It happened about a year ago when we started going to a new church, and this new church had/has a large missions focus. I am going to be blunt honest. I am very selfish, and I don't like to be uncomfortable, hot, or dirty. I'm not a people person and I'm
extremely content in my little world. Missions just really did not fit into my idea of a good trip to take. But this church,
now my church (and I'm so pleased that is is my church), and the Holy Spirit changed my heart. My pastor (and I'm so pleased he's my pastor) says, "The Great Commission is not the Great Suggestion" I'm not sure if that's his own original quote or if he borrowed that from someone else. Anyway, he feels it's really not an option. Christians are called to GO tell the world about Jesus. My church goes to
The Good Shepherd Children's Home in Honduras twice a year every year. And every time someone comes back with pictures and testimonies, my heart is broken and tears pour. They also go to Zimbabwe, Africa once every year. And for those who think, "Well, what about the people here that need help?" Yes, my church is a big supporter of local missions as well. There is also missions work done here in the United States and in our own community.
But in my heart, I long to go overseas. Right now, we just do not have the money for a big mission trip, and we'll just have to focus on the local work. It's sad that when we did have the money that we didn't do it. But the LORD had not changed my heart yet at that point, so......... I know that if He laid it on my heart that one day He'll provide the way. I've already told my family that I'm willing to sacrifice the next vacation that we could afford to take and that Honduras or Zimbabwe could be our vacation. I'm not sure that my family is on board with that.....yet. And it doesn't matter anyway, because we aren't taking a vacation and the decision isn't to be made now. So right now, I live vicariously through others on these trips. And I'm looking forward to one day when we get to go, too. One day....
The Good Shepherd Children's HomeThe Journey
1 comment:
Oh, Kat, you know from my sometimes incessant talk about Australia that a mission trip will change your life. Even when I went on "small" 2 week mission trips in high school to the Navajo Reservation in AZ, I came back a little different.
We were supposed to go to Poland last year, if you remember. That was the whole reason I decided to do the A'Fair in the first place. It was canceled because we (I mean our church) had other more pressing things locally that needed the funding that would have gone toward Poland. I SO long to go one day. As soon as they announced the trip (and that it was to be a worship conference for a growing church in Wroclaw) I KNEW I was supposed to go, like I KNEW I was supposed to go to Australia. You'll know when the time is right. And even if it doesn't work out, The Lord knows your heart and will open the doors one day.
The jury's still out on whether or not I'll ever go to Belize. They have spiders as big as dogs there. *shivers*
: )
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