I made it back!  I’m home I’m home!

Guatemala was a life-changing event.  UNBELIEVABLE.

But now I’ve got 6 chances to share it with you (maybe more!) as I fulfill my response to the six ways Seth Barnes says that a short-term mission trip can change your life.  (Read my 6 previous blog posts beginning with the July 7^th post if you are new to my blog – that was the first of the 6 blogs I wrote about this mission trip.)

According to Seth Barnes, the sixth and final way a short-term mission trip can change your life is by growing your faith.  Seth explains, “A good short-term missions will throw you into the deep end, forcing you to the end of your comfort zone and resources, to a place where you’re forced to depend on God in new ways.  This dependence is the posture God is waiting for in order to grow our faith.”

Oh yeah.

I must say I went into this mission trip with my eyes wide open and without expectations of any kind.  It started out as a challenge in just feeling comfortable with leaving.  We were having problems with Amanda and her having enough care – things were a mess! – and I felt awful leaving Ted (who had to work) with trying to figure everything out.  Of course, things worked out and I left – and Amanda was fine – and Ted went to work.  Besides, once I was gone, there was nothing I could do to help back home.  I thought I would worry all week.  But I couldn’t – I didn’t have the time!  I will say that I actually felt at peace and knew in my heart that all was well back home.  And it was.  Thank you God.

As far as growing in my faith and depending on God … that happened in many forms during my week in Guatemala.

One way I found myself having to depend on God was with some of the dental work we did.  Many of the adults in Guatemala had abscessed and hurting teeth that needed extracted.  Here in the States, a dentist or oral surgeon does extractions after an x-ray photo of the tooth they are taking out. We did not have access to x-rays or any kind of fancy extraction tools or equipment.  Many times, Dr. Bisaro went in ‘blind’ and would have trouble getting access to and getting a grip on the tooth he was pulling.  There was nothing much I could do while he was searching.  I would find myself leaning in to the patient and closing my eyes, praying that God would work through Dr.’s hands, through his fingers, and into the instruments he was handling to guide the extraction.  It’s all I could do.  Pray for God’s guiding hand.

We also did not have high tech steam sterilization equipment.  This is the bin of antiseptic that our instruments got dunked and swished in – then I would rinse them in the tap water (that we weren’t supposed to drink) and start on the next patient.

Most people who travel to Guatemala have to be careful about what they eat or drink so that they do not get sick.  We had a designated restaurant where we ate all our meals.  The owner was a woman who was ‘trained’ how to cook for us weak-stomach Americans so we do not get ill.  We still kept the health of our group a priority in our daily prayers.  No one wanted to get sick.  No one did!  But the food DID get questionable sometimes:

Prior to my leaving on this trip there were several persons who expressed concern over my overall safety in being in La Union, Guatemala.  We were housed in a lovely building amongst a cluster of buildings, and behind a chain link fence.  Whenever we came or went, there was a man who acted as gatekeeper and locked and unlocked the gate for us.  I never felt in danger.  I never felt scared.  Even when walking around the streets in the town, people were always kind and respectful.  The children and adults were quick to say “Hola” or “Buenos dias” or even a big-grinned American “Hi!”.  Our prayers for safety were always answered.  God kept us safe.

Here is the gate from inside our cluster of buildings as it opened to the street. 

And here is the street view of the gate leading into our buildings.

As we worked each day, letting God direct our paths, we prayed for people to show up who needed dentistry.  Even before we ‘opened’ the people were sitting and waiting outside the building.

We also would finish a day and wonder if the dentistry we did, or the English lessons we helped with, or the people we spoke to, or the care we showed would in any way serve God or benefit these people.  We didn’t always know that for sure.  It is purely by faith that God helped us do His will by planting seeds of friendship and Christian care and love – that they may eventually take root and make a difference.  What we did was not done for US it was done for OTHERS.  It was (and is) in God’s hands.  There was so much hope and life in the eyes of the young people we met.  Hopefully, what we shared will help change things for the better for them.

