Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Tuesday -- What One Group of Teens Chose to Do on Summer Break


“…Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…” Joshua 24:15

We begin each morning with the whole team gathered on the front patio of the American kitchen for a devotional time. Our text has been coming from a devotional guide by Oswald Chambers and somehow each morning the text manages to nail what’s going on here for most of us. 

Greeting the morning light in a time of quiet devotion and sharing.
Today’s mediation highlighted the words of Joshua and choosing whom we will serve. Somehow that choice seems easier here at the City of Children. Not because it’s a perfect place or we are perfect people. Perhaps it’s because we’re outside our comfort zone – most of us can’t speak the language; we’re working with people we don’t know; our smart phones are turned off; we haven’t figured out the exchange rate; we can’t go as we please because we don’t have our own individual car; we can’t drink the water, we can’t flush the toilet paper and have to put it in the trash can beside the commode; showers have to be shorter to conserve water; we don’t have the free time we’re normally accustomed to because our schedule is determined for us and it’s packed full. And so we surrender, we give in, we let go and just do the next right thing.

Maybe it’s easier because we’re surrounded by like-minded people, or because the need is great, or we feel guilty for all we have and take for granted (including parents who love us), or because we’re free from the distractions and the only entertainment we have is from tuning in to the people around us and not a screen. Whatever it is. It’s working and hopefully working on us.

The choice to do what’s right is simpler here. And that feels good. The best possible souvenir we can bring back from this trip. Not a hat or a t-shirt or a woven wrist band bought on the street. Our souvenir of this trip is a new way of seeing things compliments of the City of Children. Can’t wait for you to see it. 

Hopefully we’ll remember to pack it and bring it home with us.

P.S. We know, we know, we didn’t have to fly across the country and go to a foreign country to serve and to clear our minds of the distractions that separate us from the will and love of God. We know many of you have learned to do the very same thing and never leave home. And we hope you’ll share your story and your journey with us when we return.  We hope you’ll help us stay on ours when we’re at home and not in a place and with people and serving a need that makes it so easy to be who we want to be, who we long to be.

Several more Tuesday posts follow if you scroll down and also check the archive list to the right. Thanks for reading. Thanks for supporting us both financially and spiritually.


Everywhere you look, you see young people serving. It's an awesome sight.

For her exemplary service on Tuesday, the interns crowned Erin Laubacher with the Festival of Sharing Sombrero! Congrats, Erin!


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