Day 4

I am so tired.  It's after midnight and I am ready for bed.  The drive ahead calls out to me, as does my bed and shower!!!

It's so late because God moves when He moves and there's not a thing we can do about it.  After serving the Alexander family today and clearing a massive amount of debris, we ate some pizza and headed out to worship.  There we sang of His amazing goodness and faithfulness. When we sang the words "If God is for us then who can stand against?" it sounded different.  How does one reconcile the tragedy we worked in with the goodness of a holy Creator?  The redemptive power of the cross is how.  That work of reconciliation that is constantly working in and through us is how.  The hope that we find in Christ's resurrection and the call to live that hope and restoration in our lives is how.

After a time of stories and fountain drinks we headed back to the college where something truly awesome happened; God moved.  And as is His want to, He moved small at first.  I talked about how this trip has the power to change us if we let it, then Brian spoke of Paul's call to serve in urgent need (in his letter to Titus) and then that small voice started speaking to one of the students. 

Coleman raised his hand and asked to say something.  He asked if the kids had fun and then if they were heartbroken.  He then asked how awesome would it be to bring down another group, but instead of just 30- what would happen if we had 100 or 150 followers answering the call?  What would happen if we did this back home?  And the flood gates opened.  Student after student talking of love and family, tears came and confessions made.  One of our students is answering the call to baptism and yet another to changing the course of his life.  Conversations started happening and well, here I am.  Posting after midnight when this old man should be fast asleep.

This is the best trip I've ever had with a group of students and adults.  I have been honored to play my little part in the discipleship of these young followers.  My prayer is that when we return home that we don't leave the lessons learned in Joplin, in Joplin.  But that they come home changed, renewed, focused on the call to our community.  We have been called to Engage and I plan on doing just that.

Whose with me?

Blessings