My trip to Guatemala was fantastic.  It was hard.  It was exhausting.  It was beautiful.  Did it change me?  I think so.  My perspective is definitely different.  I’ve seen people who live happily with so little.  It makes our busy, cluttered lives here seem so superficial.

At one of our first meeting prior to going to Guatemala, Pastor Rick made the comment that a mission trip is like:  A week away that will last a lifetime.

Yeah – what he said!

Just Laurel

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding

I made it back!  I’m home I’m home!

Guatemala was a life-changing event.  UNBELIEVABLE.

But now I’ve got 6 chances to share it with you (maybe more!) as I fulfill my response to the six ways Seth Barnes says that a short-term mission trip can change your life.  (Read my 6 previous blog posts beginning with the July 7^th post if you are new to my blog – that was the first of the 6 blogs I wrote about this mission trip.)

The third way a short-term mission trip can change your life is by teaching you how to minister.

Oh boy … this one worried me a bit.  I’m not a pastor or a formal minister.  And – how do you minister when you talk a different language?  In simple reality, we can all be ministers for Christ if we just learn to trust God, listen to the hearts of people who are hurting, and to simply pray for them.

Obviously, the one way we ‘ministered’ to the people of Guatemala was by providing dental care.  There is only one dental building that is open only when there is a dentist in town.  That is not very often.  From what we saw in the way of teeth, or lack of, it became obvious to us that the people of Guatemala walk around with some wicked painful toothaches.  When a dentist IS in town – they go to see him to have that awful painful tooth extracted.  Most of the older adults in Guatemala had no upper front teeth and just a smattering of them in the back of their mouths.  Our first day of dentistry was spent pulling rotten, abscessed teeth, or what was left of them.  Our ministry was to take people out of pain from horrible toothaches.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However – Dr. Bisaro did not have the heart to leave decayed teeth of the young people alone.  Many of these young people were so full of life and hope – but with the cavities we saw, they would soon end up with losing their teeth and looking just like their parents someday if cavities were not fixed.  We started fixing smiles!  Here’s a before and after:

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the second day, the word was out that ‘there was a dentist in town who not only pulled pain-causing teeth, but he FIXED teeth as well!”  We fixed SO MANY decayed front teeth!  It was wonderful – these fixes were done on young people who still had the promise of a great future!  It was awesome to save their smiles and give them some hope for the future 🙂

One story I would like to share:  While we were working on fixing the front teeth of one young man, I allowed my eyes to wander from the job we were doing on his teeth to look at his face.  I am always watching to see if they are in pain anyways.  But when I looked up at his face he was gazing right, then left, then right again as he looked first at the doctor, then back at me, checking us out!  I had my mask on so only my eyes were visible.  His gaze stopped on my face and as our eyes met, I smiled at him – but you couldn’t see my mouth – but he must have seen the smile in my eyes because he gave me this great big (open-mouthed) grin!  (Remember – his teeth were being worked on.)  It sounds trivial – but it really was awesome.  He was so happy getting his smile fixed and we shared a happy moment – no language barriers here! 

On the first full day of our stay in La Union, Guatemala, we ministered to the whole town by taking a prayer walk.  We took a walking tour of the little town and, every so often, we would stop and form a circle.  We would join hands … and pray … pray for the medical clinic … pray for the people … pray for the school.  It was so simple yet such a privilege to be able to ask for God’s blessings on every aspect of the lives of the people in this small town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meal time was a chance to form relationships.  Many times, we had guests dining with us:  the nurse from the medical clinic, a local doctor who stops by the town when she can, the interpreters who worked with us, and Charles – the local CALMS Missionary who was with us at every meal.  Our ministry involved simply LISTENING – listening to stories about the town, about the people, and understanding what the needs were and how we could help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Vaclav and Sheryl (RN) spent many hours at the medical clinic.  They got a real feel for the people of La Union and what the major medical needs were.  The saw patients and (through an interpreter) diagnosed and treated many people.  This type of ministry literally helped the people physically, but I understand that Dr. Vaclav and Sheryl also shared the joy of praying with some patients.  Pure ministry.  I’m afraid I was not with them and can only provide one photo of the outside of the medical building.

