The last word to describe my Mission trip to Temoaya central Mexico is RAINBOWS!

A rainbow is a promise, a sign from God that He is in control. It is a beautiful picture of hope!

A beautiful display of God’s splendor, glory, majesty and power arched across the sky in bright vibrant color!

It is no accident that a rainbow appears after a storm. That is God’s design! A physical storm stops us from being outside and doing what we were intending to do. A personal storm of life can also stop us from doing what we intend to do. But we must push through with the hope and the promise that God has a rainbow at the end of it for us! Just as a physical storm is necessary to bring the rain and the water that is needed to sustain life, a personal storm is also necessary to sharpen us and bring us to the place where God intends for us to be.

As sure as we are witnessing a rainbow appear in the sky after a storm, we can have that same assurance that God’s rainbow of hope and promise will appear in our lives after a personal storm. God promised Noah and all mankind,

“Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” Genesis 9:14-16

In Temoaya, Mexico, for four days we worked together outside to build a playground for the children and the church in La Canada. God held the rains back and we had beautiful weather. We had to dig a lot of holes and fill some holes where the rains had flooded. We had to carry equipment in and put playground equipment together. We had to mix concrete and pour concrete. We had to measure and hold them into place, and all the time we were praying for good weather to do it in. We had such a short time to complete such a big project!

GOD WAS FAITHFUL! We finished the playground on schedule and set everything in place and waited for the concrete to dry overnight. The next day we returned to the church and celebrated together as the Pastors prayed over the church, the children, the families and the playground! We then walked outside and joined in the celebration as the ribbon was cut, and many joyous smiling, children ran and played on the playground we built! The weather was bright, beautiful, and perfect!

We ate a delicious lunch together prepared by the women of the church. Homemade tortillas and fresh mango were just one part of the feast!
After that, together we led a pastors’ conference, A teachers’ conference, A medical conference, and an inside photo booth for the families.
Our team arrived at the church that morning and the skies were clear. Midway through our late afternoon teaching, we could hear the “ping ping ping” of raindrops start to fall. The concrete was firm and we were all dry inside the building as we talked and worked together.

The teaching seminar I was helping lead was coming to an end as we heard shrills of excitement outside. We all ran to the windows to look out, and there in the sky God had put not one, but TWO beautiful rainbows all around the work that He had helped us to accomplish that week. In His name there was not a single rainbow in the sky…there were two rainbows in the sky! It was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen! God himself was showing us that He ties the bow on the work that He allows us to accomplish.

He is our promise, He is our hope, and He is our salvation! We all face physical storms in our lives, and at times we all face personal storms. The goal is to keep our eyes on Him, to persevere to be obedient and to keep on keeping on in the direction He has pointed us in. If we do, He is more than faithful! He will bring a rainbow to the end of all of our storms, and tie each one up as we learn all that He has intended for us to learn and grow in!

Truth Bomb

God is faithful to His promises in every storm of life

Just as Noah was faithful to listen to God through his storm, even though there was no rain, severe drought, many doubters, umpteen mockers, and those who flat out called him a fool! We must trust God also, and be faithful! For our God is a faithful God: He always brings a rainbow! He is our promise, He is our help, and He is our hope!

Speak Truth Love

Servanthood was the second word that impacted me greatly on my mission trip to Temoaya, Mexico.

Servanthood is defined as “one that serves others, especially one that performs duties for another person or home.” The Word of God has a lot to say about servanthood. The central theme of the Bible is the Servant of all, Jesus Christ.
Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

If Jesus Christ Himself is the greatest example of a servant, and I claim to be His child and give my life to Him, then servanthood—serving others—needs to be the central focus of my life. When we truly give our lives to Jesus, like we talked about last week, and know we are called and accept that call He has placed on our lives, the lordship we give to Him will be expressed through the way we serve others.

Mark 9:35 says, “Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, AND THE SERVANT OF ALL.”:

And then I Peter 4:10, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to SERVE OTHERS.”

