Ora et labora. Pray and work. This centuries-old credo from Saint Benedict was the inspiration for two trips that members of Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, Calif., took in 2026. The first trip brought members on a pilgrimage to England, while others from the congregation went to New Mexico to work with two Christian Reformed congregations on various projects.
Both destinations were inspired by previous trips. Three years ago, Pastor Mark VanDyke took a sabbatical to northern England and Germany to see sights connected to the Reformation. He felt the experience was very restorative and he wanted to offer his congregation a similar opportunity to learn, pray, and meditate. This led to organizing a seven-night trip for 14 congregation members to Canterbury and London.
The cathedral city of Canterbury, home to bishops for over 1,500 years, was the group’s first stop. “On our first night, we attended the evensong at the cathedral. That was a great experience. I was a music major at Dordt (University) and to experience the music at the cathedral was awe-inspiring,” said participant Kelsi Schuller, who attended for the history and because she felt God calling her to a prayer retreat.
Schuller appreciated the next day’s opportunity to revisit the cathedral, contemplating faithful predecessors in the church, “to know that others have gone before us in church history and in the faith.”
In London, the group visited Bunhill Fields, a cemetery where protestant bishops were buried alongside Susanna Wesley, mother of Reformers John and Charles Wesley in the Methodist tradition, and hymn writers Isaac Watts, Joseph Hart, and others. Recognizing their contributions to Christian worship, the group sang Watts’ “Jesus Shall Reign” and “How Firm a Foundation” by John Rippon.
One of the members that was present in England also took part in the labora portion of the twin trips. For Randy Eskes, New Mexico wasn’t a new venture. Two years ago, he used his experience as a building contractor to bless Crownpoint (N.M.) CRC with much-needed repairs. This time around, the project turned out even bigger.
“We were 12 (people) and we used Gallup, New Mexico, as our home base, and split up in teams each day to do service projects at Crownpoint CRC and Fort Wingate CRC,” Eskes explained. “One group would start over at Fort Wingate by cutting wood to be given to the elderly this coming winter to heat their homes. Another crew was working on a house there that needed all new siding and trim. We could only cut wood until 11 a.m., so after that time, that crew joined the other crew in Fort Wingate.”
At Crownpoint CRC, the team led daily vacation Bible school in the mornings, and then painted the kitchen and part of the sanctuary in the afternoons. After the day’s work was over, everyone gathered in Gallup for dinner and devotions. These devotions made an impact on John Van Zwaluwenburg, who said this time was among his favorite parts of the trip for him.
Something else that stood out to him was a closer connection on this second visit. “I knew the culture from two years before,” Van Zwaluwenburg said, noting it was less of a stark difference the second time. “I got closer to some of the people from the congregation, too. You get to know different personalities.”
After returning, Van Zwaluwenburg said he feels “closer to God and knowing that he’s a God for everybody. A lot of times you hear about these trips and you think they’re just having fun, but it affects you.” Schuller said she’s felt a motivation to be more intentional in prayer and her devotional life.
VanDyke said, “Those who came had an opportunity to think about travel differently. Hopefully we inspired the church as a whole for (seeking) a purpose in traveling and looking at church history as an inspiration for travel.”