He is before all things

It's hard to know where to start in summing up the experience of my recent short-term missions trip.  I guess it begins last September when I went with my brother's church to join an organization called Back2Back Ministries and served for a few days in Monterrey, Mexico.  It was definitely an amazing week.  This same organization has other sites in Mexico as well as India, Nigeria and coming soon, Haiti.  I was definitely touched by my time in Mexico but felt a strong pull to visit their Nigeria site next.  Through a course of events, some gentle encouragement from family, and clear signs from the Lord, it was clear that I was supposed to return to Mexico.  The primary reason was that my brother, his wife, their 9 year old daughter, and my dad were all going.  I spoke to my husband Tommy about it and I asked him if we could go together.  It was unlikely that his schedule would be open during what is usually their busy summer season of teaching but the trip "happen" to land between courses.  This was the first of many indicators that God was directing us to Mexico.  We were blessed by the generosity of others in prayer and in financial contributions that there was no excuse not to go.

Don't get me wrong, we were still hesitant at times and doubting if this was the "right" thing to do but those moments were fleeting and His call was clear.  We knew early into to the trip (actually before we even arrived in Mexico) that our group was going to do great things because the Enemy had our number and was doing his best to bring us down.  We stood firm in prayer and fellowship and remained faithful in our mission to serve.  I am sure you can relate that when we persevere in the face of opposition and challenges, the blessings on the other side are that much sweeter.


Every summer Back2Back Ministries has a theme which surrounds the week for the groups coming to serve.  There is a devotional handed out and every day there is time set aside to spend time in the Word and reflecting on what the staff members from the different sites wrote about in the devotional.  In the past, there have been themes such as "hunger," "shelter," and "water."  It is clear how those things relate to a life in extreme poverty and also those ideas can be tied to what the Lord offers us through salvation.  You know . . . a nice catchy play on words so to speak.  The theme for this summer was from Col 1:17 "He is before all things and in Him all things hold together."  Initially it didn't seem to be as clear a connection to the life of the orphan or widow that we were serving but everyday those words became more true for me and for Tommy.  I find myself resting in that promise and I could see the ways it was true (or becoming true) in the lives of those we met.  It was a blessing to read through the ways that God has been faithful to the staff members as well as the people in our group as we talked through that truth.  

Now this is part when I'm supposed to write what we did or what happened while we were there and I find myself searching for the words that will convey the shift that occured in our hearts. I am at a loss.  I feel as if every fiber of my soul has been woven tighter and with a greater passion for the things of heaven.  I guess for the sake of keeping you in the loop I will highlight a few of the moments that are etched in my mind for eternity:

1.  Attending a church served at one of Casa Hogar Manatial de Amor (this is one of the children's homes that Back2Back serves).  They asked the children to come up to the front and then had the members of our group lay hands on them and pray for them.  I felt the Holy Spirit fall on me and I started to pray in English for one of the teenage girls.  Then I started to remember some words in Spanish and I prayed those words and we both started to cry.  This is the first of many indescribable moments.

2.  Hearing another girl share some of her past that brought her to the children's home.  We are encouraged to ask the children about their present and their future but not their past.  As I spoke with one girl about her present, she volunteered some of the painful events of her history.  She cried and again, so did I.  Her heart was breaking for at least the thousandth time I'm sure and I held her in my arms as the tears flowed.  I felt honored to be the one to comfort her but leaving that day was one of the hardest things I have ever done.  I got on the bus and fell into Tommy's arms saying "I don't want to leave her."  That day was probably when the greatest shift happened in my heart.

3.  Seeing boys and girls hang on Tommy as they jumped rope, swam in the pool, or played games.  Children of all ages, both boys and girls, seemed to be so comfortable with him.  At one point he was holding twin 3 year old girls as he jumped rope.  Another time, he had about 6 kids hanging on him in the pool.  He played cards with a boy on his lap.  He knew hardly an Spanish but they were so comfortable with him because of his kindness and gentleness and I was found myself admiring him more than ever.  Everyday I learned the unique ways that Tommy serves and together, we make a great team.

As I'm sure you could guess, this doesn't capture even a fraction of what happened during that week.  I hope to continue to reveal the wondrous ways God is shaping Tommy, myself and our family as a direct result of this awesome trip.  I know we will never be the same.  I know God has great plans for us and I know now more than ever that "He is before all things and in Him, all things hold together."