This afternoon's mission meeting started out with all of us drawing a diagram of nine dots similar to the one shown below. Our assignment was to connect all of the dots with four lines without taking our pen/pencil off the paper, meaning once we began drawing, we could not lift our pen/pencil and start another line ... make sense?
I have to be honest with you ... I had trouble with this and I did not complete the task. Do you want to know why?
Well, take a look at the solution to the exercise first ... it's shown below.
I couldn't complete this task or come close to achieving a solution to the puzzle because I felt that I had to stay within the imaginary borders that the dots seemed to create. Borders aren't bad, are they? Borders keep us safe; borders keep us comfortable. But sometimes, in order to complete a task or fulfill a mission, it becomes necessary to step outside of our comfort box, our safety zone ... because what we need to do is more important than how we want to feel. That's what going on this mission trip is all about.
It struck me today when this message was shared ... we might be going to Honduras to help people, to change people, to affect people ... but really ... God is sending us to Honduras to conform us to His image, to His likeness ... conformation starts when we step outside our box and into HIS.
We were very fortunate today to have the opportunity to have three members of a mission team that just got back from Honduras come to our meeting and share what they experienced and to give us an idea of what kinds of tasks we will be involved in. This was a first mission trip for each of them; heir names are Ken, Don and Karen. Karen was the first to speak and she explained that one of the first things that is done when arriving at the mission house in Honduras is the completion of an informational sheet where each team member is given the opportunity to rate in order their preferences as to the different ministries available to participate with. Their are seven options: Medical, Dental, Pharmacy, Evangelism, Children's Ministry, Concrete Flooring and Hair-Washing. Karen chose Evangelism as her choicest preference and she selected Children's Ministry as her least preferred. So, for the first day, she was assigned to Evangelism and she said that just an hour or two into it she was struggling and feeling dejected. On the second day, she was assigned to Children's Ministry and she was blissfully surprised at the wonderful experience she had. She really got into it throughout the day and was thoroughly blessed by the time that she was able to share with the Honduran children. After that day, she said that when she went back to Evangelism, it went much smoother and it was not so difficult.
Ken spoke next. This guy was hilarious! Ken went to Honduras, in my opinion, for all the wrong reasons, but God used him anyway and that was the awesome thing. Ken wanted to do the concrete floors. He wanted to be able to help the Honduran people but he didn't want to have to talk to anyone. He didn't want to have to interact with anyone. He didn't even want to acknowledge the children! Does that sound weird? Really shy guy! But he knew what he wanted to do and he knew what he didn't want to do. So, he went to Honduras all primed and ready to lay concrete floors for Hondurans who have only ever lived on dirt and guess what? There would be NO concrete floors poured that week!! There weren't enough people. There team consisted of only eleven people, 7 adults and 4 teenagers. They could not spare even one of them from the tasks that needed to be done at the clinics. Ken was deflated and beside himself with what he would do if he couldn't pour concrete floors.
The first day he assisted in pulling teeth! Can you believe that? Ken is NOT a dentist! How many of us ever get to do THAT job?? He was used in the way that God knew was best for him and Ken discovered that he could be useful and he could listen to and talk to the Honduran people. Ken's best moment, one that he never expected was when he was assigned to tend to the hair of the Honduran children. Children are brought to the "clinic" and they are screened for lice. Children without lice have their hair washed right away and the children with lice are treated which takes at least ten minutes and then they proceed to the hair-washing. Once their hair is washed, it can be dried and styled and pulled back with hair ribbons, bows, trimmings and ties, which is a really big deal for the little girls. Ken, who didn't even want anything to do with the children, got all choked up and proudly expressed his most memorable moment was that of the look in the eyes of the child who had just had her hair washed and "made pretty", maybe, for the first time!
Ken also told us a story about his experience with Evangelism. Sometimes, the people who come in are already Christians and they may just want to have someone to pray with or would like someone to be praying for them. One man came in and Ken asked him how he could be praying for him. The Honduran man needed prayer because he had recently lost his job. The man had been a security guard. Ken began to pray for and with the Honduran man and as he did, the interpreter squeezed Ken's hand quite firmly and as Ken finished the prayer, he looked to the interpreter and asked him what was the matter. The interpreter said that just that morning on the bus ride to the clinic he happened to have a conversation with another man (whom he'd never met before) who was in need of hiring a SECURITY GUARD! Ken looked at the Christian Honduran man and said, "Do you believe in miracles?" and they were able to contact the man from the bus and connect him to the man who had lost his job.
Don spoke next and I have to tell you that you should have seen this man. He was big and somewhat intimidating and not at all the classic picture of a humble servant of the LORD. [It really is a good idea not to have preconceived notions of what the LORD's servant looks like] Anyway, Don didn't want to go on a mission trip. His wife had wanted to go and she wanted him to go too ... for years ... and he said it was just not for him. He finally conceded to go with his wife and he was obviously very moved by his experience. He was so excited and full of stories and we could see that he would have gone on and on if we had the next three weeks to just sit there and listen to him.
He said that when he first got down there, he, and likely many others, were scared and apprehensive. He said that it is a "good way to feel" because feeling that way is most likely not going to result in relying on ourselves; instead, we should rely on God's strength. He shared the following verse from Ephesians 6:19 - Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel. It makes sense to rely on God's strength and God's power when we are serving Him ... it's His work and He knows best how it should be done.
So, while I thought I might know exactly how I might rate my preferences when I arrive in Honduras, I think I will just allow the LORD to do the choosing for me. He already knows ... and He knows best!
[More to share from this meeting coming soon] - God bless you!
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