Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts

What If?  I'm not saying this is it, but what if? What if you go on a mission trip to Alaska to change the lives of those you meet, to build Gods kingdom, to bring others to Christ and what if it's more about changing you and growing you than about those you touch.  It's probably about both, but I like the "What If's". What if Gods plan all along was to mold and shape you, and He had other plans for those you were reaching. We talk hard and long that it's not about you, but what if in some  way it is?  Not your desires but His. It's not about you because it's not about your comfort or your convenience.  But it may be about you because God as He so often does may have plans we know nothing about.

As we began the trip, the excitement was so fresh and new. Some of the students had never even been on an airplane before, only a handful had done a mission trip. Our first days in Soldatna taught us 'team'. We began to understand who was on the trip and how to work together.  The hours were long; the work was hard.  We were ravaged by mosquitoes.  And on top of everything else the weather was warm which was unexpected and we were mostly unprepared for it. Yet, the students embraced every single moment, not a complaint, not a whine, not an excuse.  If they didn't know how, they took direction.  If they did it wrong, they took correction.  Spirits were high, energy was higher.  They were willing to sacrifice to serve. The work was fast, efficient and true North Coast worthy.  And more importantly worthy of what God asks of us.  And all of this with just glimmers of God.  It was easy to see the accomplishment, the service.  But hard to see the "God-impact / Kingdom-impact". But as we closed our time in Soldotna, team was built - and what a "team"   it was! We were truly ready for whatever was next, though we didn't really know it. Didn't know that He had created a step process.

Our time in Anchorage began with God speaking loud and clear, and did I say loud, to many of the students at the Alaskan Native Medical Center.  The impact was profound and was interwoven throughout much of our remaining time.  It seemed as  we moved through the days, the growth God provided to each student was amazing.  And each area of growth was individual, specific and focused directly at a specific student.  Standing on the outside, you could so see God molding and shaping each student.  We saw tons and tons of laughter, healing tears and sad tears, tears of frustration and tears of joy.  This is life altering change. Change that will forever change your view of yourself,  God and others.  It's not simple to process ... as it is truly God changing us from the inside out.

Our final morning, our devotional was led by CJ Larson.  He talked about a passage he and Jon Chappel had walked through early on the trip that had turned the trip around for him.

Matthew. 26:41. "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  Talking about when we were tired or didn't know what we were doing, but were able to let God still work through us.

He also tied this over to Deuteronomy, the end of the life of Moses.  As we leave Alaska, we have planted some seeds but we didn't get to see the fruition of our work, we don't get to see the promised land.  That is not what we were called to do, we were merely called to plant some seeds, lay some groundwork.  The promise land is left to someone else for another day.  But in the meantime, God has forever changed our hearts in amazing ways that will unfold in the weeks ahead.