Day 1 & 2: Scotland
The vision of a vision trip
This week’s vision trip will look a little different from our typical mission trip, and that is intentional. Our team hasn’t traveled to Scotland with a project to complete or a program to run. This Scotland vision trip is an opportunity to come alongside our friends at Hope Church Leith, listen and learn, encourage what God is already doing, and prayerfully discern how West End might partner with them in the years ahead.
Much of this week will happen around tables, in homes, walking through neighborhoods, and in conversations. We’re asking the Lord to help our team listen well, love people more deeply, encourage freely, and pay attention to where he is already at work.
Our first evening began at Hope Church Leith. Louis, one of our new friends in Leith, met us at the tram and helped us find our way. When the rest of the team arrived at the church, we were greeted with applause. A pretty wonderful way to begin the week!
Derek prayed for us, and we gathered around the table for a home-cooked meal. Parker and some of the younger people quickly connected over pool and darts while the rest of us spent the evening visiting, learning names, and beginning new friendships. In many ways, this first evening is a picture of exactly why we came.
After a good night’s sleep, an excellent cup of coffee, and a delicious pastry, day two gave us the opportunity to spend more time with Derek and Catriona and hear their heart for Hope Church Leith and the community they serve. The church typically gathers 40–55 people on Sundays, and Derek and Catriona describe their desire to serve “the least, the last, and the lost.” Many of the people they encounter are navigating recovery and difficult circumstances, making relationships, trust, and a faithful Christian presence especially important.
Something they shared stayed with us: many people here don’t necessarily reject Christianity; they simply see it as irrelevant to their lives. Some have had very little exposure to the Gospel, church life, or meaningful conversations about Jesus. This helped us understand more clearly both the ministry of Hope Church Leith and our role this week. We want to come alongside this church, encourage them, build genuine relationships, listen carefully, love people well, and trust God to open doors for the hope of Christ.
Derek and Catriona also shared a prayer request for the Lord to bring families to their church. Currently, only one family with children regularly attends. Hope Church Leith longs to see more parents and children become part of the congregation and grow together in faith.
Already, the Lord is reminding us that ministry often begins in very simple ways: showing up, listening, serving, and building trust.
HOW WE’VE SEEN GOD AT WORK:
Safe arrival and the beautiful welcome by the Hope Church Leith family
Relationships that began almost immediately around the dinner table and games of pool and darts
A deeper understanding of Hope Church Leith’s heart for “the least, the last, and the lost.”
Revealing why patient, genuine relationships are so important in a community where many people don’t necessarily reject Christianity, but simply don’t see its relevance to their lives
prayer requests:
For Hope Church Leith: that God would strengthen and encourage this young congregation as they faithfully love their neighbors
For families: that the Lord would bring more parents and children into the life of the church
For open doors: that relationships formed throughout the week would lead naturally to meaningful conversations about Jesus
For our team: that they would remain humble, curious, compassionate, and attentive to the Lord and the people he puts in front of them
For discernment: that God would help our team see clearly where he is already at work and how West End might faithfully come alongside Hope Church Leith in the future