Treasure hunt.
What exactly is a treasure hunt?
Are we a group of missionaries walking around searching for the Leprechaun and pot of gold to continue our ministry? Do we look for the X that marks the spot? Do we carry a map to lead us to the ultimate goal?
Not exactly.
A treasure hunt is a time that we set aside to ask the Lord exactly what he wants us to do for the day.
Do we have a treasure map? I guess you could say that this is true. We spend time in prayer and ask God exactly what he wants from us. Sometimes, people have dreams. Sometimes, they have visions. Sometimes, a word is revealed. As a result, we make a list and follow God along a journey.
What is the gold, you ask? The gold is people. We are venturing out trusting that God will bring specific people into our paths so that God can bless them.
Now that we have the basics covered, let me tell you about our latest treasure hunt.
We gathered together in the morning to discuss what the Lord had revealed to us the previous night and that morning. Rachel had the inspiration to name our list the "Bucket List". She felt that God would give us a list of things that we were to accomplish before we could go home.
1. Little African boy (dirty)- This little boy was actually the last thing on the list that God revealed to us. We were on our way home and had been able to pray over and play with numerous dirty little boys. Then, this boy walked up. He was covered with dirt. There was dirt on his head and his hands. His shirt was dirty and we was desperately in need of a bath. But that was not the first thing you noticed about him. It was impossible to notice his giant smile as he marched up and shook each of our hands. God blessed us by allowing us to take his picture and catch a taste of his joy.
(sorry, I can't figure out how to get this picture the right way)
2. Freely give, freely receive. Fulfill a need- Among our walking and talking with people, part of our team ran into a man that was enthusiastic about God and his Word; however, the man didn't have much to read. He produced a Christian magazine and Gideon Bible that were worn almost beyond use. What a fantastic need to be able to fulfill.
3. Butterfly
4. Do something bold- Number 3 and 4 fit together. We had not been walking long when Erica saw a butterfly flutter across the road and land near a business. It was Erica's vision that gave us "butterfly" and she promptly ran up the small hill to the sewing business. I was next to Erica as she walked inside and started a conversation. The meeting didn't last long and to us it may not have seemed extremely influential but God allowed Erica to pray for the woman and prayer is the most powerful thing we can do.
5. Shadow- As the picture clearly illustrates, Eddie was sent to talk to a man in the shadows. Eddie wasn't looking for someone in the shadows; that is just how God worked it out. What you cannot see in this picture is that the shadow is more than physical. Eddie was put in a unique position to speak out of his own life and into the life of this man who was trapped in the thralls of alcoholism. Eddie spoke life over him and showed him from the Bible how the man can be free. There is complete freedom found in Christ Jesus.
6. Woman beckoning- At one point in the day, a woman beckoned to Kenzie. The woman's name is Rose (which was also a word give to Kenzie). Kenzie was able to pray for her and bring blessing into her life.
7. Come back with a testimony- Here is where God just showered us in blessing. We didn't just come back with one testimony but many. Each of us had a different experience. We were able to speak to different people and pray over different situations. In between the things specifically found on our bucket list, we met many people and learned about their lives and prayed over them. Throughout the day, God blessed us again and again. There is no end to the blessing of God.
Now, if we had not done the treasure hunt part, could we still have had the same experience? Certainly. If we had chosen to go pray for people with the treasure hunt, God would have blessed that. Really, the treasure hunt is for us. It lends us some direction; but, in the end, we can look at that list and say, "My God is awesome." The treasure hunt gives us a tangible list to look back on and recognize that God is sovereign. He loves people and he wants us to recognize that he is alive and active in our lives.
All pictures by Paul Iwanaga
