Those who are generously donating to this mission deserve a gift that God alone can give. I get frustrated at my inability to communicate how incredible this ministry truly is. It's hard for me to imagine a greater privilege than to help these midshipmen grow in their faith.
All I can say is thank you: thank you to God, thank you to my family, and to all those people who are proudly supporting our work here. So many nights I drive home in silence, just thinking about how blessed I am to be doing God's work in such a unique way. I mean, I get to talk with these men about things that they've never mentioned to anybody. Lots of times, they are realizing new things about themselves and I get to be with them in those moments.
Each man's search for God is uniquely his own and, for some reason, God desires me to get a glimpse into that journey. I love being able to share my common experiences with them. I think the hardest part is being okay with my best and I need to realize that people's lives are never simply "fixed". You'd think 22 years of living with myself would have made that clear by now! In the end, the midshipmen aren't problems to be fixed but people to be loved. I must never forget that about them or myself!
Thank you for placing me here, in their lives, where I can do God's work. Oh, how great it is to be an instrument! Thank you.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
This Was Awesome!
First, I apologize for failing to keep all of you, who have been more generous and faithful than I could have ever dreamed, in the loop. It is no coincidence though, that these last few weeks have been the busiest by far and I truly feel that our ministry is now soaring! I'm amazed, truly amazed, with how much God is blessing us here at the Naval Academy. The midshipmen are taking advantage of every opportunity to grow that we give them! Thank you for making this possible... some students are already asking if we'll be here next year!
I'll be perfectly honest: your financial support is bringing about a beauty beyond my understanding. All I can do is be grateful. Why me? Why do I get to experience these men and women come alive in a way like never before? Why do we get to be a part of something that's changing their lives? I don't know, I can't explain it, all we can do is be grateful. Isn't it amazing that finite things, when handed to God, bring about realities that extend far beyond our mind's reach?
Here is something sweet that we did at the Naval Academy! A couple weeks ago, we bought the midshipmen 25 pizzas (which were gone in minutes) and each missionary gave their testimony to the students. Yeah, we were a little nervous but, more than anything, I think we just felt overwhelmed at the idea of communicating what God has done for us. God's love in our lives is so incomprehensible and is hard to explain even to ourselves, let alone telling 100 students about it!
We each had 10 minutes to sum up how we've been transformed through our relationship with God. I was really impressed by my teammates and their ability to articulate all that has unfolded in their journey with Christ.
I was last and excited! I couldn't even begin to explain to the midshipmen my relationship with God and I even admitted that before them all. A testimony is like painting a picture of the most beautiful sight. There is something about beauty which just can't be duplicated! You can't capture the whole picture, I guess. ANYWAYS, it went great. I felt as though the Holy Spirit really gave me the words I needed to say and I was really grateful for the divine assistance.
From that day, things have definitely changed with many of the students. I feel a lot closer to them and I think they've felt more comfortable to share their struggles with me because they now know that I've gone through similar difficulties...
This is where words fail me! Ah, how beautiful are the conversations I've been having with some midshipmen. I'm truly grateful for having been placed here. Thank you.
I'll be perfectly honest: your financial support is bringing about a beauty beyond my understanding. All I can do is be grateful. Why me? Why do I get to experience these men and women come alive in a way like never before? Why do we get to be a part of something that's changing their lives? I don't know, I can't explain it, all we can do is be grateful. Isn't it amazing that finite things, when handed to God, bring about realities that extend far beyond our mind's reach?
Here is something sweet that we did at the Naval Academy! A couple weeks ago, we bought the midshipmen 25 pizzas (which were gone in minutes) and each missionary gave their testimony to the students. Yeah, we were a little nervous but, more than anything, I think we just felt overwhelmed at the idea of communicating what God has done for us. God's love in our lives is so incomprehensible and is hard to explain even to ourselves, let alone telling 100 students about it!
We each had 10 minutes to sum up how we've been transformed through our relationship with God. I was really impressed by my teammates and their ability to articulate all that has unfolded in their journey with Christ.
I was last and excited! I couldn't even begin to explain to the midshipmen my relationship with God and I even admitted that before them all. A testimony is like painting a picture of the most beautiful sight. There is something about beauty which just can't be duplicated! You can't capture the whole picture, I guess. ANYWAYS, it went great. I felt as though the Holy Spirit really gave me the words I needed to say and I was really grateful for the divine assistance.
From that day, things have definitely changed with many of the students. I feel a lot closer to them and I think they've felt more comfortable to share their struggles with me because they now know that I've gone through similar difficulties...
This is where words fail me! Ah, how beautiful are the conversations I've been having with some midshipmen. I'm truly grateful for having been placed here. Thank you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)