Jesus adds in John 15:12-13, “My command is this: love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

We best demonstrate our lives being dedicated to God when we love and serve others.  True godly leadership is servanthood, and Jesus is our best example. Servanthood is not simply a word that is spoken or a lesson that is taught. It is an attitude. No one exemplifies this attitude greater than Christ. He is the one true living God. He has all the power and domain of the entire universe. Yet He humbled himself and He served God, and He served us. Living for God is giving all we are to God, and serving others.
God served us by meeting our greatest need: the substitute payment for our sins, when Jesus died on the cross. We serve Him when we share this Good News with others.
Servanthood began for me at home, in committing to sponsor a Compassion International child in Temoaya, Mexico. In giving a part of what God has given to us, and choosing to bless someone else, we are serving them in the name of Jesus. Servanthood was lived out on my mission trip when I was able to visit our little girl Jocelin and her family. Compassion International works diligently with these children, securing them a sponsor, and providing medical needs, educational needs, and spiritual needs. I was honored and humbled to walk alongside our Compassion partners and visit our little girl Jocelin and her family in their home. What happened next was not a demonstration of me serving them, but quite the opposite. I saw the sweet little face of Jocelin, that I had seen only in photos on our refrigerator before. She came running up to Jim and me, as our van pulled up as close as it could get, over the potholes, rocks and mud that led to their humble home. They greeted us with big hugs, huge smiles, and exuberant words of thanks for our visit. Her mother, her two brothers, her sister, her grandmother and her uncle all came out to greet us. Jocelin took us by the hand and led us into their meager home. We passed an open stable covered in adobe and filled with flies, that held the one cow that provided milk for the family. To our immediate right was a small adobe dwelling that had a narrow, low doorway covered by a blanket. The mom pulled the blanket aside and asked Jim and me to come in and sit down. We ducked our heads and walked into a room no bigger than the size of our bathroom. In it was their stove, a couch, a table and a cabinet that held their dishes. There was another small door that led to a small bedroom, where the whole family of five slept. They served us cold water bottles, and beautiful fruit they had put in the middle of the table, in a bowl just for us. They shared greetings, thanks, and love over and over through their words, smiles, and nods of their heads. As I looked up, I noticed the ceiling was covered with a piece of blue plastic. This apparently covered their adobe roof. A small wire hung in the center that lit the entire room dimly. We were being served and treated like honored guests by people who basically had nothing materially to give. Yet they gave everything to us they had. I was witnessing Christlike servanthood at its best.

My heart was filled to the brim with emotion that overwhelmed my spirit, and sent tears streaming down my face. I whispered quietly to God, “These people are giving me more than I could ever give back to them. How can I thank them? How can I serve them, God?” And He silently whispered to me, “You can share the only thing that has true worth, value and meaning. You can share me.”

2 Corinthians 4:5, “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as HIS SERVANTS FOR JESUS’ SAKE.”

In order to truly serve God, I have to get myself completely out of the way. As that sweet Mama kept thanking and blessing us over and over, as tears streamed down her face, we looked right back at her and shared Jesus. What more did we have to offer, but prayer and the love of Jesus? So we held hands together in that humble home, and prayed that they would all know Jesus, love Him, and serve Him as their Lord and Savior.
We traveled to two more homes that day, and visited with other sponsored children and their families. Each time we were served with the best they had to give: hot homemade tortillas, right in front of us; guacamole, salsa and beverages.

While I feel unworthy, we traveled a long way to be able to visit Jocelin and her family, in their own home. Jesus calls us to go and meet them right where they live, right where they are at, socially and spiritually. Isn’t that what Jesus did for us?

“Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being found in human likeness…” Philippians 2:6-7

TRUTH BOMB

Living for God is imitating Him and serving others.

If we are going to be like Jesus, then we are called to SERVANTHOOD. If we are going to walk like Christ every day, then we need to be serving others. Who is it that God is calling you to serve. It may that God is calling you to sponsor a child, with Compassion International. It may mean to meet a need in your local church. It may mean to meet a need of your neighbor. This week, will you pray and ask God who He is leading you to serve, and follow Him in that way? We can all serve someone. We can all make a difference for Jesus, and shine His light to those around us.

Speak Truth Love

 

What do you write when words do not begin to express what you are feeling? For this girl who loves her words, her emojis, and her explanation marks!!!! This is no easy task.  I must heed the advice and example I was given many years ago on some of my very first mission experiences. “Choose three words that mark your mission experience best.” 

