(Below is a picture of a church filled with precious children ready to sing, dance, and learn about the truth of who God is what He has done for us.)
Well I am back.
That sounds better than what I really am.
I am somewhere between homesick for what I left in St. Vincent and ecstactic for the closeness of the ones I came back to.
Going on a missiont trip tends to do that to you.
I learned this last year when I returned. It was like I was slowly waking up from some type of anesthesia. Moving in slow motion. Feet dragging. To-do lists growing by the minute...
We got home Sunday just before lunchtime. It is Wednesday and I am just now feeling like I can sit down and begin the process of writing about my trip.
Wherever do I start?
I thought that because I had gone to this island before and stayed at the same place and worked at the same church that I would be completely prepared for all that the week held for me.
(God laughs here)
I couldn't have been more wrong.
Same island? Yes. Same accommodations? Yes. Same church to serve? Yes. But different doesn't begin to describe it.
-Our luggage got lost. (Mine was just for a few days. A couple of brave souls were without their luggage for 5 whole days.)
-Missed flights.
-Missed connecting flights.
-Delayed getting home.
-Our church arranged VBS entirely opposite of what I had planned on doing.
-The weather was different.
-Cokes had disappeared. (we got real Cokes last year in the glass bottle every single day that were ice cold)
-Issues with transportation. (the bus that would transport our groups had battery issues)
None of these things are really a big deal in the grand scheme of things. But when you are thousands of miles away and you are banking on the preparations that are in your luggage (that you currently don't have) it becomes a big deal quick.
Last year things ran smoothly and I didn't even realize that there could be another way.
BUT GOD showed me that even when things don't run smoothly....He can show up and be large and in charge. He wasn't surprised by any of it. But I think a few of us were surprised at how helpless we can suddenly feel. At least I was.
However, it was "GO" time. We were there. We had a mission. And with or without luggage it was going to happen. So God gave us joy.
I am telling you that I have not belly laughed as much as I did on this trip in a long time. The more things got wacky and out of our control....the funnier other things became.
Some times all you can do is laugh about it. That should have been our motto. This girl did.
The 8 (turned into 9) days passed with many triumphs in Jesus' name. Children and their parents came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Many other seeds were planted that we many never see until we reach heaven. We prayed. We praised. We pushed through. We persevered. And most of us with smiles big and wide....ready to go back again.
Whenever I get home God always shows me how the trip was really for me. Sure I got to be his hands and feet for others. But I had to come home to myself. God exposed areas in my life that need work. He challenged me to trust Him more. He answered prayers right in front of my eyes. He gave joy overflowing. He brought friendships to life. He gave us a taste of Himself that is hard to get here in America. He gave me a hunger to serve again...and again...and again.
I served alongside a group of about 37 people who all had varying gifts and talents. We are nothing special on our own. But hundreds (maybe even thousands) were personally touched because 37 ordinary folks decided to go and give all of their ordinary for His extraordinary glory. Our ages ranged from 14 to late 50's. Some were kids. Others of us had kids and even grand kids. But for this week we were bound together for one purpose: Jesus. He was so worth it.
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