Lessons from last week

Hello everyone!  Just wanted to talk about some of the things God taught us the last week.  This was a very tiring week, but also quite productive.  Here's what I have learned-

1.  Don't worry!  At the beginning of the week, I was a little worried about the work projects. (Since that was my responsibility.)  God spoke through Erin Saturday night.  She simply said, "Don't worry!"  Thankfully I took her advice and did not stress over what to do.  Guess what happened on Monday?  By Monday I had learned we had two contractors in the Idaho group.  Brian was willing to take on the big carport/decking project, and I could take care of the smaller ones.By noon, Don (the man from our church who had planned the projects) was able to stop by and fully explain each project.  If I had given in to worry, I would have been stressing for nothing.  By Monday afternoon we had more than enough work to do, and the week's worth of projects were lined up.  God came through just in time.  Imagine that.  This reminds me of the disciples and the storm.  They woke up Jesus and he calmed the seas.  Then he addressed the real issue- their lack of faith and trust in him.  They were too impatient and too eager to end the storm they were in.  Sound familiar?  It does to me! 

2.  God is Sovereign.  Despite our lack of ability, God's plan will be accomplished.  I don't know if I have said it before, but I love the quote: "It's not ability but availability that God needs."  This was shown to be true throughout the week.  If you think about it, it is amazing that a bunch of kids that have never worked together can spread the Gospel effectively.  Erin and Jim helped immensely, but much of the work was done by 12-19 year olds!  We need to remember this when God tells us to do something.  He is in control and will provide all we need if we will simply obey!

3.  As stewards, there is always room to do better.  This week also showed how each group- Crosslands, Idaho, and Texas could (and must) do better.  I can mainly speak only towards the work project, and I can say that we need to plan better.  Don did a great job of getting the materials list together for the projects, but it is almost impossible to think of every needed board and tool.  It was frustrating thinking of the multiple trips taken to town for just a few items.  Lee, the leader from Idaho asked if we ever got materials for a discount or free.  We had never really thought about that.  Perhaps we could have saved even more money by simply planning in advance (6 months or more) and asking businesses for help.

Communication between all the groups needs to be improved.  By ensuring we are all in agreement ahead of time, much confusion and frustration can be avoided.  This trip was a learning process like they all are.  It is simply amazing how God can use us despite ourselves.  Everyone was in agreement that the good accomplished on the trip far exceeded any frustrations.  We just need to strive to always do better for our Lord.

It is such a blessing to have mission trips come. I am not talking about the work they do or even the VBS's; the blessings come from being able to gather together different groups of believers and being able to see how God uses willing servants. The instant friendships, the overcoming of obstacles, the kid's realization that God can use them makes mission trips worth it. It was a privilege to be a part of it all. May we all realize that the mountain top experience of mission trips does not have to happen once a year- it can happen anytime we are sold out to our Saviour. (The mountains come with valleys too though! Otherwise there would be no mountains!)