Some people are just awesome

There are times in our lives when God chooses to show Himself in extraordinary ways.  Then there are times when He chooses to show Himself in small, quiet ways.  Very, very often, He shows Himself through His children.

We are experiencing some sadness right now, but also much, much joy.  We said goodbye to some dear and special brothers and sisters in Christ a few days ago.  29 men and women from Central Baptist Church in Sulphur Springs, TX spent ten days in Peru, serving in so many ways, from building, to stamping tracts, to passing out tracts, doing mimes in the streets, cleaning, teaching, sharing and all in all, blessing the lives they touched.

I witnessed firsthand several grandparents working tirelessly in the heat, dirt, and at times, physically precarious situations.  I saw six teenagers who love the Lord with all their hearts, who had the best attitudes and were some of the most willing and helpful kids I've ever seen.  I saw a couple of young men start working early in the morning, take 5 minutes for a sandwich and work into the night, building a roof for our church.  I saw ladies, several who had physical issues, walk for hours in the hot sun, passing out flyers and loving anyone they met.  I saw two mime teams do an excellent job acting out the story of God's love for man, a few times in the heat of the day with no shade and no complaining.  I saw 29 people of every age, type, personality and background pull together and share their God-given gifts to accomplish a whole lot in a short time.

I was personally blessed beyond words to see some friends who I had missed very much over the past year.  I was blessed to make some new friends.  I was blessed to hear encouragement and cheering from some people I respect immensely.  I was humbled and amazed at the generosity showed to my family from each and every team member.  I was blessed and appreciated so very much how much love my kids were shown.  I was proud to be a part of this team and I am thankful to have been given the gift of their time these past weeks.

This was one of those times God chose to show Himself in an extraordinary way, in a small, quiet way and mostly, through His children.  All the glory goes to Him.  God used each gift offered in His perfect way.  He worked a mighty work in spite of sickness, schedule changes, frustrations, meltdowns, and just plain silliness.  I truly believe God smiled on our little group of servants, in this small corner of His great world.  Many heard about Him, many read about Him, many saw His love through a smile or a touch.

Heartfelt thanks to the Central missions team.  We love you dearly, we are honored to be partners in ministry with you and we hope to see you all again soon.  You have taken a piece of each of our hearts back to Texas with you.

Brent, Miriam, Olivia, Kyall and Lucas