Mission with First Presbyterian Church, Taos, N.M.

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. On behalf of the three member  mission team that traveled to First Presbyterian Church in Taos, New Mexico, we write with deep gratitude for the support, prayers, and encouragement of the Presbytery of Plains and Peaks. Our Presbytery’s Mission Committee’s commitment to nurturing mission partnerships continues to bear fruit in ways both seen and unseen.

This year’s mission trip—led with faithful energy by Jill Jamison of LaSalle Presbyterian Church and Rev. Michael Fitzsimmons of First Presbyterian Church in Yuma—became a living testimony to the power of small acts of love multiplied by the Spirit. The experience of Chaos Camp, with its joyful noise, creative learning, and holy unpredictability, transformed not only the children who participated but also the volunteers who served. Many of us arrived ready to teach, only to discover that we were the ones being taught—about resilience, wonder, and the surprising ways God shows up when we loosen our grip and let grace lead.

One moment captured the heart of the week. Each morning, the children filled the Pantry Box with food for neighbors in need. One morning, they arrived to find the box completely empty—every item gone, every offering received. Their eyes widened, not in disappointment, but in amazement. “It worked!” one child said. “Someone needed it!” Another whispered, “We helped.” In that simple wooden box, the seeds of compassion were planted—quiet seeds that will grow in ways we may never fully see.

These seeds remind us of Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed—the smallest of all seeds, yet when planted, it becomes a tree large enough for birds to rest in its branches. Our time in Taos embodied that truth. What we offered felt small: a week of camp, a box of food, a handful of volunteers, a few songs, crafts, and prayers. But God delights in small beginnings. God takes what seems insignificant and grows it into shelter, hope, and belonging.

We witnessed mustard-seed miracles:

• A shy child finding their voice during worship

• A volunteer rediscovering joy in service

• A community strengthened through shared meals and shared mission

• A congregation reminded that they are not alone

These are the holy outcomes your support made possible.

Thank you, Presbytery, for believing in mission that is relational, incarnational, and rooted in the everyday soil of human need. Thank you for sending us, supporting us, and celebrating with us. The seeds planted in Taos will continue to grow—by God’s grace, by the Spirit’s breath, and by the ongoing partnership we share in Christ.  With extreme gratitude, Pastor Mike Fitzsimmons