It’s not hard to minister.  You simply have to listen and see what others need or are lacking.  That is basically what Jesus wanted us to do when he told us to “love one another”.

Listen.  Love.  Give care if possible.  And Pray.

Just Laurel

Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Hebrews 13:2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares

I made it back!  I’m home I’m home!

Guatemala was a life-changing event.  UNBELIEVABLE.

But now I’ve got 6 chances to share it with you (maybe more!) as I fulfill my response to the six ways Seth Barnes says that a short-term mission trip can change your life.  (Read my 6 previous blog posts if you are new to my blog.  Go back to the July 7^th post – that was the first of the 6 blogs I wrote about this mission trip.)

The second way a short-term mission trip can change your life is by revealing your narcissism.  So just to refresh your memory:

nar·cis·sism  [nahr-suh-siz-em]

noun

inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive self-love; vanity. Synonyms: self-centeredness, smugness, egocentrism.

I have learned that, without a doubt, you cannot be a narcissist and go on a mission trip.  I mean, if “life is all about ME” then why would you bother to go somewhere to do anything for someone else?  Not only do you have a mission team of people to interact with, you also have the people you are going to serve to consider.

Here’s our fine little team of five!  We ate together, walked together, toured together, traveled together (Pastor Rick encouraged us – we were not allowed to stray!).  It wasn’t about ME, it was what the GROUP was going to do.

Here’s the room and bathroom I shared with my roomie, Joyce.  It was small – there was no room for vanity and I couldn’t be a room hog.  (And that one thingy is the showerhead by the way!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We ate meals together every day, in the same place, and we didn’t choose what the meal was.  It wasn’t about what I wanted to eat or where or what I wanted to eat – my personal tastes had to be side-lined as we were a team.  Here we are walking to Faby’s – where every meal was:

And here are some examples of the food that was set before me:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now this picture doesn’t show it – but it was HOT, HUMID, and did I say – HOT – while we were fixing teeth?  Poor me… NOT!  Any proper egocentric and self-centered person would have swooned in that heat and demanded air-conditioning, ice water, dry clothes, or at least a personal fan!  It was like living in a hot flash.  Our scrubs were soggy and I felt like a soggy old dish rag by the end of the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were some young men who showed up every day for English lessons.  A pure narcissist would never take the time to help someone else out.  Sheryl and Joyce spent the most time with teaching English and building a relationship with these guys.  We were hot and tired, and a language barrier is challenging – but it was all about THEM (not US) 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A narcissist on a mission trip would probably expect to be gifted with all the attention – and the gifts!  We were honored to share time with some wonderful people – here you see they were gifted with Detroit Tigers ball caps!

There’s more to life then ME – there’s a WE.  It’s not all about our own needs – many times it’s about the needs of the group … or the needs of a town.

Just Laurel

James 3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

James 3:16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

Mark 12:31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

I made it back!  I’m home I’m home!

Guatemala was a life-changing event.  UNBELIEVABLE.

But now I’ve got 6 chances to share it with you (maybe more!) as I fulfill my response to the six ways Seth Barnes says that a short-term mission trip can change your life.  (Read my 6 previous blog posts if you are new to my blog.)

The first way a short-term mission trip can change your life is by changing your world view.

