Sunday, June 10, 2018

Rooted: Mission Trip

Last week I was blessed to be on a team with some amazing students and adults as we went to Texas (south of Houston) to help serve, clean, and repair home damaged in the hurricane last year.  While on the trip we were blessed to have the best host church, Brazoria United Methodists Church, and met some incredible people along the journey.

Everyday on the trip we as a group worked through a devotional book Rooted.  It was meant to expose us to various forms of scripture memory and learning what Gods word has to say.

 He may not realize it, but every decision you make is a choice about where to place your roots .   Life is full of tiny decisions-and some huge ones-and each one of them sinks are root a little deeper. Where ever you decide to place your roots ends up  defining your life.

 God made us to be rooted in him. He loves us and wants us to have a relationship with him. He knows how we can experience real happiness, but the problem is, we miss out when we don’t want to listen. We think we know what is best and believe the key to happiness is focusing on us and not him. What we don’t realize is that we’re making a choice between routes as deep as our  own perspective or roots connected to the infinite and perfect  wisdom of the One who made you and the world you walk in.

“Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in [union with] Him [reflecting His character in the things you do and say--living lives that lead others away from sin], having been deeply rooted [in Him] and now being continually built up in Him and [becoming increasingly more] established in your faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing in it with gratitude.”
‭‭COLOSSIANS‬ ‭2:6-7‬ ‭AMP‬‬


Everything changes when we come to realize that God has the best plan for our lives. When we take the steps to admit our sins and give him control, we are making the decision to grow deep. This makes our purpose finally clear: to serve God and the people he cares about.

That’s what this trip was about for most of us, yes we knew we would get to do fun stuff, but that isn’t what our focus was.

Many on the trip experienced so many firsts.   First time to go to Texas, go to a professional baseball game, see the ocean, serve others.




 The first family we were able to help, we really connected with. Bob and Judy Carter are in their 70s.
 They been married for more than 50 years and helped build the home that they were living in the home that was destroyed by flooding.    Bob and Judy were right by our sides the whole time helping move tires hang drywall build a fence but more importantly they spoke directly to our hearts. Not only did they share their home with us they share their lives. They told us about their family, about their struggles with the flooding, their joys and their sorrows.  They had seen loss, not only with material things, but also the loss of a child.  Through it all they were rooted in their faith and trust in God. The whole first floor of their home was destroyed, and at first FEMA was not going to help them. They had no other choice but to start the work themselves, so for seven months that’s exactly what they did. Day by day and little by little they started the cleanup process.    By the time we got there to help them only one other mission team had been there to help.  They started the process of hanging Sheetrock, and the big cleanup.  We came in and were able to finish up.  Our team hung, taped and mudded the Sheetrock in the living room.  We tore down fences, built a fence repaired fences and did lots of cleanup. We stacked lots and lots of tires, found many little creatures, including my encounter with a snake ( we are pretty sure it was a water moccasin) ugh!!!

But most important we shared In Bob and Judy’s life for a few days! It’s my hope we were as much of bright spot for them as they were for us.

Our team continued the Sheetrock hanging as we were able to help another family, complete a living room with sheet rocking.

 Our students worked so hard the whole week never really complaining or saying they wouldn’t do something. None of us were used to the physical labor that we completed that week, however everyone chipped in and worked!

 Our host church so kind to us. Every day when we come home from our worksites they would have a new treats waiting for us. On Wednesday they prepared and authentic Texas BBQ.  Yummy!!!

They opened their church and their hearts to us.  We are so very grateful for their generosity! They truly showed us Gods love each day!

I’ve been on many mission trips before, helping serving, and sharing Gods love.  This one will hold a special place in my heart, because of the people.

My hope is that I’ll be like the people we met on this trip.

Like Bob and Judy who lost so much, but stayed firm in their faith, and had joy in spite of their circumstances.

 The people of Brazoria First United Methodist Church who opened their hearts , their church, and their lives to us complete strangers from Kansas.

And our students who experienced new, eye opening revelations from God.  Who stayed rooted in their faith along this journey.

Though I am physically exhausted, I am spiritually renewed!  Growing my roots more and more each day.

I know where I am rooted, do you?

Have a Blessed day!
Christina!

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