Called to amazing love

I can't get them out of my mind...Ivo, Mariales, Jeni, Irvin, Evelyne, Ruby, Jose, Eddy, Claudia...and so many others. They are in my thoughts all of the time. I just looked at the hundreds of photos that were taken of these sweet friends and the things that we did together in El Salvador.

It seems surreal, and yet it seems as real as the computer I type on now. They live across the ocean, but they are as close as Facebook and my memory. They live such simple lives, unhampered by the gadgets and stuff that often weighs me (and some of you) down. They are on fire for God, some in countries that are not their native land, yet they serve and give out of love for the same God I serve, that you serve.

We are called to love people, to extend our boundaries to encompass another culture, another neighborhood, another family, another person. To love them with the love that is so far beyond ourselves that we would be fools to think it wasn't anything less that Christ that makes it all possible.

That kind of love gives us wild ideas like leaving family for a week to go to a country so different from the one where we live. That kind of love asks us to stop for a man with a flat tire to help him fix it and then bless him with money to feed his humgry child. That kind of love puts muscle and grit behind a sledge hammer to renovate rooms so that expansion can take place for more kids to come to know Jesus.

That kind of love is the kind of love I want to demonstrate...not to get noticed, or to make a new friend, or to feed my need for approval. Oh no, I want my love to be an offering to the only God who deserves praise from this fault-filled sinner saved by His amazing grace. That grace is what feeds my love for others, it sustains me when I need to keep loving. Maybe that's why it's called amazing love, amazing grace.

Adventure of Loving in El Salvador

There are many opportunities to be a part of something larger than oneself in this lifetime, but often we opt out of the uncomfortable, unfamiliar to stay close to that which requires no stretching of ones resources, intellect or sense of adventure. This, my friends, is where 17 of us now find ourselves...ready to experience the time of our lives. El Salvador, here we come!

What we have in common is simple: we are a team of folks who love God and sense we are to make a difference on His behalf. We come from many backgrounds, have many talents, work different jobs, but we all love God. We have varied abilities, different dreams and fears, and various years of experience going on trips such as this one. We are men and women, teens and elders, but we all love God. Some of us are professionals, done with formal training, others not even out of school, but did I tell you…we all love God. We will work, sleep, eat, play, pray, read and learn together all for sharing the love of God. It’s our mission for the next week.

We covet your prayers and thank you for the support we felt as we were prayed over in the service on Sunday. We go representing you and Christ's Body known as Church of the Open Door. We go to honor the One who loves us and sends us. We go to love people….

So, as you join us on this adventure to El Salvador know that it is our mission to do one thing: LOVE. Love across borders, love through language differences, love because of the One who loved us all first. We will share His love this week. We hope you will check in with us to see and read about how our Adventure of Loving is going.