Day Five - Thursday, July 30

Grace and peace...

We finished the work on Eddie and Betty's house yesterday, so today we moved on to Birdie's house. Birdie is an older woman with some type of speech impediment who was just thrilled to have the team there. Her home and her neighhborhood reminded me of homes in Central America. It was build on a cut-out of a mountainside. Ground level was a good five feet below the road level. The work was painting and the challenge was stabilizing ladders on the sloped terrain. The team got done what was needed and what we could, although weariness was evident on the part of all. It's been a long week.

I got to thinking about this work we are doing this week. We are on a mission trip. We have done them before and, God willing, we will do them again. But these are not OUR trips. We are the participants and leaders, but the mission of the team, like the mission of the church, does not originate in the heart of humans who lead Christ's church. These are God's trips and they originate in the heart of God. And the mission of God is often times not what we initally think. The mission of God seems always greater, always, higher, always bigger than our human minds can imagine. In our case, we may have thought the mission was to work on a few houses for those who truly are in need, but God's mission on this trip has been, is and continues to be greater still. It certainly is the work of our hands, but it is more as well.

Our mission has been rooted in a larger mission of God this week. In case you didn't know it, our youth group has some strong personalities. We are not that different than other youth groups. But still, we have some intense personalities. We also have students who have experienced pain, rejection, betrayal, and struggles with parents, to name a few issues. At the same time, all of these students, like the many in this camp, are searching for meaning and identity in their young lives. They are watching the grown ups all around them to see if we really believe our faith does do all we say it does. They are questioning whether God is for or against them and whether God can be trusted with their lives. So we come here thinking that our work is to paint and build and do some landscaping while God is saying, "I have so much more in mind for this trip. I want to go to those places from which those strong personalities originate... I want to go to that pain of the students... I want to go to that place of search... I want to go to those doubts... AND I WANT TO MAKE MYSELF KNOWN AND LET THESE STUDENT KNOW MY GREAT LOVE FOR THEM." Whatever else has been happening this week, that mission of God has broken through in undeniable ways and is has been good.

Late this afternoon, we met at the stable on the ranch and went horsebackriding. All of us rode through fields and through mountain trails. Some rode for the first time. One of the young men on this trip, DJ, was riding his horse, Striker, in front of me on the trail. My horse, Joe, got a little too close for comfort and Striker took a step forward and kicked Joe with all he had. Fortunately for Joe, Stiker did not live up to his name and missed Joe. Unfornately for me, I took the full force of the kick on the muscle part of my shin. We decided to change the name of that horse to El Diablo. My sin nature about which I will speak on Sunday was trying hard to make its way out. Translation: I was ready to shoot that horse. Six hours and one ice pack later, I am just now beginning to get feeling back in my foot and lower leg and what I am feeling is sore. Ironically, DJ, Striker's rider, slipped and injured his knee the other day. His horse kept brushing him against trees which aggrevated his knee. So this evening, DJ and I were a mess during worship. We hobbled around together and discussed what we would be doing together while were WEREN'T going white water rafting with the rest of the team in the morning.

Even with conflicts that have arisen from the strong personalities, even with the questions and doubts, even with the injuries, God continues to amaze me with his provision and care. Tonight after worship, our team went out to the field on top of the mountain and we, the leaders, washed the feet of the students. It was a moving experience that was rich in symbolism of the kind of life we are to live as a follower of Jesus here in this place and, more importantly, when we get home. Particularly meaningful was when my daughter Christina washed my feet. Like last night, many tears were shed, especially when we moved over to the large cross around which the entire camp circled and sang praises to God. Even the steady rain that began to fall could not take us away or diminish our spirits. God was on that mountain tonight and his missional purposes were being fulfilled.

I look forward to being back with you on Sunday. We return Saturday evening and hope to see you in church.