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"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?' Then I said, 'Here am I! Send me.'"
(Isaiah 6:8)
Our mission trip October 27 - November 9 literally took us around the world. We started in Austin, Texas, flew to Los Angeles, California, then on to Seoul, South Korea, and finally to our destination in Asia. On the return trip, we flew from Asia to Frankfurt, Germany, then directly to Austin. We literally circled the globe! Jet lag is real. The time change was almost 12 hours, so if it was 5:00 p.m. on the mission field, then it was 5:00 a.m. back home. It took some adjusting, but we all got acclimated pretty quickly and were able to serve God for two weeks. Coming back was a bit different! It took a couple of days to reorient back to our time zone in Texas.
Our team of five from GHBC hit the ground running in the first country. While I stayed in the capital city, the rest of our team, which included my wife, Ashley, traveled five hours drive north. They almost had an accident, but God protected them. On Sunday, I was able to share a message with the persecuted pastors based on Acts 20:24, one of my favorite passages of Scripture: "But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the Gospel of the grace of God." Keep in mind, these are pastors from various countries who face hostile persecution from unbelievers and, in some cases, governments as well. What an honor it was to share the Word of God with these committed pastors!
Sunday night, we went on a river cruise and had a wonderful time of fellowship with these pastors. My dinner was fried rice, shrimp, spring rolls, and mango sticky rice, and it all was very tasty. I am sure most of these men of God had never been able to do something like this. What a blessing it was to hang out with them in this moment. They were able to truly relax and not look over their shoulders in fear that an enemy was watching them. Oh, the things we take for granted in the USA.
I wrote these words in my journal: "Thank You Lord for allowing me to be here and serve You this way. I enjoy speaking to pastors and teaching the Word and encouraging them. Ashley and team are doing well in T- after a tough day of 9-hour travel. They are working hard serving children, sharing Jesus, doing crafts, and doing a great job. They were up early Tuesday for more traveling to a couple of destinations to do the same ministry. Ashley shared the Creation Story 8 times! Lots of peace being here and serving."
That evening, the pastors were going to meet at the hotel pool for a time of relaxing. I wanted to go to bed but felt like I should at least show up, and I am so glad I did. I sat in the pool with the leader of the conference, who is a dear friend of mine, and we talked for an hour. It was great to be able to reconnect with him and hear his heart and the things God has been showing him. I was able to share with him much of what God has been doing in my life and ministry as well. Oftentimes in life, the blessings and rewards come from simply showing up!
Getting out of our comfort zones and going on an overseas mission trip is such a blessing. When you and I step out in faith and make ourselves available for God to use us in any way He desires, then we are in a place where God will both use and bless us greatly.
More on the mission trip tomorrow!
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