Fri, Sept 19 @ 2:30pm -
As we began our long trek back home today, I try to process this trip in my mind but it really can't be done. The only place is the heart. And there are many things on each of our hearts.
Here is an attempt to capture a bit what I saw, heard, experienced, how I will be changed,
- SLOW DOWN - When we break away from our normal day to day activities, we are able to see what it is that we do from a distance. We are a busy people. Our culture, work, etc all drive us that way. Hopefully this has been recalibrated in me for at least a short time on my return. Continue to invest in those around me.
- BE THANKFUL - So many things come so easy to us in the US. It is already a challenge for me today to instill this in my children. We want them to have and experience the better things in life but be grateful at the same time. Jenn and I talk about this all the time. Some of my own unthankfulness was exposed this trip.
- I was reminded again of our call to Acts 1:8. I know we can't all go on foreign mission trips. But we are called to participate in spreading the Gospel in each of these three areas in some way: locally, nationally, and to the ends of the earth.
- Families on Mission - Jenn and I saw this in Peru but I witnessed it again this week. What power there is in taking your children on missions with you. (or even just you and your spouse) They need to see how big the God is that we worship. Perspective changes perception.
- Children are God's gift to us.
- My heart grew stronger. Not in a bodybuilding sort of way. But rather it was made even more vulnerable and I discoverd areas of it that I didn't know existed.
- GOD IS LOVE.
- There were times this week where I didn't feel very smart. Some of the people we hung out with and met knew some things about my own country that I didn't even know.
- Driving in Ukraine is quite different than back home. A "yellow light" gets you ready to GO! You basically pass others whenever you desire and often park wherever you want. Let's just say I "flinched" at on coming traffic more than once.
- McDonalds taste can be replicated from US to Ukraine. We ate there today for lunch. If you were to cover your ears and close your eyes you would have thought we were on sitting on corner of W Main and Thomas St.
- I was challenged on many fronts this week. I hope I can retain just a bit of it upon my return.
Two years ago after our trip to Peru, the seed was planted in my heart for international missions. So when the Ukraine trip came up it made sense. I was able to make it work financially, taking off from work, Jenn supported the decision, etc. I got here pretty easy you could say. As the trip got closer, I struggled in my mind to explain to others what we would be doing and what impact we could make. There wasn't a lot of fanfare around this trip like my previous one. There wasn't any of the big mission trip words associated with this trip such as - church planting, door to door evangelism, working in underground church, etc. There was only 8 of us. But as I doubted Him, I once again was proven wrong. The call was simple, to go love on the kids and let His light shine. We went and He did show up. There is no trip that is to small for him.
Glad I was wrong !!!
Thanks for your support and prayers,
- Drew
As we began our long trek back home today, I try to process this trip in my mind but it really can't be done. The only place is the heart. And there are many things on each of our hearts.
Here is an attempt to capture a bit what I saw, heard, experienced, how I will be changed,
- SLOW DOWN - When we break away from our normal day to day activities, we are able to see what it is that we do from a distance. We are a busy people. Our culture, work, etc all drive us that way. Hopefully this has been recalibrated in me for at least a short time on my return. Continue to invest in those around me.
- BE THANKFUL - So many things come so easy to us in the US. It is already a challenge for me today to instill this in my children. We want them to have and experience the better things in life but be grateful at the same time. Jenn and I talk about this all the time. Some of my own unthankfulness was exposed this trip.
- I was reminded again of our call to Acts 1:8. I know we can't all go on foreign mission trips. But we are called to participate in spreading the Gospel in each of these three areas in some way: locally, nationally, and to the ends of the earth.
- Families on Mission - Jenn and I saw this in Peru but I witnessed it again this week. What power there is in taking your children on missions with you. (or even just you and your spouse) They need to see how big the God is that we worship. Perspective changes perception.
- Children are God's gift to us.
- My heart grew stronger. Not in a bodybuilding sort of way. But rather it was made even more vulnerable and I discoverd areas of it that I didn't know existed.
- GOD IS LOVE.
- There were times this week where I didn't feel very smart. Some of the people we hung out with and met knew some things about my own country that I didn't even know.
- Driving in Ukraine is quite different than back home. A "yellow light" gets you ready to GO! You basically pass others whenever you desire and often park wherever you want. Let's just say I "flinched" at on coming traffic more than once.
- McDonalds taste can be replicated from US to Ukraine. We ate there today for lunch. If you were to cover your ears and close your eyes you would have thought we were on sitting on corner of W Main and Thomas St.
- I was challenged on many fronts this week. I hope I can retain just a bit of it upon my return.
Two years ago after our trip to Peru, the seed was planted in my heart for international missions. So when the Ukraine trip came up it made sense. I was able to make it work financially, taking off from work, Jenn supported the decision, etc. I got here pretty easy you could say. As the trip got closer, I struggled in my mind to explain to others what we would be doing and what impact we could make. There wasn't a lot of fanfare around this trip like my previous one. There wasn't any of the big mission trip words associated with this trip such as - church planting, door to door evangelism, working in underground church, etc. There was only 8 of us. But as I doubted Him, I once again was proven wrong. The call was simple, to go love on the kids and let His light shine. We went and He did show up. There is no trip that is to small for him.
Glad I was wrong !!!
Thanks for your support and prayers,
- Drew
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