Monday -- The Real Work Begins and God Says Hello from Sunny Baja Mexico

Our daily routine really kicks in on Monday. For the next three days our team will divide and tend to several projects – serving the children here in the home, building a house for a young couple in nearby Maneadero, creating a Gaga Ball court on the City’s playground, delivering food to Christians in need, and entertaining and teaching through our evening skit. Following this post, if you scroll down or click various entries on the archive to the right, you’ll find posts related to each of these activities.  That’s how we’ll be organizing the blog for the next three days.

God Says Hello

There’s an interesting phenomenon that happens on a mission trip. I suppose that it happens anytime and anywhere you spend an extended time focusing on the Word, prayer, and serving others in the name of Jesus and the Father. You see God. He peeks through in the smiling faces in the children you’re playing with, the people you’re feeding and the couple you’re building a house for. He shows his love in the strength, attitude and tireless effort of your teammates. You hear Him in the beautiful and powerful words, experiences and observations of those you’re serving with side by side. Sometimes He even seems to make His presence known in ways that just make you smile. Like the billboard of the minions that greeted us at the border or the year our skit was pirate-themed and we delivered food to a man who stood in his yard with a parrot on his shoulder.

Of course, God is around all of us, all of the time. But somehow it seems in serving Him in this place, the veil we’ve placed on our own eyes, the hardening of our hearts, is lifted and we seem to see Him everywhere. Its as if our work here has sensitized us to His love and presence. At the end of each day, we gather as a team and talk about how we've seen God, seen others serve, seen changes in our view of ourselves and others. Then we stand in a circle and pray and give the glory to God.

When your teenager or family member gets home, be sure and ask them how they saw God this week. We hope as you look through the pictures and activities for Monday, you see Him, too.

Gathering to share stories and praise God at the end of the day.

Monday's recipient of the Festival of Sharing hat for her exemplary service is Paige Willhite.