CRWM Volunteers Will Tell Stories

Mike and Claudia Elzinga will be traveling around the world in the next year to find and tell the stories — through videos and writing — of the lives and work of Christian Reformed World Missions (CRWM) missionaries in nearly 20 countries.

Using his own equipment, Mike Elzinga will be doing the video work and Claudia Elzinga will interview people and write stories and a blog. Both will take photographs of the missionaries they meet and the work in which they are engaged.

They are doing this as volunteers with CRWM, which will use the stories to let people know about the agency’s wide-ranging work.

The Elzingas will also help missionaries to tell their own stories through video and other means.

To help raise funds for their journey, the Elzingas participated in a recent concert titled “Music of the Spheres: A Contemporary Concert of Favorites from the Blue Psalter Hymnal.” The free concert was held at First Byron CRC.

“The concert went very well and we had a respectable turnout of around 200 people,” says Mike Elzinga.

“We had a lot of fun singing and praising God with our friends and community.”

The Elzingas started playing music together in 2006, with Mike Elzinga on guitar and lead and Claudia following him with harmonies. Several other friends who are musicians joined them in the concert.

A collection was taken at the concert to help the Elzingas, who leave at the end of October.

In their work overseas, the Elzingas will be storytelling volunteers trying to capture the on-the-ground, heartfelt challenges and triumphs missionaries experience.

“We want to use our gifts help bridge the gap between missionaries and congregations in North America. Our goal is to get people in the churches to connect with missionaries as people,” said Mike Elzinga.

“This will help the Christian Reformed Church reach more people and build a stronger global community.”

Mike Elzinga has been working as a videographer and his wife has been a writer. They have also spent time volunteering at Pathway Church in Byron Center, Mich. both as youth leaders and members of the praise team.

In the process, says Mike Elzinga, they have realized that “there is much more we need to do ... We are being called to put our spiritual gifts into full force to illustrate God’s work beyond the Great Lakes.”