Six members of the Armour of Light Baptist Church in Victory will be leaving on a 10-day missionary trip Aug. 18. Instead of the more typical journey to impoverished areas in South America or Africa, the group will travel to Woodbridge, England. The congregation held a banquet at the Hong Kong Restaurant in Auburn to hear details about the mission.

Ed Epprecht, the assistant pastor and a member of the mission team, explained their choice for this year's trip.

“We were looking for a place to go that wasn't dangerous and where we wouldn't have to learn a new language,” he explained.

Epprecht then joked that wasn't entirely true, because the accent of the people he spoke to on the phone was so heavy, he couldn't always understand them.

“Several other sites were ruled out, and when we contacted the Peters, they welcomed us with open arms,” he added.

The Peters are the missionaries living in Woodbridge. They have visited the United States and stayed with Epprecht's family when they came to Victory.

“The Peters are just one of the missionary families we support,” he said. “There are about 50 worldwide.”

Woodbridge, with a population of about 7,500, is in Suffolk, East Anglia, in southeast England.

It was founded some time in the 10th century as part of the endowment of a monastery. During World War II, it was used as a station of the British Royal Air Force.

Four of the mission team members are adults - Epprecht, Darcie Uhl and James and Nancy Amie. Younger members are Brandi-Jo Baker, 15, and Matthew O'Connor, 11.

Baker was very excited about going.

“I want to be a missionary, and this would be a good experience,” she said.

“My sister has been on missionary trips and said they are great and that God really touched her. I wanted that experience, too.”

O'Connor had a more simple explanation for wanting to go.

“I want to help the missionaries,” he said, “and I want to go to England, too.”

When the group arrives, they will help to repair a youth center that is connected with the small church where the Peters minister. Each member of the team is expected to pay for the cost of the trip and any incidental expenses.

The money has been raised by extra jobs, fundraisers and community support. O'Connor even worked with Epprecht mowing lawns all summer to pay for his plane ticket and spending money. Also, the church has an on-going can and bottle collection, including a fundraising account at the Meridian Redemption Center.

Raising the money is only part of the expectations the church has for its representatives on the mission team. Each member had to give at least two presentations in front of the church congregation about a working missionary and the mission field.

They also have to spend time every day in prayer on behalf of the missionary work, participate in church outreach programs and mission camps and attend church regularly.

Greg Settle, the pastor of the church, said getting his congregation active in the work of the church has never been a problem.

“We built this church from scratch out of an empty building,” he said.

“We didn't want to be a traditional church. We wanted everyone to get involved. Everybody new who comes in adds to the dimension of what we can do.”

Epprecht expressed similar sentiments about the people of the congregation.

“The entire church gets involved,” he added. “That's because they like it.”

The Armour of Light Church now owns 54 acres of land on Route 38. It has a replica of a western town that is used all year round for camps and special programs.

“We call it Salt Lick City,” Settle said.

During the summer, Vacation Bible schools are held every other week, with an average attendance of 100 students.