So I must keep it to these three simple words: Called; Servanthood; and Rainbows. This week, I’m going to share about being “Called.”

    I was called by God many years ago to serve Him faithfully.  You are called; I am called; and we are all called as Christ followers to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  We are called to carry the good news of His salvation to each and every person we encounter, wherever He may take us.  This trip to Central Mexico reminded me in a very up close and personal way that I was “CALLED” by God over 30 years ago, to not just “go on mission trips”, but to live a mission-and-purpose-minded life.  I was called to be the hands and feet of Jesus in whatever situation He put me in.  On this trip I was to pick up a shovel and dig a hole.  I was to help carry and plant a post in that hole; to pour cement around it and secure it.  In this way it could eventually hold laughing, smiling, happy and excited children as they slid down the slide that was now securely fastened.  As I dug that shovel in the ground and scooped out that fresh earth and threw it to the side to fill a saturated hole under the swings, I was reminded of the swing set I pushed my daughter on in “El Parque Bosque” in San Jose, Costa Rica.  I can still hear Christina’s sweet voice ring out, “The sky is pink, Mom! It’s time to go home.” That was our cue that sundown was near and it was time to go home.  Tyler and Jim were waiting at home for our return.  Tyler was barely 3 months old.  I was an eager young wife when I first answered God’s call on my life.  I started out this quest, excited and ready, to “stand by her man.”  We were willing to go wherever God called us in this big wonderful world He had created.  We were willing to leave behind the conveniences that the United States had to offer, and raise our babies away from family and friends, away from hot running water, away from disposable diapers, and away from McDonald’s Play land.  Yes, I was ready! 

But I had no clue how much I would learn about God’s unending faithfulness to meet our every need and demonstrate that only He is truly what we need.  As I lifted that shovel again and again, full of Central Mexican dirt, I was warmed throughout my entire spirit with a true sense of God’s faithfulness, steadfastness, and amazing provision for all I would need to accomplish the task at hand.  Yes, I was called to be here.  I was called to push through my sinus infection, the fatigue, the rain, because the call that God has placed on my life is there until He calls me home to Him. 

“God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.”                      I Corinthians 1:9

   God’s faithfulness alone is enough to keep me steadfast to His call on my life.  But the truth is, He does not call me alone.  He calls all of His children to the same call; to the willingness to be used in any walk of life God places us in.  I was not digging holes, filling holes, carrying playground equipment, cleaning playground equipment by myself. I was shoulder to shoulder with 39 others who  heeded the same call.  Together, we were answering God’s call on our lives, collectively bringing this playground to their kids.  A playground here may seem like a common occurrence, but to these kids, this playground was the only one around for miles.  It would not only be a source of entertainment and exercise for the children at the church, but also a draw for other neighborhood kids to come to the church.  In many ways, we felt that the playground would bring joy and laughter to the children, and potentially a relationship with God and His Son as well.  And not just for the kids, but also for their parents.

    What are you called to do with the life God has given you?  Are you called to be an example in your children’s school, to parents who may not know Him?  Are you called to shine His light in a playground you find yourself in in your neighborhood?  Are you called to serve and be the hands and feet of Jesus at your church?  Are you called to be an example of His love and kindness in your workplace?  In your family?  Or, in line at the grocery store? Wherever He has called you to be, He has called you to be His hands and feet.

TRUTH BOMB

 God is faithful when He calls you.

   One of my greatest blessings on this mission trip to Temoaya, Mexico, was being reminded of the call God placed on my life.  I want to be found faithful to love the way He loves, to serve the way He serves, to be willing to go wherever He calls me to go, and to be His hands and feet, every single day.

  “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Mark 16:15

We are all called by God to share His good news, whether it is through our deeds, our words, our prayers, or our finances.  Some are senders and some are goers.  But we are all called by God. Let’s be faithful to that call!

Next week, I can’t wait to share with you about Servanthood! Until then…

Speak Truth Love

I have the honor and privilege of serving on a Missions Trip this week in Temoaya Mexico!

This is a picture from the playground that we are building!

I look forward to being back next week, and  sharing about all that God is doing and has put on my heart!

Until then, I leave you with these verses that James shares about our faith.

“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”

James 2:17-18

May God bless you and encourage you this week!

 

Speak Truth Love