to help.

My grandfather passed away last night. I write this here because his life--his ideas and his example--are very much related to why we're taking a year to do mission-type work.

Grampsy was a Methodist pastor--both my grandparents were, actually--and, as my dad put it last night, his was a social gospel. I learned from him that to be Christian means to help people, and he did that both by helping directly and by working to make things right at a governmental level.

One of my favorite stories about my grandfather is that when he arrived at the recently-burned home of one of his parishioners, he immediately took his coat off, rolled up his sleeves, and got to work. I'm not sure that those details are one hundred percent accurate, but the point is that my grandfather knew that to live his faith meant to help.

I don't feel called to the ministry like my grandfather was, and I'm not as eloquent as he was when he spoke and wrote, but I can work, and I can help. I am especially glad that we have made the decision to do this year away because I feel as if I am not wasting what I learned from him.