Gary Pritts, 49 years of age (until February 1st, 2011), is the most veteran mission team member on the trip. He has served on more than thirty mission trips!
Gary has traveled on mission teams to Kenya in Africa, to the Yucatan in Mexico, to Ecuador, and four times to Nicaragua, as well as all over the United States ... from hurricane Rita relief in Louisana, to soup kitchens in New York City, to rehab of homes in Colorado, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, and numerous other mission projects locally, nationally and internationally.
His wife Kathi is the Director of Christian Education at Wesley United Methodist Church, where Gary is a member. They have two children.
He works as a contractor in the J & G Integrity Builders of Bloomington, which he is partners in with Josh Houtzel (who was a member of this year's first construction mission team working on the fence).
Gary goes on mission trips because "at first I went because I just thought it would be a fun thing to do. I was a chaperone for a high school mission team. It was a fun thing. But, I gained more in my relationship with God. I did more by myself by serving, than I did for others. I gained more out of it than I gave".
"You don't go just to get something on your passport", Gary reflected. "Otherwise I'd think I'm God's gift to the project ... which is the wrong way to think of it".
This is Gary's fourth mission trip to Nicaragua, all here at the orphange in Los Cedros. He has worked on the additional to the boy's home; the security fence around the boy's home; on last year's initial work on the security fence around the orphanage complex; and this year's work on the security fence.
On this trip Gary has worked as: a welder on the fence, a repairer of numerous problems around the orphanage, erecting the fence, and various odd jobs and special projects.
What does Gary like about Nicaragua? "The people at the orphanage ... the children, but also spending time with the missionaries such as Joel, and seeing what is going on in his life, as well as the other workers at the orphanage", stated Gary. "I've really also enjoyed talking with Mark Randall, another missionary here, to find out about his life, his ministry, where all he has lived, and what he is doing".
Gary said that what has most impacted him on this trip on a personal level has been "the fun with the people. This has been a really good trip. All the team really got along, and have had a great report."
Spiritually Gary has been moved by the "growth in the people on the trip ... which can only be explained by God working in different people to show themselves and the people around them that anything is possible ... God can do anything through any person".
"I wish everyone could and would make the opportunity to let go of the comfortfulness of their life, take a step forward, and realize that they will get back more than what they put in" Gary concluded. "It is easy to say 'I'm needed at work', but ... where you might be really needed is here"!
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