For the week of: Monday, April 14th 2008

"His Passion, Our Purpose"

Heaven help the children! I have so much to share!

Friday morning, March 28, at 6am, a terrific team of twenty-six of us again headed to the third world Central American country of Honduras to serve the sweet people there. It was especially meaningful for Rick and me since our oldest son Chris, his wife Rebekah and our youngest son, Jeff, were with us.

This year, our joy in sharing this adventure of ministry was multiplied since our oldest grandson, 10 year old Dylan, went on his first mission trip. We were so excited for this opportunity for him to experience the reality of His Father’s world in places that are very different from his Christ-centered home. It was a very intense experience for him at times but we pray it will be the beginning of a thirst for serving God’s people with compassion and humility all the days of his life. Oh Lord, may it be so. He was great, every step of the way, serving right alongside us whether we were pounding nails in a new home for the poverty-stricken mountain people, praying at the bedside of a hospitalized baby, playing with orphaned children or filling 200 food bags for a hungry village.

Now for you…I truly would have loved to have had you along. I saw so many sweet faces of my sisters in my mind (and some terrific brothers I’ve met along the way that serve alongside you) and I know that I know that I know how deeply you would invest yourselves into these desperate people.

You would cradle babies, swing hammers, paint little girls’ toenails, hold mommas in hospitals who are watching their babies die, wash dirty feet and then smooth them with lotion. You would pack hundreds of food and clothing bags and then delight to place them in a mountain woman’s arms and watch her carry them easily on top of her head. You would cry silent, hot tears as you waved good-bye to an orphaned child who stole your heart and sob with your head buried in your arms when the bus pulls away and they are running to try and keep up.

You would stand in reverential awe at the base of the Jesus statue that towers over Tegucigalpa, the capital city of Honduras and sing with a heart full of praise at the ancient Santa Lucia church.

You would be changed, never again seeing a beggar on the street in quite the same way, never again passing by a hitchhiker with such little thought, always wondering where they might be pillowing their head for the night.

You would rarely leave food on your plate the next time you ate out, envisioning in your mind the desperation of mommas on the mountains who scrape out food from dumpsters for their toddlers.

How I wish we could have shared this together, this pouring out of God’s love on His people – His Passion, Our Purpose.

Maybe we can share it just a bit. Just go to our “Missions” tab on the home page. Chris did an excellent job of sharing stories and pictures from our days and how our team lived out this year’s theme…His Passion, Our Purpose, based on John 3:16. Please read it and pray for what we left there of ourselves to continue to radiate His love.

From One Captured Heart to Another,
Kay

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