Morgan Hanna (Guest Blogger)

So this week's guest blogger is none other than my own beautiful wife. Here's her thoughts.

I was 17 years old when I went on my first missions trip. Lake Russell Baptist Church took a leap of faith and sent 3 fearless leaders on a van with 13 teenagers to New Brunswick Georgia to do missions for Golden Isle Ministries. I remember it like it was yesterday, the not so air conditioned gym, where we slept, ate and showered. The wake up calls from our cook at 5:30 am came way to early because our nights didn't end until well after midnight, yet, we made it. We moved our ministry from place to place, setting up our sets, making things from scratch, working our fingers to the bone to get things "just right" because we had to give God our best. From that trip on, our motto was "set it up, take it down". To this very day we all know exactly what that phrase means, it is engraved on every single part of our being because we knew what it meant to pitch in and give it all for God's glory. The phrase seems silly and yes we still get so tickled thinking about those amazing adventures that we sometimes wet our pants from laughter, but that phrase is now one of the reasons Oasis Church means so much to me.

Portable church....whoever heard of a portable church? I never had until my crazy, insane, Christ following husband informed me that a portable church is exactly what Oasis would be. Now, 10 years after our first mission trip, Curt and I and the rest of Oasis is setting up and taking down, just like God had planned for us so many years ago. I'm not sure I can explain this because I am terrible with words, but being portable has taught my kids and I a valuable lesson in what church really should be. Church isn't a building.....seriously??? YES, seriously! Church is the body of Christ, the people who gather together, worship together, fellowship together. Church is about forming relationships with new people, inviting them in and then sending them out to continue the cycle. Church is NOT about the color of the walls, the flowers in the vestibule or the size of the auditorium, church is your congregation. My prayer is that Oasis NEVER has a permanent building.......we don't want to be content, we don't want to become complacent! If every single church we plant is portable, then so be it. I'm prepared to "set it up and take it down" for the rest of my life, are you? Oasis is preparing me for the next step and even though I am uncertain of what that step may be, I know that God is preparing my heart and the hearts of those who need to be reached. Thank you God for allowing me the opportunity to serve you in this life, I am so unworthy.

My wife is so amazing! To this day we still laugh about "set it up, tear it down." We had no Idea what God was preparing us for. Morgan, I love you so much. I am blessed to the nth degree to spend the rest of my life with you!