Mission Photo Monday: Ecaudor

In 2005, my dad went on a mission trip to Ecuador.

It was one of the trips that God used to prompt our family to adopt as Dad witnessed poverty at the 3rd world level.

All of the pictures from his trip make me amazingly happy, because my dad has the biggest heart of service of anyone that I've ever met. He would (and has) happily give the shirt off of his back to anyone in need and best of all, he would do it in secret. The biggest lesson that my dad has taught me about service is that true love and true servant hood is humble.

Isaiah 40:6-8

"A voice says, "Cry!"

And I said, "What shall I cry?"

All flesh is grass,

and all its beauty is like the flower of

the feild.

The grass withers, the flower fades

when the breath of the Lord blows on it;

surely the people are grass.

The grass wither, the flower fades,

but the word of our God will stand

forever."

~Isaiah 40:6-8~

Sillyness

Around the corner,

Or down the street



You'll find with all the kids you meet,

Though maybe living far or near,

One attribute is very clear:

KIDS. ARE. SILLY!!!

Persevere

...even when you feel like you're falling apart

haha

My brother and I had a conversation.

Joseph: "My friends and I are gonna start a band."

Me: "Can I name it?!?!?"

Joseph: "Psh, no. You'd probably call it the Happy Africans or something, but we're all white and grumpy."

He cracks me up. I love you, Joey.

Mission photo Monday

This Mission Photo was taken only about 30 minutes away from my house, but I think it was probably the most fulfilling mission experience that I've ever been a part of. A team of youth and a adults from my church and school spent a week at "camp" this summer with a group of Muslim refugees from Africa whose people group and name I can't share. :( We spent 5 days just hanging out with them and with each other and I witnessed my dear friends sharing the Gospel to the kids and to each other with out EVER using words to express God's love. The camp and the people were RADIANT with the Gospel, so much more, even, than if we had been able to use our tongues. The purpose of this adventure was to build relationship with these people so that eventually we will be able to tell them about Christ and that truth will fall on ears that are open and prepared to accept because they already trust us. We have followed through twice so far since last June and spent a day with them on two different occasions. We are working on maybe taking a tip to the zoo in March and then planning another week long camp for July.

The point?

I've always heard "you can be a missionary wherever you live, you don't have to travel far away to share the Gospel".... and that always kind of got to me, because I was actually burdened to travel far away. However, not to belittle 3rd world mission trips, sometimes the most amazing things really do happen right in our own towns. I think its harder for us to accept that because we aren't always looking to see and be the hands of Christ while we're still in our comfort zones. At least it is for me.

Hero Monday: The Eskimos

How on earth

they ever did it
without the

wooden rafters

is beyond us. :)