One of the things I love most about being at KIM is getting to meet Jeff Long. He has been such an inspiration to me and to many other on my squad by the way he lives, loves, and gives back to God everything that God has entrusted him with. When the Lord gives Jeff a vision for something, be that a health clinic, a children's library, doing two feedings every day, getting children off the streets, or whatever he trusts that if the Lord gave him the desire that the Lord will make a way and if he just starts moving forward with it. These are not light small things but big lofty stuff for most of us to consider… but he just does it, and he encourages us to do the same. Our first week here Jeff gave us a tour around town and showed us all of the ministries and opportunities we have to serve here, stressing that he wanted us to be somewhere that we could put to use the gifts the Lord has given us and really invest in that place. He also told us along the way though, that if none of the million things we could do stuck out to us and we had something else laid on our heart, to do it. He basically told us that our ministry here, as well as throughout life, is going to be what we allow it to be. If the Lord gives us a vision for something, even if it's outside of what's been planned for us here, he told us to start making plans and trusting it be.
One of my squad mates Melissa Diehl did just that. One night when we went with Children's Garden to play with the street kids she had it laid on her heart to do something special for them. Thanksgiving was right around the corner for us, and even though they don't celebrate America's Thanksgiving in the Philippines she wanted to share our celebration with them in some way. What came from that was the idea of putting on a festival of sorts for all the street kids and their familes the wednesday before our Thanksgiving. She wrote home explainging to friends and family what she wanted to do, raised some support for it, and then enlisted the help of the whole squad to make it happen. It's such an example to me that nothing is too crazy, were just too afriad most time to try and fail, but what happens when we step out in faith and truly trust the Lord with the desires of our heart is simply incredible.
