DAY 4 (Part 1) – It's Monday...Preparations

Monday was a day of hard preparation, followed by the execution of our plans that we have been working on for so long.  This post will cover part one – the preparation followed by another post for the ministry at the Hope Center.

PREPARATION

What happens if you put new wine in old wine skins?  OK well we don’t really use wine skins anymore but the answer is POP – the pressure and expansion of the grape juice will destroy an old wineskin that has no more give and cannot expand and take the pressure.

What happens if you put a brand-new convert to the faith and instantly place them in charge of a small-group or make them a senior pastor?  Well, that seems silly and not the way God normally works…

Finally, what happens if you put new paint on top of grime, dirt, filth, and prior paint?  You guessed it! It will look nice for a few months, but weather changes, sunshine, darkness, heat, and cold will take that brand new looking paint job and make it look more like this:

Likewise, today’s story starts with the preparation for painting later this week. We scrubbed with iron brushes, sandpaper, and spatulas (what we call putty knifes) We sanded concrete blocks, rusted iron works, metals, iron roof joists and generally prepared the surface.  As we were leaving, the artist cleaned it even further with a power washer.

So, how does this preparation apply to the rest of the trip?

• How does this preparation apply to everyone?
• What did we learn as a team?

Monday was not easy. It was hot, and the work was hard.  At times, some probably thought it was useless. However, we persevered and accomplished the task.  This reminds me of the preparation that this team has gone through over the past 6 months preparing for RIGHT NOW. We did not just wing it. There were hours of planning the crafts and the activities, and the skit.  And today was the day.

The story of Monday will continue with a description of Pavas and the HOPE that God is bringing to this impoverished area of the world.  

You can pray for us as we continue this ministry to the community and to the kids in the Hope Center. Specifically, please pray for:

• Strength – even strapping teens with lots of energy will drain quickly in the heat
• Supernatural Energy – such that even when we are tired, God will provide that energy that we need

Monday will be continued…