across ravines and gullies to deliver supplies and building equipment to farmers in the caffeine-rich countryside.

“If you are out of shape, you are going to find out quickly,” commented Bishop on the laborious work, combined with the altitude, close to 7,000 feet

above sea level.

One of the main goals of the missionary group is to provide services to the Guatemalan farmers – things that most Americans do not have to worry about such as shelter, medical supplies (items as basic as baby aspirin and band-aids) and food.

The other major concentration is to spread a message of hope and salvation, Bishop says. “We are spreading the Gospel. The church has developed a love and caring for the people there and the ministry.”

This year, the “G-Team,” playfully taken from the A-team and with the G of Guatemala substituted, built 12 homes, two medical clinics and a food distribution center. Now, area farmers and their families will have wood and tin-corrugated homes with a five-foot porch, plus centers for medical supplies from and for food items.

The local church determines who will be provided with a new home. Bishop and the rest of the crew build most of the home, but laying the foundation is left to the future residents. Using tradition as a guide, family members combine piles of sand and rock with water to create a cement foundation for the new home. An interpreter is on hand for a symbolic blessing of the home.

“There is one door and one window for each home. A key chain with three keys representing the Holy Trinity and a padlock is given to the homeowners. During the dedication, the interpreter ties the new home ownership with the Christian Gospel,” Bishop said.

Bishop says he doesn’t speak any of the native Spanish language, however, the dedication, and the symbolism that are involved transcend language boundaries.

“You can tell what’s going on. You kind of get an idea for what is being said, but mainly what is meant, after participating in so many of these,” Bishop said.

After six years of experiencing the trip, the question of what to bring along is a bit less complicated. In many ways, what is desired spans human culture, tradition and experience.

“It’s not a comfortable trip by any means. It’s not supposed to be,” Bishop said. So team members try to do what they can to lessen the bite of culture shock and bring some measure of home comfort with them on their trip.

This includes bringing as much and as big a slab of bacon as humanly possible, according to Bishop, to travel through the airport, onto the plane and eventually into the frying pan for breakfast. Other items, specially requested from the locals, include rather counter-intuitive taco seasoning, plus candy and toys for the children, knitting materials and apparel.

The mission trip participants pay for their own plane tickets. Church funds are used for several essential services and add up quickly, Bishop noted.

“So, you have to consider all the expenses. Besides the plane ticket, there are the supplies, food, the extra baggage, the money to rent five vehicles plus the fuel and the personnel, which includes an interpreter and a cook. This begins to add up.”

Six years ago, Bishop and the team were unfamiliar with what they would experience; then, they took a side role to the other lead church. Now, the Heucks Retreat Church members and volunteers take a larger share of the responsibilities, something they wish to continue doing on future trips.

“The obvious difference between then and now is the number of participants. This year’s trip had 29 participants (25 from the church).” Of these, there was a near even divide between men and women, with 16 men and 13 women. “Six years ago, the mission had six. We also have more administrative duties now. We spearhead most of the efforts, which can range from A-Z.”

Bishop and his church plan to keep in touch with their contacts at the church in Guatemala via an international phone app, or by video conferencing. Bishops says mission trip members will inform fellow church members about the trip this Sunday morning.

“It’s true we have needs here at home, but for one week out of 52 a year, we try to meet the needs of others, as the Lord allows. It’s something very clear in scripture. It’s also work that is profoundly gratifying. I’d say that we get more out of it than those we are helping,” Bishop said.

At home here in Brookhaven, Heucks Retreat Baptist Church continues work on several ministry-related services to the local community. Through their Outreach Ministry Service, church members have been instrumental in clearing and excavating land on property belonging to The Doll’s House, a non-profit facility that offers transitional living assistance, counseling and support to women in need.