More plot developments than an episode of 24.... Recap of Summer Missions Part I

Wow.

Holy crap.

It has been a very long time since I have posted on this mug. I'm ok with that because I like to pretend I have a life.

Its funny that I'm rediscovering this blogspot at the same time of last summer, 2008. Post missions. Too much time on my hands. So I search the web, hungry for new, petty, social networking sites because there is nothing else to do. Don't judge me.

So tiny confession. I never actually went to Honduras. Funny story actually. Right before the financial deadline my TL decided that she wasn't supposed to lead the team. She was doing what she felt was right and the Lord had different things for her, and I applaud her decision. This happened around February of this year...

So my team of 4 girls and I did our best to survive the day of missions financial reckoning, the 50% deadline. Thank the Lord, a mysterious donor donated to the International Development region in the missions dept. so the teams only have to raise half of the money. Judgment day comes and goes and we have 1 casualty (aka one of the girls finances fell through and she couldn't come. Disclaimer: no one actually died). So now it is me the ATL, no TL, and 3 girls who are thinking they are going to Honduras to learn about micro-finance. Little did we know...

The department in a rush of efficiency madness merges my team with Team Costa Rica Business. A wonderful woman is leading that team as well, someone who became one of my best friends, Kortney. Her ATL is made the TL of a business trip to Africa and I become Kortney's ATL. Already a lot of changes. In the middle of these events, Kortney and I had a meeting with the person who was in charge of our trip. We weren't going to Honduras anymore. We would still be doing micro-finance and learning about it to our hearts content, yet in another country.

Confession time, when I heard this I was more excited than I should have been. I didn't really want to go to Honduras, wait I take that back, I did. Just not exactly too excited to go to one of the most visited countries by missions teams from churches and schools in the world. My heart is for countries that people do not normally go to (the adventurer/discoverer in me is talking right now). So I'm like, hit that missions random button! Lets go somewhere new! Now time for the infamous reality check. This trip is no way about me and what I want in the least. It's about God's kingdom, and His will, for us and for that country. Also, most of my team members heart's might as well have been buried in that Latin American soil. When we told the team that Team Honduras would be joining with Team Costa Rica, and on top of that, we would not be going to would not be going to EITHER countries, we were met with many expressions. Most of them were faces that said, "Are you joking me?" One person other than me was excited about the change. Good for you one person. I'm rooting there right alongside you.

So then the director of missions (amazing woman of God) then informed us to what country we would be traveling to. Literally she said, "Ok! Are you ready, its a little place that starts with a I and ends with an NDIA!"

India.

Awesome. No other word.

Yes, India is visited by many missions organizations and missionaries. Hey, though, we already went over this. Not my will but HIS will be done. Ok.

India.

India is one of those places that always see myself going, but later on. Meaning, let me visit and explore every inch of Africa, and then I'll make my way my way to India when I feel like it. Obviously I would be dead by the time I made my way to India, either through old age because, lets face it, DANG, Africa is a big place. Even if the Lord blessed me with "the quickness", my ability to get myself into trouble would have shown its colors during that time and I would have bit that, rich, red, African dust.

So now I get to go to India, at the ripe age of 20! Perfect. To the team, this is not so perfect. One girl said she would rather go ANYWHERE but India. Honesty rocks. However, she stuck on the team and I'm proud of the sacrifice she made.

So there. We made it past the 50% deadline. And now we were a new team. Kortney and I had the task of getting know each other and our leadership styles in two months, and somehow build a team from the ashes of fiery change.

Jesus help us.

Life goes on. Finals come and go and so does graduation. Now our first big team challenge, Ropes Course 2009.

The Missions Department makes every team go on a one week ropes right before we leave the country. Though many mission teams past and present hate this process with a hatred that could rival the devil himself, I'm glad we have it. It is hated for its stressful atmosphere, an athletics day that makes you feel like you are in bootcamp, high ropes courses that are the worst nightmare of anyone who has a mild fear of heights, low ropes exercises that can break you emotionally, and constant tiredness. Why, you ask, do you like this David? Well friend, I reply, I love it for the challenges, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. You come out of it a stronger person and I love the worship nights in which God chooses to grace us with His presence. God broke me at Ropes in a powerful way. In many ways. Leading this team was the most difficult thing I've ever had to do in my life. So hard. One night at worship God broke me and I realized that only by leaning on Him I can get through this month.

I'm going to be honest. I hate leadership. Ok, hate is a strong word. Why? Because I'm a tiny bit selfish. I don't like the idea of being in the middle, on the center stage, and people need me directly to lead and serve them. I mean, I like the idea of leadership. If I learned one thing on this trip, it is that leadership has a price. Sometimes that price, is so much. So much that it is an impossible task. You lean and depend on Him for so much. Just to get you through the day. He is good. At ropes I just had to learn, whether it made sense or not, I was the ATL of this trip. Whether the team liked it or not, I was one of their leaders. I knew that God would get me through.

Ropes was rough for our team. We were all working through our own issues, questions, and what not. After 5 days of getting through all the challenges, the night I was waiting for had finally come. Commissioning night.

Commissioning night is when the Tl and ATL of each team pray over their team members and "commission" them. God moved so much this night and through almost every team member we prayed, and prophesied over our team members. It was beautiful. We still have to survive in India for a month together, but for now, seeing the team and all the others praying, completely sold out to the will of the Lord, few things are more beautiful than that.

Before the night is over, a girl who wasn't even involved in the missions programs stops me and pulls me aside. I knew her and have had conversations with her, but it was exactly like we were close enough that we made friendship bracelets for each other if you know what I mean. However, she stops me, and says, "David I just want you to know that I am so excited for you. You have an intense love all attacks from satan on your team are going to break. It will be love, intense love from God that does this. Intense love for the team. God is going to show His love to you in so many new ways." Wow. All I could say was thank you and then she was gone. She barely knew me, I'm pretty sure she didn't know any of my teammates. She knew nothing, including how much what she just said meant to me.

Part II on its ways friends!