It is amazing what happens when we are obedient to Gods calling. I witnessed things this week that will make me a better father, husband, friend, leader, and most importantly - Christ follower. I am changed in ways I cannot describe. For a long time before this trip I had felt spiritually restless and was desperately searching for something I didn't yet understand. Although I now know much of what I was searching for, I feel like I may not understand the rest for awhile. I'm O.K. with that as I know God will reveal the rest in his own time. I am so happy I had the courage to be obedient to his calling.
This team has cried together and has laughed together. Faith has been tested, stretched, strengthened, and hopefully found. Each one of the members have had personal struggles they have been challenged with. We have been asked to do things way beyond our comfort zones. We had to let go of our fears and just trust God. I certainly felt the presence of God guiding us throughout the week. It's beautiful how God uses our brokenness to bring restoration to ourselves and to others. The complexity of it is beyond comprehension so we must rely on faith. Each time we do, faith becomes stronger. It's a cyclic process. Know God. Grow Strong. Do Great Things. Sound familiar?
Perhaps my greatest enjoyment this week was witnessing the culmination of God’s work to assemble such a powerful team. We were small in number at 7, but we had the impact of many more. Oleg gave this team some really nice compliments, and they deserved it. None of us were experts at what we were called to do yet the team was highly successful. How did God do that? I know that the success of this team was due to the willingness of the individual team members to trust God and each other. We had to stretch ourselves, work together, support and encourage each other, offer grace for each other's faults, and step in and help even when it meant being vulnerable. Each team member made these tough choices over and over again. Each member brought something important to the team that allowed us to win for God this week. Hearts were changed by faith, hope, and love. I'm proud of this mission team and I'm proud of our church, friends, family, and other supporters who were significant in making this trip possible. I thank each one of them from the bottom of my heart as I also thank God.
Now that the trip is over, I think it's time to ask God – “What’s next?”
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