We ‘green’ Americans think we are so contemporary and earth friendly with all the ways we recycle!  Well, in Guatemala they reuse EVERYTHING!  Just look at the buckets, paint cans, 1 and 2 liter bottles, and just about any other old container that can be put to use as a planter.  Sarcasm aside, it really was beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We Americans are spoiled by washing machines and dryers.  In Guatemala the wash was pretty much done by hand then hung to dry.  Despite the poverty, I must say that the people are clean and will dress the best and cleanest they can – with hair and faces clean and smiling!  (Unfortunately, trash that cannot be recycled into anything – just stays on the ground as – trash.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was not one flat, straight stretch of road.  The houses are built on the sides of slopes and streets either slope up or down … if you don’t like it … you can take the steps!  Trenton streets are looking mighty straight, flat, and boring right now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Got an insect problem?  These little guys come out at night and love to dine on insects!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes – they actually DO have internet in the small town of La Union, Guatemala.  Here, the dentist from Guatemala City that joined us for the week is using his ‘hot spot’ to hook us up.  There were also occasional small shops that had internet, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, the food is different.  We all ate too much 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dentistry is done a little differently.  You just make do with what you have!  The main generator was broken so we hooked up to the portable generator outside the window to give us the power we needed.  There were no screens or glass panes in the window – it is SO annoying to have to brush flying insects away while we were trying to fill teeth!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Julio (and most all of the locals in La Union) enjoys a cold bottle of Coke and some crunchy Frito-Lay snacks whenever possible!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was only one local medical clinic for the town of La Union.  Doesn’t every town need their own hospital?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shingles are not the roofing material of choice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who needs a subway system?  You can always hitch a ride to the top of the hill!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

People in Guatemala have yards to hang out in and live close to their neighbors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please forgive any sarcasm with the above photos – my intent was not at all to poke fun.  Guatemala was different.  I wanted you to see that.  The houses are crude – but they work.  The way of life is so different from what we think is normal or expected.  But this is the normal way of life for the people of Guatemala.  Despite the poverty, the challenging hot and humid weather, the steep slope of the land, the limited resources, and the secluded location of La Union, the people are warm and wonderful.  When there was work to be done they were hard workers.  Mothers and fathers took care of their children as best as they could, and loved them dearly.  Each day, people took on the day with figuring out what food was available for the next meal, visiting with friends, and making the most of the day.

Around the world, we may do similar tasks each day, but in a different way.  It’s not so strange.  It’s just different.

Just Laurel

 

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

I shall be veering from my regular format for the next few weeks.

Why?

I said YES to a short-term mission trip!  Saturday the 12th I leave for Guatemala.  I will be traveling with another nurse, a dentist, a doctor, and a pastor.  Both this week and next my blog will address 6 ways that mission trips are supposed to change lives.  (gulp)  Okay – I went into this thing with eyes wide open and with no expectations.  But I really think it’s gonna surprise me.  I am writing next week’s blogs THIS week and will have to show Ted how to post these for you to read while I’m gone.  And then, I plan to go over these 6 reasons again when I return – to see how things changed for me.

Seth Barnes* says that the sixth way a short-term mission trip can change a life is by growing our faith.

Well, that’s  obvious.

But here’s how Seth describes it:  “A good short term missions will throw you into the deep end, forcing you to the end of your comfort zone and resources, to a place where you’re forced to depend on God in new ways.”

I can remember, as a child, so many times when I took swim lessons.  There were ‘many times’ because swimming did not come naturally to me and I am still not the best swimmer.  But I can remember several instances when the swim teachers had me jump in at the deep end of the pool and expected me to swim to them in the shallow end.  I have memories of NOT wanting to jump … and then once I did, I kicked furiously in fear as I tried to reach the surface to catch my breath.  I would then attempt a breast stroke as I failed miserably at trying to suck in breaths of air (and not water) and make it to the shallow end where I would mercifully finally feel my feet on the bottom of the pool.  I hated the water that went up my nose.  I hated coughing up pool water.

These images invoke total fear in me:

It would have been nice if a strong water-resistant angel would have lifted me out of the troubled waters!

So – here I am throwing myself into a short-term mission and I guess if it gets too hard for me to handle, God is waiting to lift me up – keep me from drowning!

Okay – I can do it.

