By Laurie Falvo, Adventist Mission

They're off! Thirty-one kayakers donned with life jackets, hats, and eager smiles embarked on a five-day mission adventure down the Rospuda River in Poland.

Their kayaks, a vivid assortment of red, yellow, green, and blue, were crammed with sleeping bags, tents, clothes, and food, and their most important cargo--magazines and books for sharing hope in Jesus.

When they came to a village, they went from home to home, visiting and praying with people and offering them literature about Jesus.

Along their route they shared 3,500 copies of the newspaper edition of Signs of the Times and sold hundreds of books, including The Messiah and The Great Controversy on CD. They even met people who bought books from them on a previous trip down the river. "It's wonderful to hear that people have read our books and received a blessing," says church pastor and kayaker Piotr Stachurski.

This was the fourth kayak mission trip for members of the Podkowa Lena Seventh-day Adventist Church and other local church members who enjoy the yearly adventure. This time almost half the group was between the ages of 7 and 15. "It's great to see our young people involved in mission," says Pastor Stachurski. "They learn from the adults how to share Jesus' love, and their enthusiasm encourages us."

The Rospuda River winds 41 miles through pristine forests and marshy meadows. Paddling about 11 miles a day, the team saved plenty of time for outreach and Christian fellowship. At night they gathered around a campfire to worship God and pray for the people they had met that day.

The Adventist church in Poland is small, with about 5,700 members. That's one Adventist for every 6,600 people. "The work is difficult in Poland, says Pastor Roszkowski, Global Mission director for the Polish Union Conference. "Poles want to catch up with Western Europe, often working two jobs. They have little time to read the Bible."

The mission team from Podkowa Lesna were the first Adventists many of the villagers had ever met. Their trip was supported in part by the mission offerings you give each week in Sabbath School.

"We're so thankful for the opportunity we've had to share the hope we have in Jesus," says Pastor Stachurski. "We know people are reading the material we've shared and some have requested Bible studies. It's my hope that our kayak mission story will help you know that your support of mission is making an incredible difference in people's lives and maybe inspire you to organize a creative mission trip of your own!"

Piotr Stachurski is secretary of the South Polish Conference.