Tree

Well here we are at the final day, the final night. 5:00 a.m. will come early, but we will make it. We are all tired but I think happy. It was a delightful day. The well will not be finished this trip. I am a little sad about that, but okay. All the supplies are now at the property, there is pipe in the hole, we are well on the way to having our well. We have worked very hard, and great things have come to pass. We started out with about 150 children at our children’s service last Friday, today we gave out 323 gifts to a sea of black faces. It was incredible! To be able to share our love with them, it doesn’t get any better than that. In a surge of insight, I came up with the idea of getting a couple of guys from the church bicycles. Parnel, Cleavenson, and Joseph all got new bikes today. You talk about excited guys, you have never seen such great smiles. Parnel is a sweet heart of a young man, and he told Maura that he would not sleep tonight because he would be dreaming of riding his new bike all night. To buy these bikes the team walked downtown, and that was a awesome experience for them. Rick was live with his camera in hand, trying to catch the sights and sounds through the lens of his digital unit. As we walked down main street I became fascinated with some very old and very large trees. They stand for power, and longevity, patience and endurance. They have leaned over the sidewalks shading the passers by of multiple generations. They have withstood the winds of hurricane, the force of flood waters, the throngs of the onslaught of millions traversing across their root systems, excavation and concrete poured and tearing at their bark, and yet they stand silent and firm. Casting their shade over the people trod-ding and sitting below. Today 13 weary but determined Americans too crossed under their guard. But one noticed. And stirred at the significance of their place among the lowly. As I thought about their longevity, I wondered at the longevity of the impact of this trip. Will we walk away changed for a moment, or will we have captured something that will set us free to be better messengers for God. Will we come back to invade our churches with a renewed passion for Christ. As the last children were passing through the gate tonight, there were member of the church coming in for a 6:00 service. Rick and Luke both said “These people live at church!” It’s true... their passion puts me, us to shame. Rick has a humbled view of our American culture, these people expose the sham of where we live. To many have chosen shallowness in our faith walk, and we need to choose differently. I pray God doesn’t have to take America down this pathway of devastation to wake us from our slumber. I was talking to the neighbor up the street tonight, I told him I loved his country, but that I loved his people the greatest. I told him that his country was a devastating place on a lot of levels, but that we would work to help bring change. He said “change is coming, but it is up to us as the people.” I wish Americans got that. We blame our governments, and our presidents, we blame our neighbors, our parents. We need to take ownership of our wrong, of our bad choices, and make some changes that will change our nation back to God. Many nations and many people rely on our goodness and generosity. Let’s not let the enemy rob us of being able to touch the world. I am in this for the long haul, like the trees, I trust that God through my life will bring shade and nourishment to the masses. Oh God, make us like these trees, let our ministries burn brightly and long. Good night! Blessings to all.