Seth suggested that “if your world is feeling claustrophobic and your faith is stagnating, chances are you need the kind of life-changing experience that Jesus gave his disciples when he began activating them on the first recorded short term mission experiences (read Luke 9 & 10).”

At the posting of this blog – I am on my last day of my trip and will be flying home tomorrow (July 19^th).  I’ve made it this far!

Can’t wait to tell you all about it!

Just Laurel

2 Corinthians 10:15 Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand.

2 Thessalonians 1:3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.

*Posted in Short-term Missions by Seth Barnes on 10/19/2010

I shall be veering from my regular format for the next few weeks.

 

Why?

 

I said YES to a short-term mission trip!  Saturday the 12th I leave for Guatemala.  I will be traveling with another nurse, a dentist, a doctor, and a pastor.  Both this week and next my blog will address 6 ways that mission trips are supposed to change lives.  (gulp)  Okay – I went into this thing with eyes wide open and with no expectations.  But I really think it’s gonna surprise me.  I am writing next week’s blogs THIS week and will have to show Ted how to post these for you to read while I’m gone.  And then, I plan to go over these 6 reasons again when I return – to see how things changed for me.

The fifth way that short-term missions change lives, according to Seth Barnes* is they connect you to God.

But we ARE all connected – aren’t we? Say a blessing at mealtime … and go to church on Sundays (when there aren’t any conflicts).

Americans today have so much to do – or they choose to have so much to do. The morning alarm is like the gun sounding at a track meet. And … we’re OFF and running! By the time our day has ended, we feel like we have spent it on a merry-go-round! Seth Barnes suggests that we need to get off the merry-go-round of life and engage with God’s priorities more often than we do.

I expect that I will not be distracted by other things in Guatemala. I won’t have a house to clean, laundry to do, meals to shop for and prepare, meetings or rehearsals to get to, and the biggie – Amanda to take care of or worry about. All my distractions will be gone. It shall be interesting to focus on the purpose of the trip and to connect with God.

But when I come home – will that connection loosen? Perhaps I will desire more of a relationship with my God – and will change my lifestyle to include Him more. We’ll see.

I know God desires our attention … and not just on Sundays. We’ll see if the trip will impact me so much that I will seek a closer connection on a daily basis.

Time to make a better connection!

Just Laurel

Colossian 2:2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ.

Psalm 37:5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.

*Posted in Short-term Missions by Seth Barnes on 10/19/2010

I shall be veering from my regular format for the next few weeks.

Why?

I said YES to a short-term mission trip!  Saturday the 12th I leave for Guatemala.  I will be traveling with another nurse, a dentist, a doctor, and a pastor.  Both this week and next my blog will address 6 ways that mission trips are supposed to change lives.  (gulp)  Okay – I went into this thing with eyes wide open and with no expectations.  But I really think it’s gonna surprise me.  I am writing next week’s blogs THIS week and will have to show Ted how to post these for you to read while I’m gone.  And then, I plan to go over these 6 reasons again when I return – to see how things changed for me.

According to Seth Barnes*, the fourth way that a short-term mission trip will change my life is by revealing my materialism.

Oh puh-lease.

The mess in the basement?  That is not MY stuff – it is my husbands!  The stuff in the attic?  Well, it belongs to me … and Ted … and some of it belongs to my adult children.

Yes, my closet is full.  So are the kitchen cupboards.  And my pantry is a mess – (but some people probably don’t even have a pantry of food to rely on.)

<sigh>

Yes – Americans as a whole have too much stuff … we tend to be materialistic … we have stuff … because we do … and we can.  Seth Barnes says that “to reach our destinies, we need more simplicity, not stuff.”  Amen to that!

I sometimes feel that when my house is cluttered, it makes my life feel more cluttered.  When my house is organized and tidy – it actually has a calming effect on me.  So even though you may be like me – and try to keep things tidy and not too overstuffed with stuff – I am sure that my perception will change dramatically after I spend some time in Guatemala and get a ‘worldview’ of materialism.  I will probably be embarrassed when I see how little these people have compared to the quantity of stuff in my possession.

