more reunions!

Our team from Sharptown Church arrived Saturday afternoon, and Lily is in HEAVEN...tons of girls to play with, friends to eat with, and best, Uncle Don, Aunt Brenda and Sami!

This should have been in my last "friends reunited" blog.  Long story short: Matt and Sam are glad to be back together and are seen here eating a VERY burnt brownie that they found IN THE TRASH.  With a fork.  And using it's burntness as the plate.   Children.

Today the team's week kicked off with a five (count it, FIVE...8:45-1:45) hour church service, at the church of our friend and past graduate Rodrigue.  It was really good to see Rodrigue, Rosnal, Carcout, Belhomme, and Gregori, all past graduates who came in for a special fund-raising-for-land-to-build-a-church service.  

And it was really good to worship with our brothers and sisters, and to experience it with our new friends, and to praise Jesus to songs we haven't heard in 2 months in a tongue we haven't used for 2 months.

However, the sermon, once we finally got to it, was terrible.  Discouraging.  All about getting wealthy. All about following Jesus so He can bless us with material possessions.  All about ME and what Jesus can do for ME.  The guest speaker was a guy I'd never met before, and it was really disappointing to have so many men there, very able and gifted to preach the GOSPEL, and instead hear, well, crud.  

Matt finally just stopped translating.  

As discouraging as it was to be a part of that, however, it reminded me WHY WE ARE HERE.  Today was why.  Because the Gospel isn't known.  Isn't being preached. 

We have the chance, sitting where we sat today, not just to reflect on the problem, but to be a part of His solution.  To TEACH the Gospel.  To call Rodrige and talk to him about what we heard today and discuss what the Bible says about "blessing".  To talk to our students about what is being preached and what MUST be being preached.  To spark conversations of "church" and what it is and what the Bible says it must be and how to get there.

To share the truth in the face of lies, to share the transformative Gospel in the face of "amusing" speech, to love--not to judge--so unwaveringly and deeply and sacrificially that people see Jesus.    

He has us here, I believe, because there is work to be done!

We then spent a great afternoon de-sweating at the pool.  What kind of people take a brand new, first day team, to a five hour service, after all :)  At least we rewarded them, and man, there was not a complaint the whole day!  This team is stellar!

Then, we got home right in time for a good soccer game while Cam and I cranked out seven pizzas, salad, breadsticks and dessert, had team devotions, and now fifteen people are watching Sherlock Holmes in our living room :)

It is GOOD to live and be in community.  He has put us in community for a reason.  We can't love like He designed us to alone.  

Whether that be a team from Jersey, friends from Saccanville, or old and new accquaintances in church, whether things are the way they should be or far from it...we can have only ONE response.  Deep love that comes from Him...the kind of love that changes things.

His.