The Mission Trip Before We Said “I Do”

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In 1998, my life looked full from the outside.

I was working as an actor and spokesmodel in Atlanta, busy and surrounded by opportunity. But inside, something felt divided. I began to recognize that I was living a kind of double life—not fully true to God and not fully true to myself. I wanted more. More truth. More authentic love. More community that thrives on faith.

So I started small. I dipped my toe back into prayer. I found my way back to church. And almost immediately—quietly, insistently—God began placing people and invitations in my path. One of them was a suggestion that sounded simple enough: Come to a gathering of young adults preparing for a mission trip to a place called Mustard Seed Communities.

I had no idea that yes would change everything.

That first mission trip to Mustard Seed Communities in Kingston, Jamaica, took place in the sizzling heat of July 1999. Janice Murphy (now Givens) led our group, encouraging us to step beyond what felt comfortable and love the children fully and freely.

Many of the residents had been abandoned as children, some with profound physical and mental disabilities, others malnourished before arriving at MSC, their bodies bearing the long-term effects of neglect. I learned stories that were difficult to hear: children once left alone, dismissed as unworthy of care before Msgr. Gregory began MSC. It was startling to witness at first. And yet none of it felt hopeless … because everywhere I looked, there was joy.

Joy in the caregivers who showed up day after day. Joy in the residents whose laughter and presence radiated something unmistakably holy. Love wasn’t theoretical here. It was physical, practiced, lived out in the smallest daily acts. I saw how one caregiver’s steady devotion, or even a volunteer’s presence for just a week, could transform a life. And I felt how much the residents transformed us in return.

On this same trip, we were also blessed to spend time with Msgr. Gregory (he was still Fr. Gregory at the time!). Through his presence, his words, and his laughter, I sensed that this was a new chapter in my life. I began to understand something I hadn’t before: that love doesn’t exclude God. True love that is all-encompassing includes God. Living God’s love out with a person you care for is amazingly different and way, way better.

I returned to MSC on another mission trip and a leadership training trip, drawn again to the spiritual community that formed so naturally there. I watched hearts open … my own included.

Eventually, California called! I met Sam Larson and we fell deeply in love. He loved the Lord, we loved each other, AND he was kind, caring, smart, adventurous, thoughtful. In December 2001, he proposed to me on the Eiffel Tower. I said yes … it was exciting! 

But before we joined our lives together, I knew I needed to bring Sam to Mustard Seed Communities.

I wanted to see his heart in motion there. I just wanted to see his natural self with the residents, the environment, the caregivers…

So we went. And the mission trip expanded Sam’s understanding of love in ways that still shape our lives. Watching that love flow from MSC into our everyday life made me love him even more.

Sam shared later,

“My first experience at MSC really expanded my concept of love. It helped me to understand the meaning of agape, the kind of love that God has for all of us and how He wants us to share that with each other.” 

MSC became woven into our love story. In Los Angeles and San Jose, I worked to raise awareness for the children and adults living with disabilities at MSC, organizing events, supporting Msgr. Gregory’s visits, and helping build early networks of supporters in the U.S. Sam supported me every step of the way. When I organized a mission trip to MSC in Nicaragua, Sam was fully on board. My mom came too!

“As I think of the ongoing impact of MSC in my life, it always comes back to love. And not just on an individual passionate relationship level, but a deep abiding love that is a gift from God,” Sam shares.

When Msgr. Gregory married us at the Old Santa Rosa Chapel in Cambria, California, it felt like a blessing layered upon blessing. Msgr. Gregory was his holy, fun, very present self. At the time we did not know that it had been his birthday! 

You cannot help but be influenced by Msgr. Gregory’s closeness to God and the love that pours out of him. By his example, he always reminds me to be calm and pray constantly having complete faith. There might be a zillion different things going on at the same time, along with problems to solve, but he is peaceful, present, and laughing, spilling joy as he goes along. He lives Philippians 4:6-7!

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

– Philippians 4:6-7

As the years unfolded, Sam and I moved often with his work, with growing children, with life’s many seasons. While it wasn’t a time for mission trips, we tried to live what MSC had taught us: to love generously, to see Christ in the most vulnerable, to remain grateful in every circumstance.

In 2023, when our children were old enough, we returned to Jamaica together. When we got there, my mouth dropped at how much MSC has grown and is able to support more people in need physically, spiritually, and emotionally, still with God and love. The promise that no child will be abandoned twice is simple to say, but profound to live. It can only be successful with God and the love God gives us.

I cannot speak for our kids’ experience (Jules, a freshman in college, and Jessie, a high school sophomore at the time) but I know that their eyes and hearts were opened and God will grow the seeds.

Jessie reflected later, “God’s love was so abundantly evident in everyone I met at MSC. My first trip was a lesson in gratitude and a gift of joy.”

Jules was especially moved by time spent in Dare to Care with the children and young adults living with HIV. “Spending time with the kids in Dare to Care affected me deeply. We all just enjoyed having fun, and their happiness and enthusiasm were unrivaled. It made me reflect on the blessings and privileges in my own life.”

After this family experience together, Sam said, “I think having the chance to go on mission trips to MSC has helped me to be a better husband and parent. Being with the most vulnerable and appreciating them as individuals helps to remind me that every moment is an opportunity to show our love and compassion to those around us.

“Families should definitely consider going on a MSC mission trip. It’s an experience that will deepen relationships and provide an opportunity to see that love can be found in great abundance in unexpected places,” he concludes.

God is still putting people and experiences in my path, helping me grow in Him. I am never walking alone. I know for a fact that caring for the most vulnerable at MSC and seeing the Christ-like agape love that caregivers and staff give, as well as Christ’s love and spirit in the residents, has directly influenced every single relationship I have. It inspires me, gives me perspective, and swells my heart to bursting.

For Valentine’s Day this year, I pledge my heart again to Christ, who helps me share His love with Sam, our family, and the world. My prayer is that when God decides to call me home, both feet will be firmly planted in Him, not just a couple of toes.

I know that love, when it is rooted in Christ, doesn’t stay contained—it multiplies and transforms, reshaping all that it touches.

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