Fe y Duda: Tuesday - Looking for Heroes?

Mexican and American teen devotional at the end of the day

[Note: Plenty of Pics at the End of this Post.]

Wow. It’s amazing how a change of surroundings can change your point of view. I wish every member of North Boulevard, every parent and family member of the teens serving here could be where I’m sitting right now and see the altar of service being built moment by moment by your teens. It’s an amazing sight.

If you have doubts about young people and the next generation, seeing our teens in action would renew your faith. Everyone is stepping up to do what needs to be done – cradle a child, hammer a nail, wash dishes, jump rope, distribute clothes, wrangle hot dogs, lead a Bible study, pray for a teen, shovel crap with an elder (literally, that’s what several of our teens did out at the garden today), throw out the trash from the bathroom (major points on this job since this is where we put our used toilet paper…I know…too much information…just wanted you to know what amazing acts of service our teens are performing.) I watch teens who might be reluctant to do chores at home serve without thought or complaint. Don’t believe me? Ask them to demonstrate this activity when they get home.

Speaking of home. Thank you. There are so many of you at home who have sacrificed to make this trip possible for those of us here. You served behind the scenes so that we could serve here. Many of you did it anonymously and without thanks. No one was there to take your picture, slap it in a blog and post it to the whole world on the web. You just did it. Without you, this trip wouldn’t be possible. We work hard here to be worthy of what you’ve committed to making this happen. You’re our heroes.

We also say thanks to the siblings, spouses and family members who’ve taken on our responsibilities at home so that we could travel here. You’ve taken on more so that we could serve in Mexico. Thank you. You, too, are heroes.

Thanks, too, to all those at home who serve our community, our church and our God daily. Again, you do it without fail and without all of the fanfare that seems to surround a foreign mission trip. You know that the needs in our hometown are great as well. That you don’t have to travel thousands of miles to see a need and to serve. You’re our heroes.

Some many even ask why spend all the money to bring so many people here? Why not just send a check? Skid discussed this as part of our devotional tonight. I think if you’d heard the singing of American teens and Mexican teens together as we gathered on the plaza here to lift praise to God, you’d have part of your answer. The Americans would sing a verse of a song in English and the Mexicans would answer singing the next verse of the same song in Spanish. We did this with several hymns…God is so Good, All in All, I Will Call Upon the Lord. For many of these teens who have never served in another culture, who’ve not met teens who believe and who struggle as they do, this trip has been a wonderful chance for them (for all of us!) to see they/we are not alone and that as different as two cultures and languages may be we are far more alike than we are different. This is the chance for an American teen to stand with a Mexican teen and to say to their hopes, struggles and fears…. “Me, too.”

This is trip is an investment. Not just in 200+ Mexican children and the people of Maneadero. It’s also an investment in our children and our community. Who knows- some of the teens on this trip might develop an interest in missions and make it their life. It’s happened before. Take for example Ann Horton. She came to the City of Children as a teen and now she’s translating for our trip and preparing to be a missionary in Latin America.

And, finally, when we come back home, we hope we are changed in a way that’s demonstrated in the other 51 weeks of the year, serving the people of our community and our family and our church in such a way that the substantial investment that was made in this trip will be viewed by even the severest of critics as well worth it.

In other news, Luke McConnell was awarded the Festival of sharing hat for his tireless work both on the computer to make things happen technically but also his servant heart and hands as he joins in delivering food, working in the garden and playing with the children. Not many geeks are so well-rounded.

In the latest chapter of our on-going skit, the masked Zero, credible Hulk and Aguaman traveled to the City of Children to perform for the rich man they thought was paying to see them demonstrate their powers only to discover that the children were hoping for real heroes to save them from the Dinero family. Our Super Heroes had to admit they weren’t “real heroes.” They just act like heroes. Some might even call them fakes. Humiliated and powerless to help the children, they quickly left the scene while the evil Dineros gloated on their victory and prepared to bulldoze the City of Children to make way for Taco Vasto. What now? Is there no one to save the City? Where are the heroes in the children’s time of need? Is there anyone who will stand up against evil and save them? Stay tuned…

On another level, it’s our desire that our service here is not an act and that we’re not faking it for a week. It’s our desire to come home, prepared to serve for the next 51 weeks empowered by the God who showed us the meaning of true sacrifice.

God is good.