“But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.”
Psalm 10:14
Well, this day started very early for us all. Many of us left Gainesville before daybreak. However, to Robert's surprise, we were all on time. God was definitely already at work! After gate changes, terminal changes, passengers disembarking an overbooked flight, our 9:50 a.m. flight departed at 12:50 p.m. We kept ourselves entertained and amused, and with some of the adults on the trip, this was easy to do! Going on a mission trip has brought back some fond memories. Others of us are experiencing what is sure to be a spiritual marker in our lives for the first time.
Our flight arrived safely, and once through the airport, we were greeted by Allie, Anna, Sydney and a host of worshippers from Pastor Saul's church singing a praise song to God! What a great way to start a trip. We settled into Seteca, our new and temporary home, and headed out to see the places we will be serving. This was humbling and in the words of Parker Hendrix, "a shock." It didn't take long for our children to see how blessed we are; a sentiment realized by all.
We visited Pastor Saul's church first. Let us say thank you to Lakewood for being committed to helping this church. It is full of servants ministering daily to the poorest of people. Next, we toured the dump. Words cannot fully describe what we saw here. Contentment lives in the middle of trash, bugs, diseased animals, raw sewage, mounds of used plastic and over-crowdedness. Yet, we were greeted with smiles and laughter, hugs and children wanting to be carried or swung by their arms. Immediately, our hearts were touched and the very people we came to serve were teaching us. God never seizes to amaze us. Our last stop before our authentic American meal at Wendy's was to the lot where the preschool we support as a church looks to relocate in the future. With the plans in hand, as a congregation, we prayed over this lot. Please be in prayer for this project. Pray that the building can be started as we work with the city in this process. So many more children can be nurtured in a bigger facility, and hopefully, families will be able to begin breaking out of the cycle of poverty that four generations have already experienced.
Well, it has been quite a full and emotionally draining day. Thank you for all the prayers and support. God is at work, and we are a blessed people. Good night to all!
Lakewood Family Mission Trip 2011
P.s. Please let our families know that we haven't lost any of the children, yet! (Namely, Kevin.) :-)
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