CASSOPOLIS, Mich. (Mennonite Mission Network) – One year ago, Dave and Karen Mast traded their 2,600-square-foot home in Ephrata, Pa., for a 35-foot travel trailer.
Dave, 51, and Karen, 48, now travel across the eastern United States working as volunteers for SOOP, a Mennonite Mission Network volunteer opportunity throughout the United States and Canada for adults and families.
Having logged more than 3,500 miles, they’ve worked at Woodcrest Retreat Center in Ephrata; The Hermitage in Three Rivers, Mich.; Unique World Gifts in Hickory, N.C.; Lakewood Christian Retreat Center in Brooksville, Fla.; and Williamsburg Christian Retreat Center in Toano, Va. They are currently serving at Camp Friedenswald in Cassopolis.
What motivated this couple to forego the comfort and structure of their traditional lifestyle for this nomadic existence? Primarily, they see their choice as a calling.
“Through prayer, conversations with spiritual mentors, and recognizing a desire of our hearts, we pursued [volunteer] ministry,” Karen said, and after reading about the SOOP program online, knew they’d found a perfect fit for ministry.
While full-time voluntary service is often seen as something to fill gap years between high school and college, or college and a career, Del Hershberger, Mission Network Christian Service director, says people are finding ways of weaving service into their lives.
“We are excited to see more and more people at various points in their lives who are exploring opportunities for service outside their own communities,” Hershberger said.
Arloa Bontrager, Mission Network national director of SOOP and Youth Venture, agreed.
“The Masts’ decision to pursue service involved some big risks, but they embraced a sense of God’s leading and are joyfully pursuing that call,” Bontrager said.
Although volunteering takes Dave and Karen Mast to various retreat centers, both stress that their work is no vacation. The couple juggles a complicated schedule of service, relocation and family. Since Dave continues to work as a commercial airline pilot based out of Harrisburg (Pa.) International Airport, Karen drives him to local airports where he catches flights to and from Harrisburg, while she continues work on service projects.
“I do wish I could spend more time on the projects,” Dave said, acknowledging that his work makes their ministry possible. Dave’s flight time keeps him away for up to five days at a time. “I try to get a schedule that allows me two to three days off between flight schedules,” he explained, since that gives him an opportunity to work on projects.
Asked what they miss most about their former life, Karen’s response was immediate: “The children and grandchildren, definitely.”
Prior to their life on the road, the couple acted as primary caregivers for their oldest grandchild, and another grandchild was born since the couple left Ephrata.
Despite the difficulties and personal sacrifices they’ve made to follow this path, they remain confident their choice was the right one.
"God put this all together; he’s in charge of all the little details that make it work,” Dave said. “And when God makes it clear he’s leading us in another direction, we’ll follow.”
