Team... This trip, although meant to fun, is meant to change our lives just as much as we are helping change the locals here. We are supposed to be challenged. And because of the nature of our visit, we have an extraordinary new level of complications that we are facing. But, God knows what he is doing, and I promise that each one of us will be placed in a very uncomfortable place on this trip, and more than once. All that we can do to overcome this discomfort is to pray and press on.
Sports may be a loose link to what we are doing here, but I had a coach tell me once, after I complained about being matched up with the biggest and best players on the team (repeatedly), that "we do not get better by playing with players on your same level or lower. You only get better by getting your butt kicked, because next round if you don't quit, you will hit those players even harder than they hit you... because you know how hard they hit and they anticipate your weakness... and you will win the battle and have risen to their level and surpassed them by doing this." (or something like that)
What I am saying is, if growth is what we wanted from this trip, we must accept and rise to the challenges that are placed in front of us. God knows if you feel more vulnerable in front of a group of children than in front of peers. So, it is my understanding that He will make sure that you get in front of those children... and by doing so He will make sure that you grow where He deems necessary, whether it be directly related your faith, your walk, your habits, or something that you think is completely unrelated to the church and to the mission that we are trying to accomplish! Think of it like this... theoretically speaking, if your wife ran childcare for a church and you wanted to surprise her one day with volunteering in the childcare, this trip would then provide the perfect training for that by placing you in front of kids and forcing you to get over that discomfort while helping you grow your faith in Him, and getting you past that barrier that you may not have ever jumped over outside of this trip! (Sorry brother if this offends you, I think you can handle it though...)
So have courage, keep strong, and when I get down remind me that I wrote this!! :) I know that my discomfort is coming and I hope that all of you are there to support me as I get through it! Isaiah 41:10 says "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." For the entirety of this trip I have been leaning on this... I have never shared my testimony with anyone outside of our small numbered group and these locals, and I have never prayed publicly, mainly because I was raised so differently... but it is intimidating to me and when I try my mind goes all blank! I would rather sing karaoke in front of the 11 O'clock service on Sunday than to pray publicly... but as I am having to do it individually I am growing in my Faith and in my walk, and I know that God is doing that to me, putting me in uncomfortable situations to allow me the opportunity to grow. So I will close in saying, good night! I am so tired I am drooling on myself as I sleep in between sentences... Tomorrow is a new day and I hope and pray that it goes better than today felt like it went!!
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