Honduras Night #1

Night #1 can best be summed up in two words: sheer exhaustion. After an early morning at the airport, brief flight delays, and the always interesting baggage claim process, we have safely arrived in Tegucigalpa and are checked in to our hotel. We had lunch at a local restaurant and then had orientation with our Buckner representative to get ready for tomorrow morning when the true work begins at Casitas Kennedy Orphanage and the CTC here in the capital city.

Maybe the only thing I really enjoy about flying is the inevitable time that it gives me to do some much needed reading that I often can’t find the time to do at home or at work. On the flight from Miami in to Honduras today I was finally able to finish reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan, a book I started months ago but for some reason could never find time to finish until today.

During my reading I came across a passage that I think encapsulates a truth that many of us need to evaluate in our Christian walk on a daily basis, and especially as we begin to serve Him on mission tomorrow morning. Chan says, “I question whether American churchgoers are really in love with God because they are so hesitant to do anything for Him.” This statement may seem harsh at first, but when I stopped to consider it, it is so true. Often times we try to find any excuse or reason we can to not step out in faith and be a part of the plan that God has for us. And there is no telling the blessings we have missed throughout our life because we have been too scared to step out of the boat and actually trust in God with our actions like we will so easily say we do with our lips. Do we as Christians really love God enough to put into action what we say we believe so quickly and so easily? I am so thankful for a group of students and adults who found a reason to say yes to God’s call when they easily could have found every reason to say no. I am so thankful that their love for God and their passion for the gospel brought them here to share that with the people of Honduras, when undoubtedly all of them could have found any number of reasons to stay home. I know God is preparing a huge blessing for each of us on this trip as we seek to be obedient to His calling and begin sharing His name and His gospel with the people of Honduras tomorrow.

My prayer for each of us on this trip is simple. Sometimes I think we cloud our prayers with so much fluff and extra filler that we often times forget why we even need to go to God in the first place. I could think of line after line or super spiritual sounding stuff that sounds super holy, but what my heart desires more than anything is really quite simple. For each of us here as we begin our journey tomorrow, I hope we can earnestly pray and sincerely believe the following: “God, bring me closer to You on this trip, whatever it takes.” I pray that being able to be a part of God being at work in Honduras would change these students and these adults forever. And that more than a trip, the attitude and the heart of missions would become a lifestyle, and that when we return home next Monday night, we can no longer see our family, our co-workers, our friends and  our classmates in the same way any longer because we are so consumed with how much Christ loves them and longs for them to have a relationship with Him. And our church would feel anew the desire to go outside the walls of our church and impact our community and the world with the gospel like we have never done before. And we would expect God to move in a mighty and a powerful way like only He can.

I have so much more to share and so much more going through my mind, but I will save plenty for the rest of the week. Thank you to all for your prayers and your support. We continue to covet your prayers as we set out tomorrow morning to allow God to us however He sees fit for His glory, His honor and the furthering of His kingdom.

Until Tomorrow Night,

-John

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~ by johnmerrill on June 19, 2011.