My team has gone cliff-diving today. I did not go with them. The introvert in me is screaming for some alone time, some Jesus time. Plus, the Physical Therapist in me is running through a list of injuries that can occur from this adventure. Don’t worry though! I have every intention of participating in future, potentially dangerous activities in the coming year. 
We have spent the week at Hogar Crea, building relationships with the men who are receiving treatment there. We have had many games of basketball, Parchisi, Dominos, and Uno. Plus, they let us run their afternoon group therapy session each day. As I watch my team, I am amazed at their ability draw these men out of their anger, out of their discouragement, out of their hardness. I see transformation happening, both in my team and in these men we are so privileged to reach.
Yesterday, we gave a small seminar for them. It included worship, a time of questions and answers, reading of The Prodigal Son, and a brief testimony from Matt. The men opened up more than I have seen up to this point, and they shared some pain and struggles they have. You could see in their faces and posture that the whole session was very real and raw for them.
There is one man whom I’ve been getting to know. He has been opening up and sharing more and more of his story with me each day. He is struggling and searching for hope, for acceptance, to be needed, to be wanted, to have purpose. At some point in our conversations, he asks me how God views him and his situation. He has been hearing from all of my team about how deeply the Lord loves him, and how God can use every situation in our lives to change us and grow us and bring us the right people to help. And yesterday, they tell me he gave his life to Jesus after I left.
A painting of a Puerto Rican man with Jesus. At his feet are drugs/needles, empty bottles.
I sit here and think how painfully inadequate I am to meet the challenges of this coming year on the World Race. I feel small and useless. I sit on the beach, looking out over the ocean and marvel at the incredible beauty of this island my God made. And I am amazed by the BIGNESS of my God. He is more than big, more than adequate, more than powerful, more than loving, more than words can describe. I serve a God Who is more, Who has more, Who gives more, and Who dreams more for my life than I think possible. God chooses the weak, small, inadequate to bring His Kingdom and share His MORE-ness. I am overwhelmed.
“For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:25-31
