Saturday, July 14, 2007

friday the 13th in mexico

7.13.07 -- 6.36 pm
we're all on "the bus" now on the way back to the missionaries house for dinner. we've completed our third kids outreach. overall the word i would use to describe it is - HOT! now it's not the 105+ that it's been in grandview, but in our defense it isn't as humid there as it is here too. AND we aren't spending all day outside walking the streets, playing soccer, and doing choreographed dances either. no, instead we run from our air conditioned house to our air conditioned car to our air conditioned work place and then back again. needless to say we are all ready for a rest and some good food.

the other thing that i was struck with today was just how 'unifying' the Body of Christ can be. what i mean is that by being in the Body can make best friends and partners and co-laborers out of otherwise strangers. to give you a little picture, at the last outreach we completed there was our team from grandview, another team from yakima, four students from the 'engage' ministry, and then another handful of 5-7 young people from the church we are partnering with. we all participated in the presentations today (it was even vernice's turn to give her testimony and it was great.) 
we were the Body! we had one faith, one Spirit, one baptism, one Father, and one purpose today. the moment that hit me today i just about started crying. (but i thought that would seem kinda odd to all the kids that we were playing soccer with) :-)

this truly is a different kind of trip for me than the others i've participated in before. before we always had prepared in advance what we were going to be doing and then went and did it. this time we didn't have anything planned. not one drama, song, dance, skit, or puppet routine. we were completely open to doing whatever became available to do. and oddly enough the yakima team also came with no preset agenda either. so it makes it that much more significant and almost necessary that we all work together, all doing our share, all serving the Lord.

and the other thing that's different from this trip is that i've missed my family (deb in particular) more than any other trip i've ever been on. most trips i was so excited to go and loved every minute of it. and then at the end of the trip i was surprised that the time had gone by so quickly. all the while not thinking very much of my family. and when i was a teen or single i didn't really think of my family back home at all during my trips. but with this trip i began missing deborah on the drive over to portland. and i haven't really stopped missing/longing for her. if it were not for the fact that i know that God still has more prepared for me/us to do and learn on this trip i'd be just fine leaving tonight.

i miss you deborah. i miss you anna. i miss you julia. i miss you rachel. and i miss you some more deb.

much love and we'll see you soon.

// today i'm thankful for:
1. deborah
2. anna
3. danielle
4. julia
5. rachel

--------------------------

1 comment:

deblara said...

hello, honey buns. i just started missing you today when i took anna out to breakfast at shari's. all the people with spouses looked so... complete. you just finish up everything you're s'posed to do down there and then get yourself back home. :o) i love you! just five more days! jorge is planning to come pick you up in scott simard's vehicle. love ya later. oh, and we love danielle, too!