Entry #2

July 30, 2012 Monday and July 31, 2012 Tuesday

Days two and three, sixty remaining: On Monday I had a challenging start to the week as I struggled with vertigo. I thought – “What if this happens on the trip? What if I wake up in a cold apartment in Vlad with my head spinning?” As I prayed to begin my day, I realized that at best a mission trip is carried out by weak, fragile sinners in daily need of God’s incredible grace. And I trust him to be there with me in weakness – be it cold, vertigo, homesickness, missing the comforts of the good old USA lifestyle, frustration with a culture not my own, etc.  I rejoice that, as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:7, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves” (NASB).    

Today Pastor Selph sent out the email introducing/promoting the trip to our church family. We’ll take up a special offering this Lord’s Day. More than anything I hope our body embraces the ownership and responsibility of the trip as their missionary effort. There can be no sent one without senders. Maybe only one can go, but a whole body can hold the “rope” on the other end. I love to see how Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch at the end of their first missionary journey and reported to the church that initially sent them (cf. Acts 13:1-3; 14:25-28). Luke noted that they a) reported all God had done with them, b) also reported how God had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles, and c) spent a long time with the disciples. I consider it the greatest privilege in life to share the Gospel and open the Scriptures. To have the privilege to do this with people of another language and culture whom I’ve never met is beyond anything I could ever have asked. I pray to be used, I pray for open doors for faith for Russians in October…