Sunday, July 2, 2016


   We've safely returned, full of memories of new experiences and affection for our new friends;  however, this return to our "normal" lives presents its own set of challenges.  I pray that our mission trip will not become the "typical, church camp-like" experience, where we sing "Jacob's Ladder" and "Kum-bi-ya", rededicate our lives to God, return tired, but excited and uplifted by our closer walk with Christ, are unable to talk about anything else with our families and friends for a week, only to be followed by the next week, in which our major concerns are the jean sale at Old Navy, and whether or not we like what we're having for dinner. 
   Obviously, our current sense of euphoria can't last forever, because the mundane facts of life intrude, but I challenge all of us to take this mission experience and tuck it into a special place in our hearts.  Then, when some kid is being picked on at school, or a co-worker makes a racist statement, and we know we need to act or speak up, but our tummies feel like frogs are holding a convention in there, we can release that mission experience from our hearts and do the right thing, knowing that Jesus is standing right there with us and 16 fellow mission trippers are right behind Him, loving and supporting us.  We were never promised that being a Christian would be easy, check out the lives of God's prophets and disciples; indeed, being a Christian in our increasingly secular world, will probably be the most difficult undertaking we will ever face, but we know God is on our side, and this old world doesn't stand a chance against the Creator of the Universe.
   All of you will continue to be in our hearts, and your names will figure in our every prayer.  May God be with all of us as we go about our daily lives, guiding, protecting and, when necessary, giving us a boot in the seat of the pants to spur us on to continue to do His work in His world, and to quote Tiny Tim, "God bless us, every one."