On Mission

Imagine going to sleep and awaking to four feet of water in your home. Imagine swells coming in to your neighborhood as high as ten feet. Imagine being displaced for nine months and counting. A house still standing but unlivable. Having a home but not able to get it repaired because of all the damage. Imagine calling for help for months and that describes the first home we served today. We met the wife. She told us at one time in her vacant lot their were five trees and a shed. All blown down and overgrown with three to four feet tall grass. Enter a bunch of eager teenagers and adults and you have the making of an answered prayer to clean up her lot so they can keep it mowed. Chain saws buzzed. Limbs were carried out. Tree trunks were lugged out. The house is another story for another group on another day.

Picture a different home with massive trees. Trees that have taken a century to grow but blown over by the the winds of Hurricane Harvey. Again picture a bunch of eager teenagers and adults and you have massive trees cut and wood neatly stacked. Four chainsaws buzzed into action as girls and guys jumped in to clear up the downed trees as best as possible. Sometimes it took two and three people to carry the trunks out.

There was sweat. Mosquitos. Dirt. Hard work , more sweat nd great attitudes.

Last night, in preparation of our work this week, we consecrated ourselves with two acts. We allowed students to wash each other's feet as well as the adults. In this we not only followed the example of Jesus but we symbolized servant hearts for the week. We also celebrated communion remembering the service and sacrifice of Jesus for us. We enjoyed a reverent holy time in the Lord.

Day one is nearly in the books. Soon we will eat supper and then have our time of worship and the ministry of the word. I thank God for letting me be here. I am exhausted but proud of these people and the hard work they did today. I am more pleased that two of the Edwards boys were right in the thick of all of it.