(Three months out from my WR departure, I just returned from an 8 day mission trip to Guatemala.)
We go on short-term mission trips to change the world; yet oftentimes, seeing the world is what changes us.
If I had to choose one word to sum up our mission trip to Guatemala, it would be Love. Unifying love shared between teammates; gracious love received from our host family; zealous love expressed to and from the Guatemalan children through tight hugs, big smiles, and sweet kisses; and passionate love for our Lord Jesus growing each and every day through fellowship with one another.
As a mission tradition, we gathered each night of the trip to share our personal redemption stories of God's great love for us. Hugs were shared, tears were shed, walls were torn down, and God was glorified. As we prayed for each other, I imagined our Abba Father looking down on His beloved children, delighted to see our unified spirits humbly acknowledging our need for Him and eagerly accepting His grace and forgiveness.
During our trip, we had the opportunity to minister through both evangelism and manual labor. We shared testimonies and biblical truths to groups of Guatemalan children, led a church service and and a devotional for the school staff, served lunch to the elderly, and broke ground on the construction of the ministry's cafeteria. I hate to sweat and have never taken much pride in outstanding arm strength, yet there was something deeply satisfying about helping to build the church cafeteria and laying a literal foundation for the work that was going to be done there. I remember thinking, “this is the hardest work I've ever done in my life.” My body was sore, my arms were limp, and there were many moments when I thought, “There is no way I can carry these cinder blocks for another hour.” But it was at the end of our own strength that God showed up and reminded us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. We encouraged each other and laughed our way through it. We persevered through the task knowing that it was not in vain, but that the work that we were joyfully completing would eventually bear fruit. Perhaps we were even planting seeds in the hearts of the neighborhood onlookers, baffled by our ability to move cinder blocks with so much joy.
The fruit of our labor is not always seen. Obviously, we did not build an entire cafeteria in one week. Similarly, we can preach, teach, and pray all day long and never know for sure how much closer we have brought the people to Jesus. But, we plant the seed in obedience and trust in God to water the soil, send the sun, grow the plant, and produce the fruit. Our God is faithful to do that.