Do we really need all the toys that cram our closets and garages?  Do we need to shop as much as we do?  If our houses were to burn down – what would we try to save from the fire?

Just Laurel

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.

Luke 12:15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

 

 

*Posted in Short-term Missions by Seth Barnes on 10/19/2010

I shall be veering from my regular format for the next few weeks.

 

Why?

 

I said YES to a short-term mission trip!  Saturday the 12th I leave for Guatemala.  I will be traveling with another nurse, a dentist, a doctor, and a pastor.  Both this week and next my blog will address 6 ways that mission trips are supposed to change lives.  (gulp)  Okay – I went into this thing with eyes wide open and with no expectations.  But I really think it’s gonna surprise me.  I am writing next week’s blogs THIS week and will have to show Ted how to post these for you to read while I’m gone.  And then, I plan to go over these 6 reasons again when I return – to see how things changed for me.

According to Seth Barnes*, the third thing that short-term missions teach us is how to minister.

What?

I am not trained to be a minister – to be a pastor!  I better let somebody else do this mission stuff!

But in all reality …

All followers of Christ can and should minister to the needs of others – we don’t have to BE a minister in the formal sense!  When Jesus talks about “loving one another” I think he is talking about us taking ACTION.  To say “I love you” means little if it is not demonstrated.  And loving means listening to the hurts and needs of others.  Seth Barnes says that most Americans know precious little about how to listen to the heart of a hurting person – AND – how to pray for them.

<gulp>

I guess I will be getting some experience now in listening and ministering – and praying.  But .. but .. but God, these people in Guatemala don’t even speak English!  It will all have to be done through an interpreter!

And that is where I know I am lacking – TRUST!  I shall simply trust God to give me ears to hear, a heart to care, and know that He will be the ultimate interpreter to give me the right words to say.  To minister.

Just Laurel

James 1:19  Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;

Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.

Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

 

 

 

 

 

*Posted in Short-term Missions by Seth Barnes on 10/19/2010

I shall be veering from my regular format for the next few weeks.

 

Why?

 

I said YES to a short-term mission trip!  Saturday the 12th I leave for Guatemala.  I will be traveling with another nurse, a dentist, a doctor, and a pastor.  Both this week and next my blog will address 6 ways that mission trips are supposed to change lives.  (gulp)  Okay – I went into this thing with eyes wide open and with no expectations.  But I really think it’s gonna surprise me.  I am writing next week’s blogs THIS week and will have to show Ted how to post these for you to read while I’m gone.  And then, I plan to go over these 6 reasons again when I return – to see how things changed for me.

 

According to Seth Barnes*, the second way short-term missions change lives is by revealing our narcissism.  Okay … just so we all understand this:

nar·cis·sism

[nahr-suh-siz-em]

noun

inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive self-love; vanity. Synonyms: self-centeredness, smugness, egocentrism.

I think we all have some narcissistic tendencies – times when we are selfish.  Who isn’t needy and egocentric at times?  But sometimes we need to step back and take a good look at the things in our little worlds that really are petty concerns compared to the needs of others.  The air conditioning is broke and we are hot?  What if we lived where there was no electricity and we could never escape the scorching summer heat?  We suffer a small cut and fix it quickly with triple antibiotic ointment and a Band-Aid.  With no access to clean water or fancy ointment – people in poor countries could get an infection and die from a small cut.

And even in our own comfortable, civilized, worldly world we live in … how often do we whine about trivial things that in reality are of little concern in comparison to God, love, and life?

In Guatemala we will be sharing medical knowledge, doing dentistry in the small dental/medical building, and building relationships with the people.  I hope I can set aside my own discomforts and needs so that I can see the needs and concerns of others.

Open my eyes Lord – Give me Your eyes so I can see.

Just Laurel

2 Timothy 3:1-7 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people

*Posted in Short-term Missions by Seth Barnes on 10/19/2010