July 2011- As We Return Home

All of the Brazil team members arrived home safely. As we reflect on this week's experiences and special moments, we came away with a few final thoughts:

1. God doesn't call us to just exist. God can and will do tremendous things in our lives if we let Him. Are we willing to die to self and follow the calling God has placed on our lives? Are we going to do mighty things for God or will we just go on existing, ineffective and bored?

2. One of the team members called camp an "Oasis". Considering the almost "water crisis" and the living arrangements, one would think that it was far from an oasis. But understanding that an oasis is a place of fertility and growth, this week at camp has truly been an oasis for all of us. Maybe some of us merely learned how to speak a little Portuguese. Maybe some of us learned that Hope Unlimited is truly a place of refuge for the fatherless and orphaned. Maybe some of us heard God's call to the mission field. But all of us walked away from the trip a little more mature and a little further along on our spiritual journeys. We, along with the kids, were challenged to lead lives that will make a difference for the kingdom.

3. We have a warrior, a champion living inside of us. We can walk with confidence and boldness, without fear. We need to recognize the times when Satan is lying to us about our identities or placing doubts in our minds about who we are. When we experience those times, we need to run back to God's promises about who we are and what we have in Him.

4. We learned that our age doesn't determine our path in life but God's plan does. We don't need to be married or buy a house because we've reached a certain age and because that's what is expected from our society. We don't need to wait until we are in our 30s to start taking our walk with God seriously. We don't need to wait until retirement before we start going on missions. God has a unique plan for us and, thank God, it's not determined by man's timetable.

Would you continue to pray for those who went on this trip, that we would remember what we've learned and that the seeds that were planted would be watered and grow into new life that will affect the lives of those around us? It was an honor and privilege to work with the kids of Hope Unlimited this week. And as always, we left learning more from them than we could ever teach from our limited experiences.