Christ Community Church Daytona Beach Florida

Way back in March when Andrea first announced the next mission trip in June and I laid eyes on the name “Blast The Hindrance” it stuck in my head for a few reasons. First, I like the name, it has a to the point, jab type punch to it. Secondly, with just three words it conveys so much about what we are as humans, what we’re not, maybe our standing with God, and very likely the disposition of our hearts. My hope here is to encourage all reading this to ask the question “should I go”, believe that God will make a difference through you, and think about Blasting The Hindrances in your life that keep you from saying yes to missions, whether that means serving at Palmetto House in Daytona Beach, or Haiti, Nicaragua, Mongolia or Peru. What might God be saying to you about missions?

For us on this trip we saw lives affected before we even left Miami. People in the airport, curious about wanting to know what we were about and how they could help. Two different encounters on the plane with men asking for information about our group and giving us their business cards to contact them about going on a future trip. A flight attendant stopping me as I left the plane to ask what our group was about. After a brief explanation this person wanted to help in any way possible sharing both a private number for the airline and a personal cell phone number. Who would have been there for those people if we had let our hindrances prevail?

We had the privilege of meeting and offering words of counsel and comfort to the mother of a young girl with Down Syndrome when she asked through an interpreter if we can make her daughter normal.

We experienced too many young children so afflicted with intestinal parasites and hunger that their bellies are grossly enlarged.

Medical staff disinfected the young boy with lice so bad the patches of eggs were evident on his young head.

Remembering the young boy with severe abscesses on his head and abdomen that he was in danger systemically.

The afternoon of the medical and shoe clinic in San Francisco the rains came and came hard. What a beautiful scene it was to see everyone working in the mud, the children wet with muddy feet yet unfazed. At one point I paused in the midst of it all, looked around and saw such a beauty in that exact moment. All so purposeful, nothing by chance, a point in time orchestrated by God, for His joy and ours no doubt. I came fully to realize that to experience missions, and be so undeserving of it all is to truly find our joy in the Lord. If we never answered the Lord by saying “send me” who would have the privilege of washing the children’s muddy feet and tickling them for a precious smile as we fit them with new shoes and socks? Their hope of going to school now realized.

An incredibly powerful moment we all remember was meeting the eight year old girl who’s responsibility (by herself) was caring for her 3 siblings, ages 6 months, 2 years, and 4 years so their mother could go to a job – something most Nicaraguans do not have. Dave had the privilege of handing her shoes, socks, and clothes for her and her brothers and sisters. How incredibly humbling!

When I returned home I had waiting for me in the mailbox a CD of Pastor Larry’s sermon from that week we were away. As I listened to Larry speak of John 13:34: A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another, I heard Larry say again and again that we must make LOVE a verb. It’s not just a noun. I thought how perfectly this related to missions. My prayer is for you to ask yourself “should I go” and make LOVE a verb this way. The accomplishing begins as soon as we believe that God will make a difference through us.

In His Service

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