True Missionaries

We’re back from Mexico, and oh, what a trip of a lifetime! God was moving in powerful ways in our hearts and through our hands, and I’m sure I’ll be thinking and talking and praying about the last week and a half for a long time to come. Lately, God has been stripping away all the non-essentials from my life and revealing truth to me in radical ways; and He continued to blow my expectations out of the water on this trip.

I drove into Mexico thinking I knew what to expect: I would shower less than usual, pray, hand out some clothes, work on a couple housing projects, and then come home with a greater appreciation for God’s blessings in my life. All those things happened, but the biggest thing I learned this last week is that all those things do not define missionary life. I learned what it means to be a missionary from the people of General Cepeda, Mexico.

I have never been treated as well by anybody as I was in Mexico. All the people we met gave to us abundantly, without concern for themselves; it reminded me of the parable Jesus tells of the woman who gives her last two coins. One of our workdays was spent driving out to a couple of the ranchos—little poor villages around the town of General Cepeda—to hand out Christmas presents to the kids and pray with the people who lived there. As we were getting ready to leave the second rancho, one of the missionaries told us that the women had made some food for us and were inviting us to dinner, to thank us for being there. We agreed and sat down, and then they brought in trays and trays of food for us: gorditas, tostadas, plates of rice and meat. There was an abundance of food; I literally could not eat everything they handed me. I was so moved by the fact that in order to feed all 12 of us who were there that night, these women had to pool together food that probably needed to last them all week. This wasn’t just a nice gesture; it was a sacrifice.

Through the actions of the women at the rancho, I am more firmly convicted that it is not enough for me to give out of my surplus. True generosity involves giving until it hurts. Being a true missionary means always making room in your life for the presence of God in others. I will never forget the true generosity and hospitality shown to me in Mexico, and I pray that I may one day come close to being able to give with as much freedom.


Thank you to everyone who supported me with prayers and financial contributions. You made a difference in lives that is irreplaceable.
There will be more to come about Mexico as I have time to process, pray, and download some pictures.
May God bless the rest of your Advent season, and Merry Christmas everyone!

Seek and you will find

The other day, I was reflecting on the first words Jesus speaks in the gospel of John:

“What are you looking for?”

The beauty in that question is it’s an invitation; He says right after that, “Come and you will see.” John reveals something so comforting about Jesus in those first words, that my God is a God of invitation, a God who beckons to me, is wanting me to draw closer to Him and find the answer to everything I am looking for in Him. He doesn’t just dole things out; God’s gift to me is about relationship. In following Jesus, going with Him, journeying alongside Him, I will see what it is I want, what it is I hope for. Jesus wants to fulfill my desires, but above that, He wants a relationship with me. He wants to love me—He wants my heart.

So what is it that I’m looking for?

I am looking for truth, truth I will fight for.
I am looking for intimacy—to know and be known at the deepest level.
I am looking for a joyful existence; one in which I can dance and sing and appreciate all the beauty of this life and this world in which I live.
I am looking for peace, for a heart that is settled and not restless or anxious.

And in my searching for all these things, Jesus simply says, “Come, and you will see.”

So I will love the Lord, and follow Him, and wait to see what He has to show me.

"I will make all things new..."

There have been a lot of “firsts” for me since I’ve been living and working and praying at Covecrest; I’ve already written about some of the revelations, “epiphany moments,” if you will, that I’ve had while here. The beauty of this year is that I am not limited to spiritual growth—I’ve been learning tons of new skills and trying all sorts of new things. So I thought I would start a running list of all the “firsts” I’ve experienced here at Covecrest:

1) Breaking and ripping up tile (also the first time using a crowbar)
2) Splitting wood (not as exciting as I thought...the machine goes really slow)
3) Digging a hole for the foundation of a porch (I needed lots of help with this one)
4) Filling in a ditch for a water line
5) Pruning trees (really satisfying)
6) Dry-walling (I’m so good at this...if the whole missionary thing doesn’t work out, I could work for a contracting company)
7) Seeing snow fall (better than Disneyland!)
8) Starting a beat up truck in second gear (also first time starting a car without a key)
9) Changing a paper towel roll in a public restroom
10) Cooking eggs for 200 people (although I can’t lift the pan...)
11) Driving to Mexico in a 15 passenger van
12) Getting pulled over by the Mexican police (twice...)
13) Eating tamarind candy (I do not suggest this one)
14) Going to Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi (all in one car ride too)
15) Crossing the Mississippi river
16) Seeing a levee
17) Having more holy hours than meal times in my schedule
18) Eating at an all-you-can-eat-for-five-dollars pizza buffet
19) Finding out how much tabernacles actually cost (it's insane. look it up)
20) Scheduling time to make a schedule

Who knew there was so much to learn? There will be plenty more to come, I’m sure. Keep watching for more updates!!